You might assume that two years post-launch since The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom arrived, enthusiasts would have run out of novel challenge runs that apply special rules on a playthrough. However, although numerous gamers have attempted to finish Tears of the Kingdom using just a stick, content creator the streamer stands out as the player who endeavored to clear the game with a single branch—meaning, the very same one throughout.
PointCrow is famous for these kinds of challenge runs, such as the time he went through the game using only explosives or the effort where he tried to beat the story with zero energy. A single stick run, however, seems impossible at first glance. There's the opening sequence, which forces Link to use the Master Sword. Additionally, there's the whole weapon wear mechanic, which is especially important when dealing with the weakest tool in the whole world. But if the stick breaks, that's the end. It's over.
How did he do it? The straightforward explanation is exploits. The full story, believe it or not, is alternate dimensions. Apparently, you can manipulate the game's save file system to have separate playthroughs that impact one another. So PointCrow does a “setup” file where he advances standardly, and the real save, where he's limited. The setup save has him completing the prologue and first tutorial island, and this character gains maximum endurance and health. From here, he starts a cutscene and halts midway through to tell the game to open an auto-save from the stick file. The system gets confused and creates a third game file that combines the states of the original two.
That creates new problems, however. The fused file has a Link that did not obtain the capability to enter shrines. Fortunately, this is an issue that the file exploit addresses readily, but pulling it off means relying on an unstable version of the title that refuses to load certain locations. As with other obstacles, he has a clever workaround for it: He begins Tears of the Kingdom on its early 1.0 build, and then patches the software partway through to make sure it begins functioning correctly.
Curiously, the prologue version of the hero is programmed so that he is unable to damage any tools he wields, likely to avoid a scenario where the player gets stuck at the start of the adventure. But that's additionally how PointCrow bypasses the durability issue, as the Link he transfers between dimensions is the version from the beginning of the story. It's a smart trick, but not a method that eliminates all potential friction. The branch is still a ineffective weapon that makes battles onerous. But at that point, it's all a question of determination and dedication. It also aids that there's a copying exploit that gives him an plentiful supply of consumables to improve his strength, or stock up on revival fairies. He additionally employs a glitch that allows Link to clip through the environment. Some would find these means grounds to question the legitimacy of the run, but in my mind, he's a inventive player who is ready to do whatever it takes to engage his audience. He also implements a penalty of kinds stipulating that, for every spirit he employs, he'll ban one fan from his live stream, establishing an incentive to not depend too much on them.
The streamer manages to defeat several of Tears of the Kingdom's main enemies, but the battles look painful. The YouTube edit of his journey doesn't make the audience sit through the entire conflicts, which is a blessing when a few of them take multiple long hours. A particular boss fight, Queen Gibdo, takes an incredible twenty-three hours. The Ganondorf showdown, which depletes the hero's hearts as it unfolds, is a notable nail-biter. The indestructible stick is still just a stick. He can't necessarily duplicate items during the fight.
So, is it possible? In a matter of speaking, he does overcome the dragon version of Ganon. But the game compels the player to wield the Master Sword as the final attack, so strictly speaking, it's not fully a branch-exclusive playthrough. But what fun is that?
When everything is said and done, PointCrow banned over a thousand users in his Twitch chat. RIP.
