Streaming Personality Dedicates 37 Hours Attempting to Conquer <em>Tears of the Kingdom</em> With Only a One Stick

You might assume that two years post-launch since The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom arrived, fans would have exhausted creative challenge runs that apply unique rules on a playthrough. Yet, while numerous players have attempted to finish Tears of the Kingdom using just a wooden stick, streamer PointCrow stands out as the player who aimed to beat the game with a one branch—meaning, the very same one throughout.

The streamer is renowned for such challenge runs, like the instance he went through the title solely with bombs or the attempt where he aimed to defeat the story with no energy. A single stick run, though, seems unfeasible at first glance. There's the opening sequence, which requires Link to use the Master Sword. Then, there's the whole weapon wear system, which is particularly important when working with the weakest weapon in the whole world. Yet if the branch shatters, that's the end. Game over.

So, How?

So, how? The simple explanation is exploits. The full answer, believe it or not, is alternate dimensions. Apparently, you can manipulate the game's save file system to have distinct game sessions that affect one another. So PointCrow does a “setup” file where he advances standardly, and the real save, where he's restricted. The setup file has him completing the intro and first tutorial island, and this Link acquires full endurance and health. From this point, he triggers a cutscene and pauses partway through to tell the software to open an automatic save from the stick file. The game gets mixed up and generates a third game file that combines the states of the first two files.

That causes new issues, though. The merged save file has a Link that never acquired the capability to enter shrines. Luckily, this is an issue that the save glitch fixes readily, but executing it means relying on an unstable build of the title that refuses to open some locations. Like other obstacles, he has a clever solution for it: He begins Tears of the Kingdom on its early 1.0 build, and then updates the game partway through to make sure it begins functioning correctly.

Overcoming Weapon Wear and Other Hurdles

Interestingly, the prologue version of the hero is programmed so that he cannot break any weapons he wields, likely to avoid a scenario where the user gets stuck at the beginning of the game. But that's additionally how the streamer gets around the wear issue, as the character he pulls across dimensions is the version from the beginning of the game. It's a clever trick, but not one that eliminates all possible friction. The branch is still a weak weapon that makes encounters onerous. But at that point, it's entirely a matter of determination and dedication. It further helps that there's a copying exploit that grants him an abundant supply of items to improve his attack, or accumulate on healing spirits. He additionally makes use of a bug that allows him to phase through the world. A few would find these means reason to discredit the validity of the attempt, but to my view, he's a resourceful player who is ready to do whatever it takes to entertain his viewer. He also implements a safeguard of kinds stating that, for each spirit he employs, he'll remove a viewer from his Twitch chat, creating an incentive to avoid overly rely on them.

Major Battles and the Final Showdown

PointCrow manages to defeat several of the game's main enemies, but the fights appear grueling. The video version of his quest spares the audience sit through the entire conflicts, which is a good thing when a few of them take multiple hours. One enemy encounter, a powerful foe, requires an incredible twenty-three hours. The final villain battle, which depletes the hero's health as it unfolds, is a memorable tense moment. The indestructible branch is still just a stick. He is unable to always clone objects during the fight.

So, is it possible? Technically, PointCrow does overcome the beast form of the antagonist. But the game forces the player to use the legendary weapon as the final strike, so strictly speaking, it's not quite fully a branch-exclusive run. But where's the challenge in that?

In the end, the streamer banned more than a thousand users in his Twitch chat. RIP.