Highlights
- In The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, if players stay with Impa on the hot air balloon, it will detach and a new scene will load as a safety measure for Impa.
- After the game reloads, Impa and Link will be back at the hot air balloon station, and Impa will explain that they landed safely.
- Nintendo introduced this dialogue to prevent players from getting stuck in Impa's quest line and to protect those without a paraglider from a rapid descent.
A Zelda fan's clip reveals what happens if players don't leave the hot air balloon with Impa in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Link may reunite with Impa in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and begin a new quest line after completing the introductory quests at the Great Sky Island.
Once the Closed Door quest is complete, Rauru bids farewell to Link, and the Hylian hero may safely free fall down into mainland Hyrule. Players may lead Link into Central Hyrule to reunite with Purah and continue the main story, but the option to freely explore the world and discover secrets always remains. A slew of optional main quest lines and side quests are available in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and Link may also begin to collect Memories after meeting Impa at the Hyrule Ridge.
Zelda Fan Captures 10 Games' Title Screens in One Image
A devoted fan of The Legend of Zelda series captures an impressive image of 10 Zelda games' title screens running simultaneously.
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom player DDoodles_ recorded a gameplay clip that shows what happens to Impa if Link stays with her on the hot air balloon during the "Impa and the Geoglyphs" main quest line. The flame that provides heated air for the hot air balloon will eventually burn out, and the balloon will detach itself from the basket carrying Impa and Link. Impa will begin to panic and yell for help, but the game does not allow their free fall to actually take place. Instead, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will begin to load into another scene as a safety measure for Impa.
After the game reloads, Impa and Link will be back at the hot air balloon station near the New Serenne Stable in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Impa will talk to Link and states that she's relieved to have somehow landed back on the ground without getting hurt. The hot air balloon will also respawn in Hyrule Ridge, but Impa does not elaborate further on how this is possible.
Nintendo appears to have introduced this dialogue as a way of preventing players from getting stuck in Impa's quest line after the hot air balloon despawns in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Those roaming Hyrule without a paraglider will also be protected since Link will not be forced into a rapid descent.
Although Nintendo has no DLC plans for Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, players will likely continue to discover new tricks and secrets while exploring the vastness of Hyrule. Impa's quest line also leads players to many additional scenes and secrets as well, so it's worth considering for those wanting to be well-prepared for the game's final showdown.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available now for Nintendo Switch.