The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – When Is the Best Time to Start Exploring?

Tears of the Kingdom is a massive game, and not only that, but every square inch is also filled with interesting areas to explore, problems to solve, and characters to meet. It is easy to get lost in the majesty of it all, and the size and scope of the game can be overwhelming. As mentioned in our previous guide on how to get the paraglider, Tears of the Kingdom withholds some of its most essential items and abilities a little longer than Breath of the Wild did. On top of that, it is easy to miss these items and set off after getting out of the starting area on Great Sky Island.

It is crucial that once you reach Hyrule proper, head straight for Lookout Landing, there you will find a variety of NPCs and characters to interact with, and many of them offer important quests. Not only will you get the paraglider from the questline with Captain Hoz at Hyrule Castle, but if you go and chat with Robbie and Josha they will offer you another important quest.

Robbie is looking to explore the depths of Hyrule, a newly opened-up area that appeared when the upheaval at the beginning of the game started. Once you talk to Robbie and Josha at Lookout Landing you will get the main quest -- Camera Work in the Depths. This quest will lead you to the deepest parts of Hyrule and net you the compendium and camera in the process. Once you have the paraglider, the compendium, and the camera, you are in the perfect place to set out and adventure to your heart’s content.

At Lookout Landing, many characters offer different adventures, but keep a close eye out for Hestu, as they can upgrade your inventory slots for shields, bows, and weapons. Other than that, return to Josha to continue your quests into the depths; the questline with Josha will involve you returning to The Depths in search of another upgrade, and completing this questline is the only way to get the Sensor for the Light Shrines around the world. To unlock Robbie’s lab in Hateno Village, you must complete Josha’s request.

Josha wants you to return to the same place in the depths that Robbie originally sent you to explore, but this time you must follow the mysterious statues and pay close attention to the direction they are facing. Stick the statues and make sure to bring plenty of arrows and Brightblooms. Once you follow the statues to their conclusion, you will run into a familiar foe, and after that boss fight, unlock another new ability that will help on your way.

Once you have completed these tasks, you will have all the tools you’ll need to explore to your heart’s content. Don’t forget to check out Hateno Village and get the Light Shrine Sensor from Robbie; that way, you can snag every shrine as you explore the world of Hyrule in Tears of the Kingdom! Good luck out there!