Core Gameplay

Core Gameplay Overview

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild revolutionizes the classic Zelda formula with an open-world design centered on freedom, discovery, and systemic interaction. The core gameplay loop is: Explore → Overcome challenges → Gain strength → Explore more dangerous areas. This loop is driven by four key systems: the physics engine, weather/climate, weapon durability, and the Sheikah Slate runes. Below is a tiered breakdown of how this loop evolves across player progression.

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Early Game (Great Plateau to First Divine Beast)

Main Gameplay Loop

• Explore the Great Plateau (tutorial area) and then Hyrule Field, learning to climb, glide, and use runes.


• Overcome combat with basic weapons (tree branches, Boko clubs), solve simple shrines, and defeat weak enemies like Bokoblins and Chuchus.


• Gain Spirit Orbs (from shrines) to increase hearts or stamina, plus basic armor and weapons.


• Return to central areas (Dueling Peaks, Kakariko Village) to unlock the main quest: defeat Ganon by freeing the four Divine Beasts.




Combat & Interaction Systems



• Weapon Durability: Every weapon (including shields and bows) breaks after a set number of hits. Early game you’ll rely on enemy drops and chests. Example: a Boko Club breaks after ~6 hits.


• Runes (Magnesis, Cryonis, Stasis, Bomb): Learned on the Great Plateau. These are essential for puzzles and combat. Magnesis lifts metal objects to strike enemies; Stasis freezes enemies temporarily for follow-up attacks.


• Parrying & Perfect Dodge: Use shield parry (A button while shielding) just before an enemy strike to stun them. Backflip/side hop at the right moment triggers Flurry Rush (slow-motion counterattack).


• Stealth: Crouch (L3) to reduce noise; sneakstrike deals 8x damage. Early game this is crucial against stronger enemies like Blue Bokoblins.


• Weather: Hot areas require heat resistance (e.g., spicy elixir or flameproof armor). Cold areas require cold resistance (e.g., warm doublet or chilly elixir). Rain makes climbing slippery.




Progression



• Hearts & Stamina: Trade four Spirit Orbs at any Goddess Statue (e.g., Temple of Time on Great Plateau) for one heart container or one-fifth of a stamina wheel. Recommended: 5-6 hearts first, then stamina.


• Paraglider: Obtained from the Old Man after completing Great Plateau shrines. Essential for reaching distant areas.


• Tower Activation: Activate Sheikah Towers to reveal map regions. Early towers include Great Plateau, Dueling Peaks, and Hateno.




Exploration



• Shrines: 120 total, each a mini-dungeon. Early game, focus on those near the Great Plateau and Dueling Peaks. Example: “Trial of Power” on Great Plateau teaches combat with a Guardian.


• Korok Seeds: Hidden throughout Hyrule; collect 45 to expand weapon/shield/bow inventory (via Hestu). Early game, aim for 2-3 inventory slots.


• Stable: Register horses at stables (e.g., Dueling Peaks Stable). Horses ease travel but cannot be summoned everywhere.




Quests & Missions



• Main Quest: “Free the Divine Beasts” – Speak to Impa in Kakariko Village, who gives you the first objective: destroy one of four Divine Beasts. Recommended first: Vah Ruta (Zora’s Domain) or Vah Medoh (Rito Village).


• Side Quests: Early simple ones include “The Hero’s Cache” (collect 100 rupees), “Find the Fairy Fountain” (expand armor upgrades).


• Shrine Quests: Some require exploration (e.g., “The Sheikah Stone Slate” on Great Plateau).




Economy



• Rupees: Earned from chests, selling gems (e.g., Amber, Opal), cooking meals, and completing quests. Early game, sell Amber (10 rupees each) for quick cash.


• Cooking: Combine ingredients in a cooking pot. Example: “Hearty Stew” (Raw Meat + Hyrule Herb + Rock Salt) restores 4 hearts. Elixirs: monster parts + critters (e.g., Bokoblin Horn + Hot-Footed Frog = Hasty Elixir).


• Armor Purchases: Hateno Village has basic armor sets (e.g., Hylian Set – 780 total rupees). Use for defense.




Character/Build Growth



• No leveling system. Growth is entirely loot- and skill-based.


• Armor Upgrades: Great Fairy Fountains (e.g., one near Kakariko) allow upgrading armor with materials. Early upgrades require low-tier parts like Bokoblin Horns.


• Skill: Learning to parry Guardian beams or perfect dodge Lynels is a major component of growth.




Endgame Structure (Early Game Perspective)



• The final boss, Calamity Ganon, is accessible from the start if you head straight to Hyrule Castle, but extremely difficult.


• Early game goal: complete Great Plateau, get paraglider, unlock first Divine Beast (preferably Vah Ruta for Mipha’s Grace – self-revive).


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Mid Game (After First Divine Beast to Third Divine Beast)





Main Gameplay Loop



• Explore new regions (Gerudo Desert, Hebra Mountains, Akkala) with upgraded stamina and gear.


• Overcome tougher enemies: Lizalfos, Moblins, Silver variants, and minor Guardians.


• Gain champion abilities (Mipha’s Grace, Daruk’s Protection, Revali’s Gale, Urbosa’s Fury), better weapons (Royal, Knight, Ancient), and upgraded armor.


• Return to towns to start new Divine Beast quests and gather resources.




Combat & Interaction Systems



• Elemental Arrows: Fire (ignites), Ice (freezes), Shock (stuns + drops weapon). Effective against specific enemies (e.g., Ice arrows vs Fire Lizalfos).


• Guardian Weapons: Obtain from defeated Guardians or chests. High damage but rare. Use Ancient Arrows (bought from Robbie for 200 rupees each) to one-shot Guardians.


• Lynels: Mini-bosses; mid game you can farm them for powerful weapons (Savage Lynel gear). Requires Flurry Rush mastery.


• Horse Combat: Use a one-handed sword on horseback for spin attacks; bow for mounted archery.




Progression



• Stamina Wheel: 2 wheels is recommended for climbing and paragliding. Trade Spirit Orbs until you have 2 full wheels (10 upgrades = 40 orbs).


• Hearts: 13+ hearts allows you to pull the Master Sword (from Korok Forest). The sword has 30 base damage and does not break, but runs out of energy and needs “recharging” for 10 minutes.


• Inventory Slots: Collect 45-90 Korok Seeds; unlock 7-10 weapon slots, 7-10 shield slots, 7-10 bow slots.




Exploration



• Regional Towers: Each region has a central Sheikah Tower (e.g., Ridgeland, Lanayru, Hebra). Activate to reveal map.


• Divine Beast Quest: Each Beast has a pre-quest in the region. Example: For Vah Naboris (Gerudo), you must complete “The Thunder Plateau” quest to get the Gerudo Desert map.


• Faron Region: Great for farming hearty durians (full health recovery + extra hearts). Found near Lakeside Stable.




Quests & Missions



• Main Quest: Second & Third Divine Beasts. Recommended order: Vah Medoh (Revali’s Gale – vertical lift), Vah Rudania (Daruk’s Protection – auto-shield), Vah Naboris (Urbosa’s Fury – AoE lightning).


• Side Quests: Mid game memorable ones include “The Stolen Heirloom” (Hateno Village), “The Eye of the Sunken Colossus” (eventide-style island), and “The Three Giant Brothers” (Tabantha region).


• Shrine Quests: Many have riddles (e.g., “The Spring of Power” requires offering a specific material).




Economy



• Gems: Sell Rubies (210 rupees), Sapphires (260), Topazes (180), Diamonds (500) for large sums. But Diamonds are also needed to repair Champion weapons at Tarrey Town (post-Divine Beast).


• Food Sales: Meals with 5 ingredients sell for high prices (e.g., Gourmet Meat skewers sell for 300+ rupees).


• Ancient Gear: Collect Ancient Screws, Gears, and Shafts; sell to Robbie at the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab for rupees or use to buy Ancient arrows and upgrade Ancient Armor.




Character/Build Growth



• Champion Abilities: Revali’s Gale (updraft) and Urbosa’s Fury (AoE damage) are particularly powerful for combat and exploration.


• Armor Sets: Obtain Snowquill Set (Rito Village) for cold resistance and Rubber Set (Faron) for shock resistance. Upgrade at Great Fairies for set bonuses (e.g., Unfreezable, Shockproof).


• Master Sword: Obtain by requiring 13 hearts (or temporary boost from Hearty foods). The sword’s glowing form does 60 damage near Guardians or Ganon.




Endgame Structure (Mid Game Perspective)



• Hyrule Castle becomes partially accessible for loot; major enemies inside include Silver Lynels and Guardian Stalkers.


• Defeating all four Divine Beasts halves Calamity Ganon’s health and disables his opening attack.


• Preparing for the endgame: collecting Ancient armor (high defense + guardian resistance) or Barbarian armor (attack up).


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Late Game (After All Four Divine Beasts to Final Boss Prep)





Main Gameplay Loop



• Explore every corner, including Hyrule Castle interior, the Lost Woods, and all overworld bosses (Stone Talus, Hinox, Molduga).


• Overcome Gold enemies (Master Mode) or high-tier Silver/Lynels.


• Gain best gear: Ancient Bow (70 durability, long range), Hylian Shield (800 defense, highest shield), all armor upgrades to max (4 stars).


• Return to central areas to complete remaining side quests, find all shrines, and collect Korok seeds.




Combat & Interaction Systems



• Ancient Proficiency: Ancient Armor set bonus + Ancient weapons/bows = 80% damage boost vs Guardians. Effective for farming.


• Barbarian Legacy: Barbarian armor (Faron, Akkala, Hebra labyrinths) gives Attack Up +3 set bonus, great for any weapon.


• Headshots with Bows: Critical hits stun most enemies. Use multishot bows (Lynel Bow, Great Eagle Bow) for maximum damage.


• Elemental Combos: Freeze + Shatter with a two-handed weapon deals triple damage. Shock + metal weapons in rain creates AoE stun.




Progression



• All 120 Shrines: Completing all shrines yields the Champion’s Tunic (automatically reveals enemy health bars) and the final reward: a fully upgraded Sheikah Slate. This also gives max hearts (30) if you trade all orbs for hearts (stamina can be maxed via gear swapping).


• All 900 Korok Seeds: Max inventory slots: 13 weapons, 13 shields, 13 bows. Also gives a gold poop (useless but achievement).


• Master Sword Upgraded: After completing “The Hero of Time” DLC, you can upgrade the Master Sword to 60 base damage always.




Exploration



• Hyrule Castle: Full exploration yields the Hylian Shield (locked chest in the lockup), Royal Guard weapons, and the Bow of Light (only in final battle). Beware of the constant Guardian patrols; use Stasis+ to freeze them.


• DLC Content: “The Champions’ Ballad” adds new shrines, an extra Divine Beast (Master Cycle Zero), and upgraded Champion Abilities (shorter cooldowns).


• Eventide Island: A trial where you lose all gear and must recover orbs. Reward: a Gold Rupee (300 rupees) and a Korok Seed.




Quests & Missions



• Main Quest: Destroy Ganon. Once all Divine Beasts are freed, Impa gives the final main quest: defeat Calamity Ganon at Hyrule Castle.


• Side Quests: Late game includes “The Hero’s Sword” (proves you have Master Sword), “The Dragon’s Gift” (collect all three dragon parts), and “The Legend of the Great Fairy” (upgrade all Great Faries to max).


• Shrine Quests: The final shrine quest “The Cave of Ordeals” (not in base game) is not present; instead, DLC offers the “One-Hit Obliterator” trial.




Economy



• Maximum Rupees: Sell high-value meals (e.g., 5 Hearty Durians cooked = “Hearty Steamed Fish” sells for 480 rupees). Use a bow of light farming method (not efficient). Alternatively, farm Talus for gems (sell diamonds).


• Material Farming: Star fragments (used for upgrades) can be farmed by waiting at a bonfire until 9 PM and scanning the sky. They fall randomly.


• Armor Upgrades: Final upgrade tier requires rare materials: Lynel Hoof, Lynel Guts, Giant Ancient Cores, and Star Fragments.




Character/Build Growth



• Max Hearts: 30 hearts (requires 120 Spirit Orbs).


• Max Stamina: 3 wheels (requires 10 upgrades = 40 orbs; if you already have 30 hearts, you need to respec with the Horned Statue in Hateno).


• All Armor Sets Maxed: Upgrade every set to 4 stars for high defense (max 88 with Ancient Armor). Set bonuses like “Unfreezable” or “Heat Resistance” become permanent.


• Champion Abilities Upgraded (DLC): Cooldowns reduced from 12-18 minutes to 6-9 minutes. Very helpful in endgame.




Endgame Structure (Late Game Perspective)



• The final boss, Calamity Ganon, has two phases: first a giant pig form (attack its weak point – the center eye), then a beast form. Use a bow with bomb arrows or Ancient Arrows for extra damage.


• Dark Beast Ganon is a second phase where you shoot light arrows at its forehead while riding a horse (or using Revali’s Gale).


• Post-credit: after beating Ganon, you return to your last save with a star on your file. No post-game world changes except added “Defeated Ganon” count. DLC exclusive: “The Champions’ Ballad” final boss is Monk Maz Koshia, more challenging.


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Endgame (Post-Ganon / 100% Completion / Master Mode)





Main Gameplay Loop



• Explore with maximum freedom: you have all abilities, best gear, and know the map.


• Overcome self-imposed challenges: speedruns, no death runs, low% runs.


• Gain only cosmetic rewards (e.g., Kilton’s monster masks, DLC rewards like the Travel Medallion).




Combat & Interaction Systems



• Master Mode (DLC): Enemies heal over time, regenerate health, and there are floating platforms with stronger enemies. Gold variants appear (Gold Bokoblin = highest tier).


• Trial of the Sword (DLC): A 3-floor combat challenge where you start naked and must survive waves of enemies. Rewards permanently upgrade the Master Sword to 60 base damage.


• Horse Taming: The Royal White Horse and Giant Horse (Ganon’s horse) can be tamed for ultimate mounts. The Giant Horse can’t be nudged and has max strength.




Progression



• No further growth: Max stats already achieved. The only remaining goals are completionist: all Korok seeds, all armor upgrades, all monster medals (Kilino’s medals for killing every type of overworld boss).


• Monster Medals: Defeat every Talus (40 total), Hinox (40 total), Molduga (4 total), and Stone Talus (40? check) to get medals from Kilton at the Fang and Bone (Skull Lake).


• DLC Side Quests: Complete all EX side quests (e.g., “EX The Ancient Bridle” for horse gear that teleports your horse).




Exploration



• Completing the Map: All 15 towers, all 120 shrines, all 900 Korok seeds, all stable locations, all fairy fountains, all labyrinth chests.


• Hyrule Compendium: Buy from Robbie at Hateno Ancient Tech Lab (50 rupees each) or take photos with camera rune. Filling the compendium yields a secret prize (a picture of Link with a Sheikah Slate frame).


• Eventide Replay: You can return to Eventide Island anytime, but it’s no longer a trial.




Quests & Missions



• No new main quests. After defeating Ganon, the only persistent goal is completing all side quests (including shrine quests and DLC quests).


• DLC Final Boss: Monk Maz Koshia is the true endgame challenge. Use Urbosa’s Fury and Daruk’s Protection to survive his phases.


• The Master Cycle Zero: DLC reward that lets you summon a motorcycle (functions like a horse but can climb short cliffs and use fuel).




Economy



• Money becomes trivial: You’ll have 999,999 rupees by selling excess gems. The only meaningful purchases are Ancient Arrows for farming Guardians or Lynels.


• Material Excess: Use duping glitches (no longer patched in version 1.5.0? check) for infinite materials, but not necessary.




Character/Build Growth



• Fully min-maxed: Max damage possible: Barbarian armor (Attack Up +3) + Level 3 attack food (Mighty Bananas +4) + Ancient Bow with Ancient Arrows = huge output.


• Tier 4 Gear: All armor upgraded to 4 stars (max 88 defense per piece). Plus Hylian Shield (800 defense, unbreakable with repair at Tarrey Town).


• Max Inventory: All 13 slots for weapons, shields, bows. Carrying duplicates of best items (e.g., 5 Savage Lynel Swords, 3 Royal Guard Bows, etc.).




Endgame Structure (Still a sandbox)



• No New Game+. You restart from the same save with all items and map data.


• Speedrun Tools: Players can practice glitches like wind bombs (launch Link with bomb + bow) for faster travel.


• Modded Content (PC emulator only): Not officially supported. On Switch/Wii U, you play as-is.


• Hard Mode Alternative: Start a new file in Master Mode (DLC) for a fresh challenge with regenerating enemies and a different first boss (Silver Lynel on Great Plateau).

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Summary Table: Core Systems by Tier

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Final Tips for Each Tier

• Early: Cook “Hearty Steamed Mushroom” (Hearty Radish + mushroom) for full recovery + extra hearts. Avoid combat until you have 5+ hearts.


• Mid: Use Revali’s Gale to skip rain climbing. Upgrade Sheikah Sensor (Hateno Lab) to find bugs or fish for elixirs.


• Late: Upgrade Champion’s Tunic (remember to buy it from Impa) to see enemy health.


• Endgame: If you own the DLC, complete The Champions’ Ballad first for the Master Cycle Zero – it makes travel very fast.

This guide covers all core gameplay aspects of Breath of the Wild across all progression tiers. Adapt your playstyle to the tier you are in, and Hyrule will feel fresh for hundreds of hours.