7 'Zelda: Breath of the Wild' tips the game won't tell you about
There's so much you can do in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild that the game never explicitly teaches you.
That points to one of the great delights in this new Zelda: discovering cool stuff. I've spent close to 40 hours playing now and I'm still learning new things about what Link is capable of doing on a regular basis.
I'm not here to spoil the fun -- or story -- for anyone, but if you're just starting out in Breath of the Wild and want some ideas, I've pulled together this short list of things that you might not pick up on so quickly.
Think of these as a jumping off point. There's so much more. Go explore and have fun.
1. Your stamina doesn't drain if you stop climbing
Stamina powers Link's ability to climb, sprint and swim in Breath of the Wild. It drains at a constant, steady rate when you put those abilities to use and quickly starts to recharge once you're standing on flat ground.
There's one quirk with climbing, however: if you stop moving while you're scaling a wall, so does your stamina drain. Doing this doesn't let you climb any longer, but it does give IRL you a moment to catch your breath and plot the rest of your ascent while you admire the scenery.
2. Starting fires is easy and useful
It shouldn't take long before you get some flint in your inventory. Just as it is in the real world, this is a useful item for starting fires. You just have to know how.
First, "hold" the flint (like you would if you're going to cook) and drop it on or near a pile of wood. Once that's done, take out any metal weapon you happen to be carrying and strike the ground -- a jumping attack works -- near the flint.
Boom. Fire started. Well done. Try this next to frozen objects to conserve on fire arrows.
3. Fire can be bad for your gear, though
Starting fires on your own terms is great. But having your precious gear flare up? Not so much.
In Breath of the Wild's more fiery environments, your wooden weapons, bows, and shields will catch on fire if you have them equipped, even if they're not in use. Make sure to switch to all-metal gear before you venture anywhere with lava on the ground.
Also: do not, under any circumstances, take out your bomb arrows in these locations. Just don't.
4. Buy standard arrows every chance you get
This is more of a tip than anything, but Breath of the Wild can be very stingy when it comes to arrows. Vendors typically don't carry more than three five-arrow bundles apiece and enemies rarely drop them.
In other words: buy them from every vendor, every time. At least until you have a comfortable supply of 100 or more.
Also: arrows you've fired that don't connect with an enemy can often be picked back up. Be sure to scour battlegrounds and Shrines before you leave if you want to get really miserly with your arrows.
5. You unlock fast travel points whenever you activate a Shrine
Breath of the Wild tells you up front that Shrines -- mini-dungeon puzzles that help you boost your stamina and health -- are fast travel points. But it's easy to miss the fact that you don't have to complete the Shrine to unlock the point.
Just activate the panel on the outside. As soon as the door leading to a Shrine's elevator is opened, it's an activate fast travel point.
6. You can also leave Shrines unfinished
Also on the subject of Shrines: your progress is saved, even if you leave. If you're feeling stumped on a particular puzzle, it is often a good idea to step away and try something else, then come back later with fresh eyes.
This isn't true for every Shrine, of course. Combat Trials, for example, reset if you die or leave. But for any Shrine where there's progress to be made, you can leave without fear of losing your place.
7. There are multiple solutions in most situations
There is no set path through Breath of the Wild. With the exception of major set piece moments, virtually every challenge, obstacle, or threat can be overcome in any number of ways. This is thanks largely to the flexibility of Link's various tools.
Here's a spoiler-free example. Say you want to visit the snowy peaks of Mount Hebra. You could find specialized armor that protects you from the cold. You can cook a meal using specific ingredients that keep you warm, or brew an elixir that does the same.
Or you can just hightail it through the snow with a flaming torch in hand, pausing at every wood pile you see to start a fire and warm yourself up.
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
