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

One could think that after two years since The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom debuted, enthusiasts would have run out of creative self-imposed challenges that impose unique rules on a playthrough. Yet, while numerous players have tried to finish the game with only a stick, streamer the streamer holds the record as the individual who aimed to clear the adventure with a single branch—specifically, the very same stick from start to finish.

PointCrow is famous for these kinds of challenge runs, like the time he went through the title using only bombs or the effort where he tried to beat the story with zero energy. A single stick playthrough, though, sounds unfeasible at face value. There's the opening sequence, which forces Link to wield the legendary blade. Additionally, there's the entire durability system, which is particularly important when working with the most fragile tool in the whole game. But if the stick shatters, that's it. It's over.

The Method Behind the Madness

So, how? The simple answer is exploits. The full story, believe it or not, is alternate dimensions. Apparently, you can tweak the game's save file system to have distinct game sessions that impact one another. So the creator creates a “preparation” save where he progresses standardly, and the real file, where he's restricted. The preparatory file has him completing the prologue and initial tutorial island, and this Link acquires maximum stamina and health. From here, he starts a cutscene and halts midway through to tell the game to load an automatic save from the branch-only file. The system gets mixed up and generates a third save file that merges the states of the first two files.

That creates new problems, however. The fused save file has a protagonist that did not acquired the capability to enter shrines. Luckily, this is an issue that the save glitch addresses readily, but executing it means depending on an unstable build of the title that refuses to load some locations. Like everything else, he has a clever solution for it: He starts Tears of the Kingdom on its early version 1.0, and then updates the software partway through to make sure it starts working properly.

Bypassing Durability and Other Hurdles

Curiously, the introductory form of Link is coded so that he cannot break any weapons he uses, presumably to avoid a scenario where the player gets stuck at the start of the adventure. But that's additionally how PointCrow gets around the wear issue, as the Link he pulls across universes is the one from the start of the game. It's a clever trick, but not one that eradicates all potential difficulty. The stick is still a ineffective weapon that makes encounters onerous. But at that stage, it's entirely a question of determination and dedication. It further helps that there's a copying exploit that grants him an plentiful supply of items to improve his strength, or accumulate on healing spirits. He additionally makes use of a bug that allows him to clip through the environment. A few would find these methods grounds to question the validity of the run, but to my view, he's a resourceful gamer who is ready to do whatever it takes to entertain his viewer. He further uses a safeguard of sorts stipulating that, for each fairy he employs, he'll remove one fan from his live stream, establishing an incentive to not overly rely on them.

Major Battles and the Last Showdown

The streamer manages to get through several of the game's main enemies, but the battles appear grueling. The YouTube edit of his journey spares the viewer sit through the entire fights, which is a good thing when some of them last multiple long hours. A particular boss fight, a powerful foe, requires an astonishing 23 straight. The final villain showdown, which erases Link's hearts as it progresses, is a memorable nail-biter. The indestructible stick is after all only a piece of wood. He can't necessarily duplicate objects during the battle.

So, is it possible? Technically, PointCrow manages to defeat the dragon version of the antagonist. But the software compels the player to use the legendary weapon as the final strike, so technically, it's not completely a branch-exclusive playthrough. But where's the challenge in that?

When everything is said and done, the streamer banned over 1,000 people in his live stream. Rest in peace.