What to know before you play the Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom!

The wait is over—the Legend of Zelda™: Tears of the Kingdom game is finally here! There's a lot to discover, and we want you to put your best boot forward when you set out in Hyrule.

Let's start with a few important tips before you start playing. But don't worry, we’ll stay away from any spoilers. Think of this article as a way to help get in the right mindset before playing.

Oh! And we’ll be bringing you more tips articles in the coming weeks, so be sure to keep an eye on the news feed.

Yeah, this may sound like something you’d be told from a martial arts master, but hear us out. Whether you’ve played hundreds of hours of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or are brand new to the series, your experience level doesn't really matter when it comes to this game.

While things you’ve done in previous games may still work, you have a wide variety of options in this sequel. Sure, you can still fight enemies with a stick … or you can fuse a boulder to your stick and jump on springboards to bonk enemies on the head. Sure, you can climb your way out of a hole … or you can use the Ascend ability to travel through the ceiling and get where you need to go.

This game encourages you to try new things throughout. From traveling around Hyrule to solving puzzles, there are multiple ways to overcome problems you run into. The joy comes from trying out crazy ideas that end up working.

Oh, and if something isn't working out the way you want, take a moment and try something else. Some players find joy in attempting a difficult jump over and over. Others would rather build a bridge. Experimentation is the heart of this game—even if a situation doesn't go as expected, you may stumble upon something that will help you later.

When you enter a new area, find a tall vantage point and scope out your surroundings. You’ll find all sorts of stuff—enemies, chests, materials, objects or terrain that will help in fights, and more. Believe us, it will be easier to do this before enemies spot you. Speaking of …

Look, you don't have to do this—we’re (sometimes) fond of charging into the middle of things while screaming and wildly waving our arms too. But if you want to use the Fuse ability to make strong weapons or Ultrahand to build a makeshift missile turret, you may want to do that before Bokoblins are trying to smack you around. A little prep time can go a long way.

This won't work on enemies (at least the ones we’ve tried) but try talking to the more peaceful characters out there! In particular, characters called Constructs may give you helpful tips about the area.

OK, this is probably the most important tip. Sure, Link is the character in the game, but remember that you are the hero here. You are saving Hyrule. And you can do it how you want to! Play around with everything you get your hands on, because there's room for massive creativity (and shenanigans) in this game.

With that said, don't worry about not being "creative enough." Everyone is creative on some level, and a part of creativity is giving yourself permission to try new things. We all play in different ways—messy ways, elaborate ways, unexpected ways, and silly ways that have no purpose other than to see what happens. Don't worry about playing the game "the right way" because it's up to you how you want to approach obstacles. If something works in the end, it's a success. If it doesn't, did you at least get a chuckle out of it?

And finally, creativity comes alive when you share what you know and get inspired by others. Talk to your friends to see what they’ve tried. Maybe find out what other people have done. You may be surprised what ends up inspiring you!

Alrighty, that's all for now. Be on the lookout for our next tips article which will cover the four new abilities—Fuse, Ultrahand, Ascend, and Recall. You can also buy the game using the link below.

Have fun out there!