In a lot of ways, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a much larger, more freeing game than Breath of the Wild. But its unique beginning at the Great Sky Island can throw some players for a loop, as it is here that Link learned much about the way that the world below has changed since the Upheaval of Hyrule.
There are three major forks in the road in the first few hours of Tears of the Kingdom: right at the start of the game, after leaving the Great Sky Island, and after reuniting with an older old friend. At each of these points, there is a definitive best direction to go. New players, be warned, though – this guide contains spoilers for the first parts of Tears of the Kingdom and could potentially reveal areas Link has yet to discover.
From The Start Of The Game, Go To The Temple of Time
At the beginning of Tears of the Kingdom, players are brought to the Great Sky Island from deep beneath Hyrule Castle. Link wakes up confused but with his memories intact, and players soon meet Rauru, an enigmatic figure who players learn more about during their time up here in the sky.
The Great Sky Island is mostly explorable without any abilities, but Link will have a much easier time getting around if he is able to harness the power of the shrines found in this tutorial. However, these Shrines aren't actually available until Link reaches the Temple of Time and attempts to get inside. He will find the door locked, but Rauru says that he may be able to get through if he visits each nearby Shrine.
It's important to head straight to the Temple of Time on a new playthrough because - while the Great Sky Island is fun to explore for the first time - it's a lot more efficient to pick up Link's abilities along the way.
After Arriving In Hyrule, Head For Lookout Landing
After completing everything on the Great Sky Island and after finishing the fourth and final Shrine, players can trade in their Lights of Blessing for a Heart Container. This allows them to open the door, progress down a floating walkway, then jump down to the mainland of Hyrule. Players should aim for a pool of water to completely nullify damage from the fall, as they don't get the Paraglider until a bit later on.
To the east, players should see a tower stretching into the sky, similar to the towers from Breath of the Wild. In fact, the Skyview Towers serve a similar purpose, and this one is located in an important location: Lookout Landing. Most importantly, Lookout Landing is where players run into Purah again, this time in adult form, who guides Link on the next part of the main quest. Players can also find a place to sleep here, as well as a map of the local area from completing the Skyview Tower quest.
The next thing players have to decide is where to go after reaching Lookout Landing.
The Best Area To Visit First Is Hebra & The Rito
After players fix the Skyview Tower and complete the quest that leads up to Hyrule Castle, Purah reveals that there are strange phenomena all over Hyrule that Link should investigate. These are all found in the same regions as the previous game: Hebra (Rito), Eldin (Goron), Lanayru (Zora), and Gerudo Desert (Gerudo).
A lot of NPCs in Lookout Landing will point Link towards the Hebra Mountains, which is home chiefly to the Rito people. Some characters refer to the Lucky Clover Gazette, which operates out of the region, while Josha brings up the area in the same dialogue cutscene when Purah discusses each option.
Indeed, Hebra and Rito Village actually are the best place to go first in Tears of the Kingdom for two reasons: it's not the most difficult area, and a unique ability found there is one of the most useful in the game. The Gerudo Desert and its Skytower are arguably the most difficult areas in Tears of the Kingdom and should be saved for last. But the unique ability found in Hebra is game-changing for efficient exploration, especially in the sky. Head to the Hebra Mountains and Rito Village to get this ability and make the world of Hyrule feel a little bit smaller.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.