Getting Started

First Hour Walkthrough

Starting Out

• The game begins with a cinematic: Link and Zelda explore a cavern beneath Hyrule Castle. After a few scenes, you'll awaken alone on a floating island in the sky. This is Great Sky Island, the game's tutorial area.


• No character creation – you play as Link, a fixed protagonist. You can change his clothes and hairstyle later, but appearance is not customizable at the start.

Your First Minutes

1. Wake up – A mysterious voice (Rauru) guides you. Follow the glowing green trail forward.
2. First control prompts – You'll be taught movement (left stick), camera (right stick), and the Recall ability (L button + X). Use Recall on the falling rock to ride it back up – a puzzle you must solve.
3. Meet Steward Construct – A robot-like character near the first shrine. It gives you the Purah Pad, your main menu/save device.
4. Complete the first shrine – “Ukouh Shrine” (also called “Gutanbac Shrine”). Inside, you learn Fuse – combine items with weapons. Attack the constructs, solve the puzzle, and collect the Light of Blessing. Interact with the altar to get the Ability (Fuse). This shrine also unlocks fast travel.
5. Head to the Temple of Time – Follow objectives on the map (press `-`). Along the way, you'll find a small shelter with a bed (save here, rest to heal).
6. Receive the Paraglider – At the Temple of Time, Rauru gives you the Paraglider and the Recall ability (if you didn't get it from the first shrine, it's given here). The Paraglider is essential for safe descent from the Sky Islands.
7. Complete the remaining shrines on Great Sky Island – There are four shrines total: Ukouh, Nachoyah (Ultrahand), Inmo (Ascend), and Gekko (full Fuse practice). Each gives a Light of Blessing. You need all four to get the full set of abilities: Ultrahand, Fuse, Ascend, Recall.
8. Return to the Temple of Time – After clearing the four shrines, the floor opens. Use Ascend to climb up and place the light orbs. This gives you the final ability: Autobuild (earned later after leaving the sky). Actually, Autobuild is obtained after the Great Sky Island, but you gain the basics now.
9. Jump off Great Sky Island – Once you have the Paraglider and complete the temple, you can glide down to the surface of Hyrule. The first landing zone is the Lookout Landing outpost, where you meet Purah and begin the main quest.

Controls on Nintendo Switch

Basic Controls

Special Skills (Must Unlock)

• Recall: Hold L + X – rewinds object movement.


• Fuse: Hold L + Y – combine item with weapon/shield.


• Ultrahand: Hold L + A – grab, move, and glue objects together.


• Ascend: Hold L + B – swim upward through ceilings.


• Autobuild: Later ability (L + R?) – reassembles saved Zonai builds.




Camera & Other



• Zoom bow when aiming ZR: press left stick (L3) to zoom.


• Use scope on Purah Pad: press right stick (R3) when in map or aim mode.


• Switch between abilities quickly: hold L and use right stick to select (on ability wheel) or assign favorites.




UI Overview





HUD Elements (default)



• Top left: Health hearts (red), temporary hearts (yellow), stamina wheel (green circle).


• Top right: Mini-map showing direction, icons for weather, temperature, time of day.


• Bottom left: Current weapon and shield icons. If empty, shows fists.


• Bottom right: Ability icons assigned to L+face buttons. You can swap them in inventory.


• During combat: Enemy health bars appear briefly when you hit them.




Purah Pad (Menu)



• Map (`-`): Full map of Hyrule, or Sky Islands when above. You can place pins and stamps (up to 100).


• Inventory (`+`): Weapons, bows, shields, armor, food, materials, key items. Sort by type or use search.


• Abilities (`+` then `X`?): Actually, on the `+` menu, scroll to Abilities tab to see current ones. Use `Y` to assign shortcuts.


• Adventure Log (`+` then `R`?): Quests – main quests, side quests, shrine quests. Tracking visible on map.


• Settings: Audio, brightness, control sensitivity, Pro HUD (minimal), etc.




Essential Early Objectives





Top Priority (First Session)


1. Complete Great Sky Island tutorial – Get all four abilities and the Paraglider. Do NOT jump down early (you'll die or get stuck without paraglider).
2. Reach Lookout Landing – Land near the orange marker. Talk to Purah and the characters there. Unlock the main quest “Crisis at Hyrule Castle”.
3. Get the Camera – Purah upgrades your Purah Pad with camera function (after you find a picture of Robbie). This is needed for quests and compendium.
4. Complete a few early Skyview Towers – Activating towers reveals more map and allows fast travel. The nearest one is Hyrule Field Skyview Tower west of Lookout Landing.
5. Visit a few shrines – To gain Light of Blessings for heart or stamina upgrades. Aim for at least 3-4 shrines after the tutorial.
6. Gather basic resources: Wood, flint, apples, mushrooms, zonite (for battery upgrades).



What to Avoid



• Don't rush to Hyrule Castle – High-level enemies and severe gloom (damages max hearts) will kill low-level Link.


• Avoid fighting Lynels, Hinox, or Molduga early – They are late-game bosses.


• Don't sell all your materials – Keep at least 10 of each common material for cooking and upgrades.


• Don't ignore cooking – Raw food only restores 1-2 hearts. Cooked meals restore more and grant bonuses.


• Don't skip the tutorial shrines – You need all four abilities to progress efficiently.

Early Resource Priorities

Top Resources to Collect in the First Few Hours

Inventory Management Tips

• Weapons: Always have a few strong weapons for combat. Fuse monster parts onto weak weapons to make them viable.


• Shields: Fuse Zonai devices (like springs or rockets) onto shields for utility.


• Bows: Early bows are weak; headshots always critical. Save arrows by using melee.


• Food: Cook 5 of the same ingredient for max effect (e.g., 5 apples = 5 heart dish).




Common Beginner Mistakes



1. Not using Fuse – Fusing a boulder to a wooden stick makes it a fast, durable hammer. Fusing a Keese eyeball to an arrow creates a homing arrow. Fuse everything.
2. Forgetting to use Ascend – Many caves and puzzles have shortcuts upward. Instead of climbing, look for ceilings you can Ascend through.
3. Wasting Zonaite – Do not trade Zonaite for charges unless you have enough to upgrade battery first. Upgrade battery at Forge Constructs in Lookout Landing.
4. Ignoring weather – Rain makes climbing slippery, cold requires warm clothes/food, heat needs shade or elixirs. Check temperature icon.
5. Over-relying on climbing gear – Early on, stamina is limited. Use Ascend and paraglider to skip vertical climbs.
6. Dying in water – Not every water is swimmable; deep water drowns you quickly. Use rafts or Zonai devices.
7. Selling ancient parts – Items like Guardian parts from BOTW are not present here. But in TOTK, parts like “Zonai Charge” are valuable – keep them for battery.
8. Not talking to NPCs – Many side quests and tips come from random villagers, especially in Lookout Landing and stables.
9. Skipping Skyview Towers – They reveal huge map sections and enable fast travel, making exploration much easier.
10. Assuming the Depths are easy – The underground is dark, full of high-level enemies, and has more gloom. Wait until you have at least 5 hearts and good weapons before exploring deeply.



Day-One Checklist




• [ ] Complete Great Sky Island tutorial (get paraglider, 4 abilities)


• [ ] Land at Lookout Landing


• [ ] Speak to Purah (start main quest)


• [ ] Activate Hyrule Field Skyview Tower (west of Lookout Landing)


• [ ] Complete at least 3-4 shrines on the surface (unlock more hearts/stamina)


• [ ] Visit the first stable (Outskirt Stable, near Lookout) for horse registration and Korok seller


• [ ] Cook a simple meal (5 apples) and eat it


• [ ] Fuse a material to a traveler's sword, shield, and bow


• [ ] Collect 10+ Brightbloom Seeds (found in caves or from Brightcaps)


• [ ] Find and photograph a few items for Purah's camera quest


• [ ] Save your game manually (optional but recommended before dangerous areas)




Practical Advice for New Players




• Save often – The game has autosave, but manual saves let you revert mistakes. Use them before entering shrines or boss fights.


• Experiment with Ultrahand – Glue random items together to cross gaps, build boats, or create flying machines. Pin wheels to raft for a quick boat.


• Use the Paraglider constantly – It's free to deploy and saves stamina compared to climbing. You can also skydive by pressing B while falling.


• Mark interesting spots on map – Use stamps for treasure chests, ore deposits, Lynels, etc. This helps later when you have better gear.


• Trade Korok Seeds for inventory slots – The first upgrade costs 1 seed, then 2, then 3, etc. Prioritize weapon slots first (up to 3 upgrades).


• When in doubt, cook – Any dish or elixir can be sold for rupees, but you'll need healing more than money early on.

Remember: This game is all about creativity. If something seems impossible, you likely have the tools – think of another approach. Use Fuse to craft solutions, use Recall to turn objects into platforms, use Ascend to take shortcuts. The world is your sandbox. Enjoy!