Twitch Star Spends 37 Hours Trying to Beat <em>The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom</em> Using a One Branch

You might assume that two years post-launch since The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom debuted, fans would have run out of creative challenge runs that apply special restrictions on a playthrough. However, although numerous players have tried to finish Tears of the Kingdom with only a stick, streamer the streamer holds the record as the player who endeavored to clear the game with a single stick—specifically, the very same stick throughout.

PointCrow is famous for such challenge runs, like the time he played the game using only bombs or the attempt where he tried to defeat the game with no stamina. A one-branch run, though, sounds unfeasible at first glance. There's the opening sequence, which requires Link to wield the legendary blade. Additionally, there's the whole durability mechanic, which is especially important when working with the weakest tool in the whole game. But if the stick shatters, that's the end. It's over.

The Method Behind the Madness

How did he do it? The straightforward explanation is exploits. The complete answer, I kid you not, is alternate dimensions. It turns out, you can tweak the game's save file system to have distinct playthroughs that impact one another. So PointCrow creates a “preparation” file where he advances normally, and the actual save, where he's limited. The preparatory file has him going through the prologue and first starting area, and this character gains maximum endurance and hearts. From here, he starts a cutscene and halts partway through to instruct the game to load an auto-save from the branch-only file. The game gets mixed up and generates a new game file that combines the conditions of the first two files.

This causes new problems, however. The merged file has a Link that did not obtain the ability to enter sacred places. Fortunately, this is something that the save glitch fixes readily, but executing it means relying on an buggy build of the title that refuses to open some areas. Like everything else, he has a technical workaround for it: He begins the game on its pre-release version 1.0, and then updates the software midway through to make sure it starts working properly.

Bypassing Durability and Other Hurdles

Curiously, the introductory form of the hero is programmed so that he cannot break any weapons he wields, likely to avoid a situation where the player gets trapped at the beginning of the game. But that's also how PointCrow bypasses the wear problem, as the Link he pulls between dimensions is the one from the beginning of the game. It's a smart technique, but not one that eradicates all possible friction. The stick is nonetheless a weak item that renders encounters tedious. But at that point, it's all a question of grit and dedication. It also aids that there's a duplication glitch that gives him an plentiful supply of items to improve his strength, or accumulate on revival fairies. He also employs a glitch that allows Link to phase through the environment. A few would find these methods reason to discredit the legitimacy of the attempt, but to my view, he's a resourceful player who is willing to do whatever it takes to engage his audience. He also uses a safeguard of kinds stipulating that, for each spirit he employs, he'll ban a viewer from his live stream, creating an incentive to not depend too much on them.

Boss Fights and the Final Encounter

PointCrow succeeds to get through several of Tears of the Kingdom's main enemies, but the fights appear painful. The YouTube edit of his quest doesn't make the audience sit through the whole conflicts, which is a good thing when a few of them take multiple hours. A particular boss fight, Queen Gibdo, requires an astonishing 23 straight. The final villain showdown, which depletes the hero's health as it unfolds, is a notable nail-biter. The unbreakable branch is after all only a stick. He is unable to necessarily duplicate objects midway the fight.

So, is it possible? Technically, he does overcome the beast form of Ganon. But the software compels the player to wield the legendary weapon as the last strike, so technically, it's not quite completely a stick-only playthrough. But where's the challenge in that?

When everything is said and done, the streamer removed more than 1,000 users in his Twitch chat. RIP.