Twitch Personality Spends 37 Straight Trying to Beat <em>Tears of the Kingdom</em> With Only a Single Branch

You might assume that after two years since Tears of the Kingdom arrived, enthusiasts would have exhausted creative challenge runs that apply special restrictions on a playthrough. Yet, although numerous gamers have attempted to finish the game using just a wooden stick, content creator the streamer holds the record as the individual who aimed to clear the adventure with a single stick—meaning, the exact same stick from start to finish.

The streamer is famous for these kinds of difficult playthroughs, such as the instance he played the title using only explosives or the attempt where he aimed to defeat the story with zero stamina. A single stick run, though, seems impossible at face value. There's the opening sequence, which requires Link to use the Master Sword. Additionally, there's the entire durability system, which is particularly relevant when working with the most fragile tool in the entire game. But if the branch shatters, that's it. Game over.

The Method Behind the Madness

So, how? The simple explanation is glitches. The complete answer, I kid you not, is alternate dimensions. Apparently, you can tweak the game's saving mechanism to have distinct game sessions that affect one another. So PointCrow does a “setup” save where he advances normally, and the actual file, where he's restricted. The setup file has him going through the intro and initial tutorial island, and this character gains maximum stamina and health. From here, he starts a cutscene and halts partway through to tell the software to open an automatic save from the stick file. The system gets mixed up and creates a third game file that combines the conditions of the original two.

This causes new problems, though. The fused file has a Link that did not obtain the ability to access sacred places. Luckily, this is an issue that the file exploit addresses readily, but pulling it off means relying on an buggy version of the game that fails to load some locations. Like other obstacles, he has a clever solution for it: He starts Tears of the Kingdom on its early 1.0 build, and then updates the software midway through to ensure it starts working properly.

Bypassing Durability and Additional Hurdles

Interestingly, the introductory version of Link is programmed so that he is unable to break any tools he uses, presumably to prevent a situation where the user gets trapped at the start of the adventure. But that's also how the streamer gets around the durability problem, as the Link he pulls between dimensions is the version from the beginning of the game. It's a clever trick, but not one that eradicates all potential friction. The branch is still a ineffective weapon that renders battles tedious. But at that stage, it's entirely a matter of determination and perseverance. It also helps that there's a copying exploit that grants him an plentiful supply of items to improve his attack, or accumulate on revival fairies. He also employs a glitch that enables him to clip through the environment. Some would find these methods grounds to question the legitimacy of the run, but to my view, he's a inventive gamer who is willing to do whatever it takes to engage his audience. He also uses a penalty of kinds stipulating that, for every spirit he employs, he'll ban a fan from his Twitch chat, establishing an incentive to avoid depend too much on them.

Boss Fights and the Final Showdown

The streamer succeeds to defeat many of Tears of the Kingdom's bosses, but the fights appear painful. The video version of his quest doesn't make the viewer sit through the entire fights, which is a blessing when a few of them last several hours. A particular enemy encounter, Queen Gibdo, requires an astonishing twenty-three straight. The final villain showdown, which erases the hero's hearts as it progresses, is a memorable nail-biter. The indestructible branch is still only a stick. He can't necessarily duplicate objects during the battle.

So, is it possible? Technically, PointCrow manages to defeat the beast form of Ganon. But the game forces the player to wield the legendary weapon as the last attack, so strictly speaking, it's not completely a stick-only run. But where's the challenge in that?

In the end, PointCrow banned over a thousand users in his live stream. RIP.