Tears of the Kingdom Blindfolded Playthrough: Key Insights & Strategies

Introduction

• Entire game of Zelda beaten without seeing the game aka Blindfolded Run.
• Achievements: All shrines, defeating Ganon, flying dragons, catching Zelda (one of the hardest parts blindfolded).
• Using unique strategies and multiple controllers for navigation and speedrun tactics.
• Speedrun elements integrated throughout, aiming for the fastest completion possible.

Core Concepts

Normalized Movement

• Definition: Standardizing movements to navigate blindfolded.
• Example: Hops counting, like hopping nine times to know the exact position, using actions like jump pads.

Intros Skip

• Definition: Skipping long, unskippable cutscenes using speedrun techniques.
• Timer Note: The timer starts at 6 minutes and 40 seconds due to intros skip.

Save & Reload Mechanics

• Key Strategy: Using save points to achieve consistency in positioning.
• Example: Save in the water and reload to be on the path's center.

Important Gameplay Elements

Item Management

• Vital Items: Every collected item has a specific purpose, like the tree branch used early on.
• Pants detail: Essential for game completion due to late-game glitch requirements.

Shrine Navigation

• Temple of Time: Unlocks the ability to access the four shrines across the Great Sky Island.
• Order Adjustment: Completing shrines in a specific order for speed optimization.

Inventory Optimization

• Minimal Inventory: Only essential items are picked, avoiding clutter for smoother navigation.
• Duplicating Items: Utilizing glitches to duplicate necessary items, ensuring adequate resources.

Major Segments & Techniques

Ascend Strategy

• Benefit: Helps navigate tricky areas which require climbing.
• Example: Ascend Shrine first before others.

Sky diving & Repositioning

• Cool Tricks: Diving into water, saving, reloading for precise starting positions.
• Safety/Backup Strategies: Handling tougher areas like enemies or ledges with reliable backups.

Ultrahand & Camera Manipulation

• Purpose: Skipping puzzles using creative object manipulation tools.
• Camera Lock: Manually manipulating the camera to avoid cinematic shifts impacting navigation.

Combat & Enemy Navigation

Construct Battles

• Details: Using tree branches and shields for tactical advantages early on.

Strategic Kill Zones

• Elevated Corners: Leveraging game geometry for predictable climbing/jumping outcomes.

Advanced Speedrun Techniques

Duplicate Glitches

• Description: Using in-game mechanics to duplicate necessary items like zonai charges for later use.
• Zonai Sort Duplication: Detailed method using specific button presses.

Final Segments

Ganon Fight & Endgame Strategies

• Item Duplication Impact: Fairies and Topazes used for invincibility and offense respectively.
• Clipping Through Worlds: Using overloaded inventory mechanics to clip through game areas.
• Dragon Navigation: Timed movements using in-game music for precision.

Catching Zelda

• Challenge: One of the hardest endgame requirements, relying on exact position and timing.

Closing Remarks

• Achievements: Efficient and effective run showcasing depth of game knowledge and strategic exploitation of mechanics.
• Encouragement to Watch/Subscribe: Sharing the tutorial nature of the run alongside promotional aspects.