Summary
After 190 hours of adventuring, oneThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomplayer figured out a useful trick for easily gaining height by fusing an Octo Balloon to a shield. Their clever discovery serves as a reminder that theTears of the KingdomFuse mechanic works just as well with shieldsas it does with weapons.
In terms of new features, the latestZeldaentry received the most praise for its Ultrahand ability, which allows players to build a wide assortment of structures and vehicles. However, its Fuse mechanics are just as conducive to creativity. The game’s tutorial area primarily introduces Fuse as a way to put together powerful weapons from whatever is lying around, although that’s far from its only application inTears of the Kingdom.
Reddit user knitknitterknit can attest to that fact, having recently figured out a clever trick for gaining height by sticking an Octo Balloon to a shield. This particularshield Fuse combination inTears of the Kingdomproduces what’s essentially a pocket hot air balloon, which allows Link to float into the air the first time he pulls out the modified shield. A brief video demonstration of this trick that the player shared on social media shows them gaining approximately 20 meters (~65 feet) in height within seconds of activating their portable balloon, as confirmed by the change in the minimap coordinates seen in the bottom-right corner of the footage.
Octo Balloons Offer a Cheaper Way To Easily Gain Height in TOTK Than Zonai Rockets
Many players might be familiar with the concept of fusing a Zonai Rocket to a shield to produce an even more intense launch mechanism, as the game itself actually teaches that particular item combination. However, Octo Balloons tend to be much easier to procure, especially in the early game, asOctoroks are absolutely everywhere inTears of the Kingdom.
Some of the players chiming in on knitknitterknit’s discovery said that they also figured out this helpful Fuse combination on their own. However, seeing how their gameplay clip only took hours to reach the front page of the largestTears of the Kingdomsubreddit, it would appear that many players were still unaware of this trick more than half a year since the game’s release.
Octo Balloons Aren’t the Only Reason To Farm Octoroks in TOTK
Aside from dropping materials that can help Link easily gain height, Octoroks are also useful for their ability to repair the player’s equipment and even reroll its stats in the process of doing so. In fact, tricking them into sucking up a weapon or shield by dropping it in front of them is the only way to reset equipment durability in the game. And while taking advantage of this method becomes second nature after a bit of practice, the occasionalTears of the Kingdomweapon repair attempt can still end in disaster.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
WHERE TO PLAY
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the sequel to the beloved open-world adventure, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This installment once again sees Link and Zelda battling to protect Hyrule from falling to Ganondorf. This new adventure takes place in the same land of Hyrule as Breath of the Wild but sees something called the Upheaval, which allows link to travel to Sky Islands, as well as deep into the Depths beneath Hyrule. Players can use special abilities to fuse together weapons, and build items to help them progress through the release.
