Streaming Star Dedicates Thirty-Seven Hours Attempting to Conquer <em>Tears of the Kingdom</em> Using a Single Branch

One could think that two years post-launch since The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom arrived, fans would have exhausted novel challenge runs that apply unique rules on a playthrough. However, while numerous players have tried to finish Tears of the Kingdom with only a wooden stick, streamer PointCrow stands out as the individual who aimed to clear the game with a one branch—specifically, the very same stick from start to finish.

PointCrow is famous for these kinds of difficult playthroughs, like the instance he went through the game solely with bombs or the attempt where he tried to defeat the game with zero stamina. A single stick playthrough, however, sounds impossible at first glance. There's the opening sequence, which requires Link to use the Master Sword. Additionally, there's the entire weapon wear system, which is particularly relevant when working with the weakest weapon in the whole world. But if the stick breaks, that's the end. It's over.

So, How?

So, how? The simple explanation is exploits. The full story, believe it or not, is alternate dimensions. It turns out, you can tweak the game's save file system to have separate playthroughs that affect one another. So PointCrow creates a “setup” save where he progresses standardly, and the real file, where he's restricted. The preparatory save has him going through the intro and first starting area, and this character acquires full endurance and hearts. From this point, he triggers a cinematic and pauses partway through to instruct the software to open an automatic save from the branch-only file. The system gets mixed up and generates a new save file that merges the conditions of the original two.

That creates fresh issues, though. The merged save file has a Link that never obtain the capability to access sacred places. Luckily, this is something that the file exploit addresses easily, but executing it means relying on an buggy build of the game that fails to open certain areas. As with everything else, he has a clever workaround for it: He starts the game on its pre-release version 1.0, and then updates the software midway through to ensure it starts working properly.

Overcoming Durability and Additional Hurdles

Curiously, the introductory form of Link is coded so that he cannot break any tools he wields, likely to avoid a scenario where the user gets stuck at the start of the game. But that's also how the streamer gets around the wear issue, as the Link he pulls across universes is the one from the start of the story. It's a clever technique, but not a method that eliminates all potential friction. The stick is nonetheless a weak weapon that renders battles onerous. But at that point, it's entirely a question of determination and dedication. It further aids that there's a copying exploit that gives him an abundant supply of items to improve his attack, or stock up on revival fairies. He additionally employs a glitch that enables Link to clip through the environment. Some would find these means grounds to question the legitimacy of the run, but to my view, he's a resourceful player who is willing to do anything necessary to entertain his audience. He further implements a safeguard of sorts stating that, for every spirit he uses, he'll remove a viewer from his live stream, establishing an incentive to avoid depend too much on them.

Major Battles and the Final Encounter

The streamer manages to defeat many of Tears of the Kingdom's main enemies, but the battles appear grueling. The video version of his journey doesn't make the audience sit through the entire fights, which is a blessing when some of them take several long hours. A particular boss fight, a powerful foe, takes an incredible 23 straight. The Ganondorf battle, which erases Link's health as it progresses, is a notable tense moment. The unbreakable branch is after all only a stick. He is unable to necessarily clone objects during the battle.

Did he succeed? Technically, PointCrow does overcome the beast form of Ganon. But the software forces the player to use the Master Sword as the final attack, so strictly speaking, it's not completely a stick-only playthrough. But what fun is that?

When everything is said and done, PointCrow removed over a thousand users in his Twitch chat. Rest in peace.