Something that I love about The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the sheer freedom that it gives players.
There are lots of different ways to solve puzzles, take down bosses, and unlock new treasures. It’s a game that rewards creative thinking, even in the most mundane of situations.
One skill that’ll help you as you progress further into the game is the ability to crouch and sneak up on enemies.
Here’s a quick guide on how to sneak in Tears of the Kingdom, and how to use the in-game noise monitor to keep yourself hidden from unwanted attention.
How to Sneak
You don’t need to be in combat or approaching an enemy to sneak in this game.
If you’re hoping to take down an enemy, I’d recommend locking onto them by pressing and holding the ZL button. This makes the whole process a lot easier.
Then, simply press L to enter a crouching stance. This will essentially put Link in stealth mode and allow you to sneak up on enemies.
Make sure to watch for the symbols above an enemy’s head. If a question mark shows up, they’re wondering where you are. If an exclamation mark shows up, they’ve spotted you.
When you’re behind an enemy undetected, you can press the Y button to initiate a Sneakstrike attack and take them down.
One of the most interesting things about this game is that it has a sound monitor, right by the mini-map towards the bottom right hand side of the screen. This monitors how loud you’re being in the game, which is handy to know when you are trying to be stealthy.
As an example, this is how the sound monitor looked when I was motionless in water. There was a little ambient noise, but I was not moving at all.
This is how it looked when I was swimming at a regular pace, without dashing.
It’s quite sensitive, so be mindful of it if you’re trying to be sneaky.
It’s all well and good trying to stealthily attack an opponent, but if you’re meandering through a loud patch of rustling grass, it won’t make much difference in the long run.
Taking down foes with a Sneakstrike is a great way to manage larger groups of mobs without getting overwhelmed. It’s a very useful feature, so make sure to practice it before trying to take down your next enemy.
What to Do Next
To help you progress even further in Tears of the Kingdom, why not practice a few other combat essentials? It’s good to know how to change your weapon on the fly and how to throw things at enemies when needed.
Understanding the different mob types and how they act in combat is an essential part of success here, too. Similarly to BotW, almost every mob in the game has a different attack style and strength, so it’s good to read up on them where possible.
This applies to the various bosses and mini-bosses, although make sure to stay away from those articles if you’re trying to avoid spoilers.
If you’re gearing up for a big fight, make sure to bring plenty of food to heal yourself up. The cooking system in TotK is expansive, so make good use of it.
