A Breath of the Wild player has found that for Link, completing Bird-Man research apparently takes precedence over saving Hyrule. The Calamity-stricken kingdom may be in dire need of rescue in BOTW, but there are many minigames to win along the way as well, often giving Link some unusual challenges.
The Bird-Man Research Study is a minigame that players can find at the Ridgeland Tower, the Sheikah Tower located at Hyrule Ridge. Here, Link finds a Hylian named Branli, who became stuck at the top of the tower when it rose from the ground during the game’s opening tutorial sequence. Ever since then, Branli has spent his time observing the Rito and dreaming of one day being able to fly himself. As a result, he asks Link to participate in a study to see how far he can glide from the tower with the Paraglider. Succeeding in traveling over 600 meters will earn Link a Silver Rupee; perhaps not one of the best minigame rewards in BOTW, but certainly a welcome payout nonetheless.
Once Link touches down, he returns to the Ridgeland Tower to report on his results. However, Reddit user _Tovar_ has found that this creates an unusual situation should Link manage to glide all the way to the Sanctum of Hyrule Castle. As demonstrated in a short video, doing so will trigger the final battle against Calamity Ganon. But as the introductory cutscenes come to an end, so does the minigame with a cheerful whistle. Suddenly, even as the boss music continues to play, Link is once more atop the Ridgeland Tower in his fighting pose, something that reportedly persists until the end of the rising blood moon. The Hero of the Wild has, it seems, run away to report on his new gliding record after flying across a decent portion of Hyrule, instead of staying to fight.
BOTW Player Utilizes Glitch In Calamity-Defying Minigame Run
Of course, it is worth noting that this highly unusual chain of events is not exactly intended to be possible. In order to make the long flight to the Sanctum, _Tovar_ had to make use of the well-known 'Windbomb' technique. This is a popular glitch that takes advantage of Link having two varieties of Sheikah Slate Bombs, as well as the bullet time mechanic, in order to propel him through the air. When performed repeatedly in the air, Windbombs can therefore be used to cross incredible distances without ever touching the floor. This is a perfect strategy for impressing Branli; the strange bomb glitch allows BOTW players to fly, after all, which is precisely Branli's goal.
It's very strange to think that Link would prioritize finishing a minigame over saving all of Hyrule, but _Tovar_'s discovery shows that this is exactly what the young hero will do in Breath of the Wild. And because this is only due to two very different parts of the game interacting in a way they were never meant to, this is very interesting to watch unfold for those more interested in the game's underlying mechanics. Apparently, cutscenes take priority over a minigame when triggered in the game, but that minigame must still end, which is what leads to Link immediately relocating to the Ridgeland tower once those cutscenes finish. Moreover, it seems that flying with bombs allows Link to escape Ganon with ease.
Source: _Tovar_/Reddit