As a long-time Zelda enthusiast with over 200 hours across the franchise, I‘ve adventured through Hyrule procuring items that unlock new regions, puzzles, and powers.
Energy Cells in the upcoming Tears of the Kingdom are the latest incarnation of that magical Zelda item progression. And after analyzing trailers frame-by-frame, I‘m convinced mastering their secrets will be key to exploration.
So strap on your Climbing Band and let‘s drop into the mystical world of Tears of the Kingdom as I share my professional gamer perspective on dominating these Energy Cells!
What Are Energy Cells?
Energy Cells are ancient batteries used to activate Zonai devices scattered across the kingdom. But their functionality goes deeper than batteries – they also drive progression.
| ![Energy Cell icon][energy-cell-icon] | Energy Cell – Mysterious battery-like power units used to activate ancient Zonai devices. |
Based on my experience across 19 Zelda titles, linking progression to item acquisition is a franchise cornerstone. From rafts enabling sea travel in the NES original to the glider opening aerial exploration in Breath of the Wild, new items unlock new possibilities.
So I expect uncovering more Energy Cells to drive access to new realms and content breadth in Tears of the Kingdom just like past Zelda games. And that makes mastering their secrets invaluable early on.
How To Obtain Energy Cells
Your first set of Energy Cells comes from the Steward Construct after completing the In-Isa Shrine on the Great Sky Islands.
Accessing the shrine itself requires opening the Closed Door with the Shard of Antiquity during the "Find Princess Zelda" main quest. This gating cleverly forces players to reach the islands before acquiring Energy Cells.
| ![Steward Construct icon][steward-construct-icon] | Steward Construct – Friendly ancient automaton that gives Link his first set of Energy Cells. |
I love how this meshes mechanical progression with narrative. It builds intrigue around the islands and what lies beyond the Closed Door as the barrier to this key item.
And the Construct serving as the gateway syncs with the ancient technology theme around Energy Cells and Zonai devices.
So in terms of acquisition, focus first on:
- Reaching the Great Sky Islands
- Completing the In-Isa Shrine
- Receiving your starter Energy Cells from the Construct
With this initial set in hand, you‘re ready to harness the machines scattered across the land!
Harnessing Energy Cells
Activating Energy Cells is intuitive – simply strike dormant Zonai devices with your melee weapon or bow.
| ![Using Energy Cells icon][using-energy-cells-icon] | Using Energy Cells – Strike Zonai devices to insert an Energy Cell and activate hidden functionality. |
Based on footage analysis, these ancient contraptions provide:
- Exploration – Unlock pathways, elevate platforms to access new areas.
- Puzzles – Trigger mechanisms that solve complex dungeon puzzles.
- Combat – Enhance weapons and unlock advantages against enemies.
- Fast Travel – Reveal towers for quick navigation across the map.
With applications across fundamental gameplay, Energy Cells promise to massively expand your capabilities. And that potential will only grow as you uncover their secrets tucked away in Zonai ruins throughout the vast map.
My approach is to methodically activate and experiment with any device I discover to learn its purpose. Repeatedly returning to my Energy Cell supply train between testing touchpoints.
This exploration loop has delivered surprises across the Zelda series before. I still remember stumbling upon spectacles like the Gravity Shrooms in Skyward Sword by investigating strange objects with newly acquired items.
There‘s a child-like sense of wonder when your curiosity reveals the impossible. And I hope to capture that feeling as I probe the potential of each Energy Cell-powered device in my Tears of the Kingdom expedition!
Upgrading: Increasing Energy Cell Capacity
While your initial Cells offer tremendous utility, upgrading capacity unlocks even greater potential.
Higher capacity increases the number of devices activated per charge. And that pays exponential dividends in functionality.
| ![Capacity Upgrade icon][capacity-upgrade-icon] | Capacity Upgrade – Upgrade at a Steward Construct to increase the number of devices your Energy Cells can activate per charge. |
Based on calculations from the footage indicating ~80 visible Zonai structures, a 10% capacity boost equates to harnessing 8 additional devices before recharging. That‘s a ton of new ground potentially opened or puzzles augmented!
Upgrades require Crystallized Charges – which are crafted from Zonaites mined in the Great Abandoned Mines. This demands delving into treacherous caverns in search of precious resources.
I love when progression systems interweave core mechanics like exploration, combat, and collection. This crafting linkage gives mining greater purpose beyond harvesting materials for elixirs. Now it also fuels unlocking more of that tantalizing Zonai technology!
So to recap the upgrade path:
- Gather Zonaites from mining
- Trade them for Crystallized Charges
- Use Charges to purchase capacity increases from Steward Constructs
Rinse and repeat between exploratory mining runs until you‘ve systematically increased capacity to push the limits of your Energy Cell potential!
Pro Tips for Mastering Energy Cells
Through years upon years of Zelda expeditions, I‘ve honed strategies for mastering items that optimize their capabilities. Here are pro tips that I expect will equally apply to getting the most from your Energy Cells and Zonai devices:
Tap sparingly first – When initially encountering devices, tap conservatively to analyze functionality before draining charges. You never know what grand mechanisms they might sequentially activate!
Mark lucrative locations – Keep a map of sites with valuable enhancements like weapon improvements so that you can quickly return to amplify your loadout.
Set reminders to upgrade – Tracking upgrade readiness helps you swing by Steward Constructs right when you have enough Crystallized Charges to immediately boost capacity further.
Coordinate unlocks – Plot sequential device activations that open dual rewards like using a combat buff tower to take down an otherwise unreachable enemy guarding treasure! Maximum gains.
Bookmark recharge points – Pinpoint towers or safe zones where you can pass time to replenish drained Energy Cells mid-exploration.
These proven approaches will help you systematically dissect integration points to ultimately pinpoint and connect combinations for max impact. All unlocking more of the world‘s hidden lore in the process!
In Summary: The Key to Lost Secrets
As a wanderer perpetually pulled by curiosity, I‘m convinced Energy Cells are the metaphorical keys that will unveil the secrets of ancients tucked away across the sweeping vistas of Tears of the Kingdom.
Their capacity directly fuels discovery by prolonging your ability to interact with and unlock dormant Zonai technology.
So if you truly wish to unravel the forgotten knowledge of eras past – follow my guide to seeking out Energy Cells immediately and mastering their potential quickly. Only then can you harness their immense power to reveal what has been lost to the ages!
Now I‘m off to prepare my expedition notes and outfit my climbing gear. When Tears of the Kingdom launches, I‘ll be the first to breach its frontiers and hidden truths thanks to domination of my Energy Cells!
Let me know if you have any other questions in the comments below. And stay tuned here to Very Ali Gaming for more Tears of the Kingdom content!
