8 things we wish we knew before playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Fear not! This is a completely spoiler-free article covering how to get the most out of Breath of the Wild when it drops on Friday. There are no details pertaining to plot, or any other surprises best left for you to discover yourself.

If there's one comment that I can make with dead certainty when describing Breath of the Wild, it's that this isn't The Legend of Zelda as you know it.

In fact, it's got much more in common with the likes of Skyrim or The Witcher 3, in that it's set in a living, breathing world absolutely ripe for exploring.

Despite the sheer amount going on, Nintendo does do a good job of gently lowering you into the deep end. But that doesn't change the fact that certain aspects are going to be more than a little different.

So we've flagged up the eight things we wish we'd known before diving headfirst into Link's new adventure. They're completely spoiler-free, and we reckon by learning them you'll have a much better time.

Be prepared to explore

This is the first surprise you'll have when playing Breath of the Wild - there's an enormous world full of surprises to explore.

Gone are the days when a Zelda open world simply provided something pretty to look at on your way from A to B, with perhaps a few surprises or minigames scattered about.

No, this time around the emphasis is truly on the journey, not the destination. Embrace it.

Stop and smell the roses

And by embrace it, I mean take your time - don't just rush from one map marker to the next.

Ignore all of those urges video games have ingrained in you over the years. Indeed, exploring is far from a chore in Breath of the Wild, it's a fundamental mechanic that the entire experience is designed around.

What's more, it's genuinely fun. And that's as much down to the pretty locales you'll discover, as it is the rewards you gain for doing so. I can't count the number of times I've been left awestruck by the reward I've been given just for being curious.

Curiosity didn't kill this cat.

Avoid walkthroughs and guides

Another urge to quell is the need to head straight to the internet the moment you get stuck or confused. Don't do it.

You'll be doing yourself a complete disservice if you opt for a guide, as a large part of the fun in Breath of the Wild is seeking the answers.

Besides, if you pay attention to the second point in this feature, you likely won't run into any issues. Nintendo knows what it's doing, and leaves a bunch of clues to help you solve every problem.

Go hunting for them instead of searching on Google. You'll thank me when you get that warm rush from using your own brain instead.

Experiment with everything

Also, you're supposed to experiment to solve problems. Sure, you're going to get stuff wrong, and some of your experiments may be bonafide disasters.

But there's a lot of humour in that, and when you do stumble across the correct solution or an exciting new thing, you'll feel thrilled.

And when we say everything, we mean everything. Seriously. Just do stuff. Mix things together, throw that over there, pick it up, blow it up, shoot arrows into it, hit it really, really hard.

Just do any crazy thing that comes into your head. You might just be surprised.

Talk to everyone

Because there's so much waiting to be discovered in Breath of the Wild, you stand a very good chance of not seeing everything on your first playthrough.

So seek the guidance of those living in this breathtaking world. They may sell you that item you were looking for, offer insight you hadn't considered, or point you in the direction of a cool secret thing.

These aren't just NPCs standing around waiting for you to talk to them, they've got their own lives to get on with. They're smart, and they know things. So ask them.

Don't just rush into combat

Zelda may have birthed Dark Souls, but the last few iterations can hardly be described as difficult. The combat's always been fun, clever, and almost a puzzle in itself, but aside from bosses it's far from challenging.

That's all changed in Breath of the Wild - at least at first. If you play by the same rules as Twilight Princess or The Wind Waker, you're going to get repeatedly stomped.

Use your full arsenal

However, you do have a few more tricks up your sleeve this time around. Use them, and combat will be a breeze while still forcing you to think strategically.

First, pay attention to the environment. Often, a group of enemies will be surrounded with environmental weapons, so experiment and see what happens. Think logically - what's the natural effect when you do A to B?

Link's also got a larger skillset this time around. We won't spoil exactly what it is he can do, but once you're aware of what he's capable of, use the skills to your advantage.

Finally, come prepared. If you know you're heading into combat, consider what you may need to make it out alive and then go and get those things.

In some cases, it's essential.

Environmental effects aren't just for show

That's right - environmental effects aren't simply there to provide variety. In fact, every single one will affect Link or his surroundings in some way.

We want you to be surprised each time this happens, but here's some helpful advice: always consider what the likely outcome is when a certain action is performed under certain weather conditions. Or in a specific type of environment.

Chances are, what you're thinking is exactly what will happen.