The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Guide Hub: Memories, Gear, Amiibo, DLC and more explained
It's official. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild isn't just a game of the year 2017 contender - it's one of the best games we've played in the last decade. It's a rare 10/10 from us, other critics have praised it, and we've sunk well over a hundred hours into it without a second thought. It was a long time coming, but boy it was worth it - and it was more or less the perfect opener for the Nintendo Switch as Nintendo's new big console bet.
One of the things that makes Breath of the Wild so special is how it strips the Zelda formula back, leaving a raw, sometimes rough and ready game for players to discover. That makes the game more challenging, more exciting and simply more fun than other recent Zelda titles - and it's also a bit harder as a result.
We don't go in for that long walkthrough malarkey often on the site, and it makes less sense for the open-ended Breath of the Wild than for many other games. Instead, here we go in-depth on the areas of Breath of the Wild that we think matter most - specific quests, gear you should get, optional things you can easily miss - all the stuff we think you should see. This page is a work in progress that'll continue to update as DLC launches and so on. So, don't go it alone - take this.
Tips for getting started in Breath of the Wild
Breath of the Wild has a lot of mechanics, and they unlock much more quickly for you than in your typical 3D Zelda. Here's what you need to know about some key systems.
How to use Amiibo and what they all do
The option to use Amiibo is hidden away, but there's a lot of them and Breath of the Wild is compatible with every single one of them, with many of them yielding special results. Here's what they all do, and how to use them.
Tips on Weapons, Durability and Combat
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's combat is some of the most raw and unforgiving in the series - harking back to the original Legend of Zelda days when a bad encounter with a high-end enemy could spell your doom in a matter of seconds. Mastering certain combat techniques will save your bacon - so we explain them.
Cooking, Recipes and Bonuses Explained
Cooking is an absolutely major part of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Cooking is not only how you restore health if you take damage but is also how you buff yourself up to take on stronger enemies or to explore less friendly parts of Hyrule. There's more to this system than first meets the eye, too...
How to Tame Wild Horses
Horses in Breath of the Wild can be a little temperamental, and not all horses are made equal. The system isn't explained in much detail in-game, but if you'd rather not just naturally discover the mechanics through trial and error, allow us to step in and explain...
Must-have Weapons, Armor and Gear in Breath of the Wild
Given how open Breath of the Wild is, you don't actually have to pick up a lot of the armor and gear in the world.
How to get the Master Sword
The Master Sword is hidden away in the world of Breath of the Wild, and though a lot of people talk about it the game doesn't really do anything to make it absolutely obvious to you where it is. It leaves it for you to discover, and the sword is optional to complete the game - but if you're struggling or if you just desperately need to know where it is, well, we've got you covered.
How to get the Hylian Shield, the best shield in the game
In Breath of the Wild the classic Hylian Shield isn't easy to come by. The Hylian Shield is downright hidden, in fact, and is only found in one place in the game. Want to get yourself an iconic shield to go with that Master Sword? Here is how to do it.
How to find and tame the Lord of the Mountain mount
One mount in Breath of the Wild is quite unlike any other. The Lord of the Mountain is a mythical beast that you can ride like a horse - but you need to know where to find it and how to tame it. We've done the legwork so that you don't have to.
Armor Set and Outfit Locations, Stats and Bonuses
Every armor set in the game, where to find it, and which is best. Everything you need, basically.
Important Quests you shouldn't miss in Breath of the Wild
If you want to know the truth about 100 years ago, you'll need to tackle one quest. If you want to upgrade fully, you'll want another. Want a house? There's another. These quests you should do without fail:
Locked Memories Quest - Memory Locations
A lot of of the story in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is told via flashback. At the start of the game you wake up from a 100 year slumber, and Link has no memory of what happened 100 years ago. It's down to you to help him recover those memories - and only if you choose to do so. If you want context, this is the quest and the guide page for you.
All Great Fairy Fountain Locations
You can maximise your weapon upgrade potential by gathering all of the great fairies' power - but to do so you'll have to find them first.
From the Ground Up Quest - How to Unlock Tarrey Town
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has a number of big old towns available, but one of the coolest quests in the game involves a blank spot of land in Akkala, just north of Zora's Domain. Here - if you know how to get started - you can start your very own town and watch it grow.
How to beat the open world sub-bosses
One of the coolest - and most scary - things about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is that you can be out exploring the wide open world and suddenly stumble across hugely powerful creatures. Don't be caught off guard by these beasts - learn what you need to do and what equipment you'll need to take them down.
How to swap Heart Containers and Stamina at will
Heart Containers and Stamina Upgrades are spent once and with a choice: heart container or stamina vessel? This seems like a one-time choice, but it can actually be reversed - but you have to engage in a well-hidden quest in one little corner of Hyrule in order to gain the power to do so.
Breath of the Wild DLC Pack 1 - DLC assistance
The first DLC pack for Breath of the Wild adds some new challenges and some new gear for you to find and use. We've tracked everything down so you don't have to worry yourself.
Master Mode changes, tips and tricks
Master Mode might be known more colloquially as hard mode, and it does pretty much exactly what you'd expect: it makes the game significantly harder, making enemies more challenging and changing the game overworld in some interesting ways. Here are our top survival tips for the mode.
Where to find the Korok Mask in the DLC
This useful mask will help you to track down Koroks in the wide open world of Hyrule - very useful, especially for completionists! But you have to find the mask first - but we've searched so you don't have to.
Where to find the Phantom Armor DLC item
Get your hands on some armor fit for a knight of the great sea with the Phantom Knight armor set that recalls Wind Waker.
Where to find Tingle's Outfit in the DLC
If you've ever wanted to dress up like a thirty-something man who thinks he's a fairy, then this DLC pack has the item for you - the new three-part Tingle's Outfit armor set.
Where to find Midna's Helmet and Majora's Mask
Detail on how to get two stylish, useful and nostalgic new pieces of DLC headgear for Link: Majora's Mask and Midna's Helmet, inspired by Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess respectively.
How to get the Travel Medallion for better fast travel
One of the coolest additions to the DLC is a simple quality of life improvement, however - the ability to place your own custom fast travel point anywhere in Hyrule for you to use any time you like to revisit a location you don't have a shrine or tower nearby to teleport to. You have to find it first, though...