Open world games have grown exponentially since their conception. Early experiments in the genre attempted to simulate the hustle and bustle of a small city, and now there are many projects that house islands, kingdoms, and even continents.Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Editionis no slouch in this regard, letting players explore the entirety of the alien planet Mira.

Traversing such a large landmass can be extremely difficult; the greater the area available to you, the more difficult it can be to see all the world has to offer. Thankfully, Monolith Soft thought ahead, segmenting their world map so you can easily understand what activities you have available to you.

Segments, Explained

When you open up X’s map, you’ll notice that it isbroken up into hexagonal pieces. Each one isplastered with an icon, which informs youwhat kind of activity is availablein that sector. These activities canvary in size and difficulty, ranging from simple treasure collection to boss fights with Tyrants.

Completing them willearn you rewards and increase your survey rate percentage. This percentage not only tells you how much of the world you have explored butcan also gate story progression, so it’s always beneficial to explore Mira!

Upon first starting the game,almost all segments will be blank, with no icons telling you an area’s objective. You willneed toinstall Probesin their designated spots to reveal this information about neighboring regions.

Segment Types

There arenine different segment activitiesin Xenoblade Chronicles X that you should look out for. They are as follows:

Approach the designated site and launch a probe

Kill the Tyrant local to that segment

Treasure

Approach the piece of treasure and hold A to scan it.

Completed by viewing a heart-to-heart sequence with a character.

Affinity Shift

Requires you to increase or alter your affinity with a specific character.