Tears of the Kingdom is a massive game, and like Breath of the Wild, after the tutorial area, you can head off in any direction which can be overwhelming and there are extra things you can miss. We’re here to help you navigate the starting area and get you ready for exploring Hyrule worry-free. Just keep in mind this covers the first 2-3 hours of the game, so early game spoiler warning here.
After the beginning scripted section where you can’t really deviate from the path, you’re plopped down in the Great Sky Islands. You’re going to want to first pick up the broken Master Sword, push the switch to open the door, and make your way through the tunnels. This Decayed Master Sword has very low durability, and if it breaks, it doesn’t recharge. But it’s not a huge deal, you will pick up other equipment very soon. Right before seeing the outside world, there’s a treasure chest with a piece of armor inside waiting for you here, it’s easy to overlook. Since the starting area enemies aren’t pushovers, having extra armor reduces damage taken from half a heart to quarter heart and you won’t need to use as many healing items. So don’t miss it.
Then head out into the Great Sky Islands main area, diving into the large pond below. Get yourself acclimated to the controls, and explore this small island for a couple tree branches and mushrooms. If you beat the construct on the left down the stairs, you can nab it’s more powerful Wooden Stick on the altar behind it. Head over to the right and grab the Purah Pad from the Steward Construct. Look around for more loot, then go out to the platform and dive off into the pond below.
From here you can explore the immediate area for a bit, scrounging materials, cooking and getting yourself acclimated to combat if you’d like. The end goal though is to approach the Temple of Time, so after you’ve gotten your fill of exploring this area, you can run from or take out the guard with the shield, and go ahead and approach the main building.After a short cutscene, Rauru will point you in the right direction, towards your very first shrine. But let’s first explain the layout of what’s happening now. While the multiple islands and land formations can be disorienting, your path right now is in a counterclockwise trip to several shrines around the island going higher and higher, unlike the Great Plateau in Breath of the Wild which allowed shrines to be completed in any order. There are going to be several optional side areas along the way that you’re welcome to explore and loot as well, but we’ll be focusing on the main path and getting you finished on the Great Sky Island. Just remember everything here can be easily revisited later with better traversal options,so there’s no massive rush to figure out this entire island if you’d rather progress the story.
