The Enchanting Allure of Hyrule: Unveiling 10 Secrets that Keep Zelda Games Infinitely Replayable

Tears of the Kingdom expands the world of Breath of the Wild, providing players with the freedom to explore without being constrained by a linear storyline. With numerous side quests and Link's enhanced abilities, players will find no shortage of activities to engage in, whether they are continuing from a saved game or starting anew.

However, some players may feel that Tears of the Kingdom lacks the same level of replayability as Breath of the Wild, despite its emphasis on exploration and creative gameplay. Nevertheless, the increased difficulty from Tears of the Kingdom to Breath of the Wild opens up various approaches to make a second playthrough more challenging, potentially leading to the introduction of a Master Mode.

1 Non-Linear Campaign

The players are required to complete the prologue and tutorial (Great Sky Island), but once they arrive on The Surface, they have the freedom to explore wherever they please. In Tears of the Kingdom, Link is encouraged to visit Lookout Landing to obtain the Paraglider, which is beneficial for gameplay purposes. Following this, Link will receive the quest "Regional Phenomena," which involves checking up on four regions of Hyrule.

Although TotK suggests that players go to Rito Village first, it ultimately allows players to decide for themselves. They have the option to explore Gerudo Region first and save Rito Village for later – they can do whatever they desire. This feature adds the potential for each new save file to be different from the previous ones.

2 The Depths

When playing Tears of the Kingdom, some fans found The Depths to be an unexpected surprise. Although the trailers before the game's launch highlighted the Sky Islands, it is actually The Depths that offer more in terms of content. One noticeable aspect is the presence of formidable enemies lurking beneath Hyrule, emitting a sense of gloom. Additionally, The Depths are enveloped in complete darkness, posing a challenge for Link to navigate unless he brings along Brightbloom Seeds or any other means of illumination.

In The Depths, every Shrine of Light on The Surface corresponds to a Lightroot. While it is possible for players to activate each Lightroot before facing the final boss, it is not mandatory for completing the game. Instead, players can opt to complete these tasks either on a saved file after completing the main storyline or start anew with a fresh game file.

3 Play Without the Sages' Vows

The temples cannot be completed without the presence of the Sages: Tulin, Yunobo, Sidon, Riju, and Mineru. Each time a temple boss is defeated, Link will be granted a Vow. This Vow allows him to summon an Avatar of the corresponding Sage and utilize their unique abilities.

While it may be challenging to resist using Tulin's Gust/Vow of Tulin, players can increase the difficulty of a new game by choosing to dismiss the other sages. This decision potentially requires Link to face battles alone, similar to the gameplay in Breath of the Wild. However, considering the presence of challenging minibosses, gloomy environments, and lurking dangers in The Depths, tackling Tears of the Kingdom without any assistance could offer an added level of difficulty.

4 Over 100 Side Quests

In Tears of the Kingdom, players can enjoy over 130 side quests alongside 60 exciting side adventures, offering an abundance of non-main quests to engage Link. These specific side adventures offer remarkable rewards, making them well worth pursuing.

As players progress through the "Regional Phenomena" main quest, new side quests become available, presenting an opportunity to explore the respective homes of each Sage. To truly test their skills, TotK players may choose to undertake the task of locating and completing every side quest and side adventure before facing the ultimate challenge of confronting Ganondorf.

5 The Various Armor Sets

The majority of armor from Breath of the Wild returns in Tears of the Kingdom. Additionally, players have access to exclusive armor from the BotW DLC and amiibo. When combined with Tears of the Kingdom's new armor sets, players will have over 30 sets and pieces of armor to discover and improve.

Certain armor sets offer a Set Bonus when all of their pieces are upgraded to level 2 by a Great Fairy. This means players will need to spend a significant amount of time collecting materials to upgrade their armor. Players can set a challenge for themselves to reach the maximum level for every available armor piece in a new playthrough.

6 Find New Solutions to Shrines

Link's Abilities in Tears of the Kingdom enable him to construct and merge different objects and substances. The Ascend and Recall Abilities are particularly effective in swiftly completing Shrine Trials and Temple puzzles.

While every Shrine has a solution, certain puzzles can be bypassed by utilizing Link's Abilities. Recall and Ascend are particularly useful for creating makeshift elevators, allowing Link to easily bypass ladders and tall ledges. Challenge yourself by attempting to solve as many Shrines as possible solely relying on Link's Abilities.

7 Don't Use Fairies

Mipha's Grace served as a highly dependable gameplay feature in Breath of the Wild. Not only would it fully restore Link's health upon revival, but it would also grant him a few extra Temporary Hearts. Consequently, certain players were not particularly pleased with the lack of a potent automatic revival ability in Tears of the Kingdom. Fortunately, Tears of the Kingdom compensated for this by including fairies.

In the event that Link is defeated in battle, fairies will replenish 5 heart containers. While they may not be as advantageous as Mipha's Grace, fairies do not have a cooldown period and Link can carry up to 4-5 fairies simultaneously. Opting for a gameplay approach without fairies will increase the risk when facing formidable creatures like Gleeoks and compel players to exercise greater caution when launching Link from great heights.

8 Build New Devices with Ultrahand

It's unsurprising that certain players have harnessed the power of Ultrahand and Auto-Build to craft imaginative contraptions. Some serve as formidable tools for battle, while others merely aim to entertain the audience. Interestingly, Tears of the Kingdom does not require players to employ extensive creativity in their constructions, as most Shrines and Lightroots can be accessed with a fanplane powered by a charged battery or a similar device.

Unleash your ingenuity by fashioning mechs or tanks using various objects found throughout Hyrule. Players can acquire different materials from Zonai Dispensers and utilize the construction supplies left behind by Hudson Construction. Once a creation is completed, take it for a thrilling ride against hordes of monsters or formidable minibosses.

9 Find All Collectible Key Items

Players can acquire Korok Seeds and Bubbul Gems while playing Tears of the Kingdom. Korok Seeds are valuable for expanding the weapons inventory, whereas Bubbul Gems can be exchanged for the Mystic Armor and various monster parts. Although it may be relatively easier to find all the Bubbul Gems compared to locating all 1000 Korok Seeds, both tasks offer engaging activities for players. The final reward for collecting all these Key Items may not be particularly impressive, but it does provide players with a new set of armor and ample storage for weapons, shields, and bows.

10 Unique Dialogue

Engaging with every NPC in Tears of the Kingdom is no small feat. However, unlocking specific snippets of dialogue often requires completing one of the "Regional Phenomena" quests. Additionally, certain Zonai Devices can elicit unique reactions from select NPCs. As Link embarks on various quests, both dialogue and scenes have the potential to undergo transformations. A noteworthy strategy for players is to consider tracking down Mineru prior to obtaining the Vow of Tulin, Yunobo, Sidon, and Riju.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available for Nintendo Switch.