Twitch Star Dedicates 37 Hours Attempting to Beat <em>Tears of the Kingdom</em> Using a One Stick

You might assume that after two years since Tears of the Kingdom arrived, fans would have run out of novel challenge runs that apply unique restrictions on a gameplay session. However, while numerous gamers have attempted to complete the game using only a wooden stick, streamer the streamer stands out as the individual who endeavored to beat the adventure with a single branch—meaning, the exact same one from start to finish.

PointCrow is renowned for such challenge runs, like the time he went through the title using only explosives or the effort where he tried to defeat the story with zero energy. A one-branch playthrough, though, seems unfeasible at face value. There's the game's introduction, which requires the hero to wield the Master Sword. Then, there's the whole weapon wear mechanic, which is especially important when working with the most fragile weapon in the entire world. But if the stick shatters, that's the end. Game over.

The Method Behind the Madness

How did he do it? The simple answer is exploits. The complete story, I kid you not, is alternate dimensions. Apparently, you can tweak the game's save file system to have distinct playthroughs that impact one another. So the creator creates a “setup” file where he progresses normally, and the real save, where he's limited. The preparatory file has him going through the prologue and first tutorial island, and this Link acquires maximum stamina and health. From this point, he triggers a cutscene and pauses midway through to instruct the software to load an auto-save from the branch-only file. The game gets mixed up and creates a new game file that combines the states of the original two.

This creates fresh problems, however. The merged save file has a Link that never acquired the ability to access sacred places. Fortunately, this is something that the file exploit fixes easily, but executing it means depending on an unstable build of the title that fails to open some locations. Like other obstacles, he has a technical workaround for it: He begins the game on its early version 1.0, and then patches the software partway through to ensure it starts working properly.

Overcoming Weapon Wear and Other Challenges

Curiously, the prologue version of Link is coded so that he cannot break any tools he wields, presumably to avoid a scenario where the user gets trapped at the beginning of the adventure. But that's also how PointCrow bypasses the durability problem, as the character he transfers across universes is the one from the start of the game. It's a smart technique, but not a method that eliminates all potential friction. The stick is still a weak item that renders battles tedious. But at that point, it's entirely a matter of determination and dedication. It further helps 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 makes use of a glitch that enables Link to phase through the environment. A few would consider these methods grounds to question the validity of the run, but in my mind, he's a inventive player who is willing to do whatever it takes to engage his audience. He also uses a safeguard of sorts stating that, for each fairy he employs, he'll ban one viewer from his live stream, creating an incentive to avoid overly rely on them.

Boss Fights and the Last Showdown

PointCrow succeeds to get through many of the game's main enemies, but the fights look painful. The YouTube version of his journey doesn't make the viewer endure the entire conflicts, which is a good thing when some of them last multiple hours. A particular boss fight, Queen Gibdo, requires an astonishing twenty-three hours. The Ganondorf showdown, which depletes Link's hearts as it unfolds, is a memorable nail-biter. The indestructible stick is after all only a piece of wood. He is unable to always duplicate objects midway the fight.

Did he succeed? In a matter of speaking, PointCrow does defeat the beast form of the antagonist. But the game compels the user to wield the legendary weapon as the last attack, so technically, it's not quite fully a branch-exclusive playthrough. But what fun is that?

When everything is said and done, the streamer removed over a thousand people in his live stream. RIP.