How to use the Ascend ability in The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom

The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom expands upon the basics laid down in its 2017 predecessor. The game boasts a vast open world teeming with organic and emergent mechanics. To top it all off, developer Nintendo has introduced a swathe of new gameplay elements that further elevate this beloved formula to unprecedented heights. The brand-new Ascend ability allows protagonist Link to move through vertical spaces, creating unprecedented gameplay opportunities.

It is clearly one of the game's highlights, allowing players to bypass much of the otherwise slow climbing grind easily. But how to use it in The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom?

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Ascend is an important ability to navigate vertical spaces in The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom

The Ascend ability is acquired from the Gutanbac shrine in the game. This is located in the snowy region of the Great Sky Island. The shrine features some puzzles to go through, after which players can collect the Light of Blessing and exit. With that done, the ability can be used freely around the overworld.

To use it, it can be accessed by pressing and holding down the L button on the Nintendo Switch controller. This brings up the ability wheel, where Ascend is at the top. It is indicated by an icon of a stick figure with an aura around it. Once active, simply tap the L button again to use it. This brings a cursor above Link. It will turn green when aimed at ceilings that can be passed through and red for incompatible ones.

After targeting a ceiling, press the A button to ascend. This will see Link pass, or rather swim, through a green water-like aura. Upon reaching the top, press A again to pull Link from the ground. It should be noted that Ascend has a limited range. In other words, it cannot be used on ceilings too far above Link. However, the possibilities are still endless. The ability is not just incredible for traversal and exploration but also combat.

It can be used to escape enemies hot on Link's tail in a pinch. Powerful foes like Moblin bosses and Hinoxes can catch up to the hero surprisingly quickly for their size, and they hit hard as well. Note that to reach the shrine, players will require some warm gear or, at the very least, cold-resistance food. That is because the game features a temperature system where extreme weather affects Link negatively.

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What other abilities are in The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom?

Besides Ascend, Link gains access to a handful of other abilities in the access wheel. These include:

• Fuse: Combine a material with a weapon, shield, or arrow to gain new effects and properties
• Recall: Rewind the path of an object back in time
• Ultrahand: Manipulate and attach objects together
• Camera: Allows taking pictures of the surroundings
• Autobuild: Auto-create contraptions from blueprints for ease of use

The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom was released on May 12, 2023. It is available only on the Nintendo Switch hybrid console.