Hyrule is bigger than ever before in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and if you’ve played Breath of the Wild, you might remember tons of little details that the game doesn’t exactly tell you outright. This sequel adds even more important features that you might not pick up on, so check out our tips on Things Tears of the Kingdom Doesn’t Tell You.

14 Things Tears of the Kingdom Doesn't Tell You

• There are a lot of recipes in Tears of the Kingdom worth cooking up, and it’s easy to forget exactly how you made that exquisite fried rice dish you saw a recipe poster for in some random place. Lucky for you, there’s a new option to view a meal’s recipe when selecting it, as well as any variation you may have made. More importantly, this can also be done for meals other people give you as rewards, or for elixirs found in chests!

• To recreate a recipe, go to the Materials tab and select a material you know is in the recipe you want to make. Choose “select for recipe” to see every recipe you’ve gotten that uses that material, and to automatically hold all the ingredients you need for it! As long as you have them, of course.

• If you ever spot birds circling in the air far off in the distance, be sure to investigate, as they usually congregate around a point of interest or cave entrance that’s worth your while.

• Critters like frogs, lizards, and fish love to run away when you get close, and sneaking up can sometimes just take too long. As long as you’ve got a surplus of arrows, use them to pin the critters down for easy grabbing.

• You'll find out any base weapon is fairly brittle, but fusing it can drastically increase its durability. A Long Stick may last only 18 strikes, but fusing it with a Construct Horn will bulk it up to 44!

• Since all the metal weapons in Hyrule have been affected by the Gloom, and lowered their power and durability considerably, even royal weapons won't last too long unless you fuse them with other parts.

• Material item descriptions have more than just flavor text, they can also clue you in on what makes a good Fuse pairing. Just because a material looks cool, it may not really improve a shield. Try powering your arrows with monster fangs, or attach a flame emitter to your weapon for a flamethrower effect.

• Know your smoke signs! Small puffs in the distance always mean a stable is nearby, while steady thin streams of smoke denote a point of interest or small camp. Purple puffs always mean a Fairy Fountain is nearby.

• Even if you know Breath of the Wild's Hyrule like the back of your hand, expect those familiar paths to have changed drastically. Falling ruins, upheavals, and diverted rivers have changed the landscape, and may mean you'll need to find alternate routes to your favorite towns.

• Breath of the Wild featured a large assortment of armor that was only featured in DLC or unlocked by using certain amiibo. This time around, all those armor pieces can be found as you explore the wide world!

• Be sure not to stray too far away from any creations you've made using the Ultra Hand tool. Entering a new zone, such as a Shrine, will cause your creation to despawn. So be sure to stay near it unless you don’t mind it disappearing.

• Arrows are more important than ever to stockpile, thanks to fusion. Instead of finding bombs, fire, ice, or electric arrows, you'll have to fuse them all yourself. Keeping a handy pile of elemental chuchu jelly, fruit, keese parts, and bomb flowers can help you adjust to any situation with the right arrow type.
• Not all Zonai Devices work the same. Items like batteries, rockets, and even wing gliders will disappear after being used for a certain amount of time. However, items like fans, wheels, and emitters won't disappear.

• The Zonai Device Dispensers allow you to carry important items like wheels, wing gliders, and cooking pots around in capsules. It may not seem like it at first, but each dispenser will only output certain devices — and you can check the list by highlighting each one on the map. The more you explore, the more likely you are to find dispensers with devices you haven’t found yet.

• Zonai Charges are like food for your vehicles and other Zonai devices. If you're trying to power across a long distance -- like using fans on a glider, you can keep using charges to keep your battery steady, or use a Large Zonai Charge to keep it going at full power for several moments. The main difference between your Energy Cell and Health or Stamina is that unlike regular food items, Zonai Charges can keep being used when your battery is at full to give you yellow energy - which works just like yellow hearts or stamina. It extends your maximum amount of battery life, though only the green portion will regenerate over time.