Key findings
- Exploration in Genshin Impact unlocks Primordials and resources, making it worthwhile for players.
- Completing regions like Monstadt can be quick, while others like Liyue can be tedious.
- Regions such as Fontaine and The Chasm offer unique challenges in underwater and underground exploration.
Exploration is one of the most exciting aspects of Genshin Influence. It rewards players by stimulating their curiosity and providing them with resources, including Primogems, the valuable currency needed to draw the gacha banners. With 6 nations already released, the game has a lot to offer.
It is harder to get 100% exploration in certain regions, but it is worth doing, especially for F2P players. For those with a lot of time to spare, here are the most difficult regions to achieve 100% exploration Genshin Influence.
10 Monstadt
Nation of Freedom
- Stricter approach to achieving 100% exploration
- You may need to check where hidden chests are located
Since it's the first region of the game, it makes sense that this region isn't nearly as large as the others. Since it's only made up of 4 sub-regions, players can 100% this region in no time. This region serves as an introduction to the game, so puzzles and chests are (for the most part) easy to find.
Although the game does show a percentage of how much of each sub-region has been explored, it's not essential that it be completely wiped out to reach 100%, but the earlier regions are stricter about this (Monstadt being the worst). Still, it's nothing that a quick Google search for hidden chests can't help with.
9 Natlan
Nation of War
- Certain chests are locked behind certain items obtained through exploration.
- Although it is fun, many puzzles and challenges require the use of the dinosaurs
As of version 5.0, Natlan is currently the newest region released. Given this, it could probably move up in the upcoming patches. However, Natlan is currently not the largest region in Genshin Influenceand it is a lot of fun to solve the puzzles, since many of them require the use of the dinosaurs.
There are certain areas that are locked by world quests, but exploring these locations is fun, especially when you consider the movement abilities granted to players by using the Saurians. Certain chests require certain items, but if players plan on 100% completing that region anyway, those items will most likely already be in the inventory the closer you get to completion.
8 Sea of past eras
Remurien
- Understanding underwater controls and mechanics is critical
- The verticality of the area could pose a challenge
Sea of Bygone Eras is a subregion of Fontaine locked behind a world quest. It is almost entirely underwater, so familiarizing yourself with the underwater mechanics is crucial to achieving 100% in this region. Puzzles and chests are easy to spot and their solutions are quite intuitive.
This region has multiple levels. Since it is completely underwater, players will have to navigate through many vertical areas. This region is currently only used for this one world quest, so it is very helpful to explore it while completing this quest, as it will take players around the entire map.
7 Spring
Nation of Justice
- Certain areas are locked behind world quests
- Enables exploration on land and underwater
Speaking of underwater exploration, Fontaine was first introduced in version 4.0. Fontaine may look smaller than the other main regions, but it has a lot to offer in terms of exploration. On land, players can find chests and puzzles that lead them aboard an airship as part of an extended puzzle/challenge. Underwater, puzzles can come in the form of timed challenges that require players to utilize the abilities of various animals. They even lead players into underwater caves.
Fontaine's greatest strength in exploration is the variety it offers. It's also not difficult to keep an eye on the areas that are still little explored. Can't find anything on land? Check the same area on the map, but this time go underwater.
6 Liyue
Nation of Treaties
- The verticality of the area could pose a challenge
- Many puzzles require the use of geo-constructs
Although this region was released with the game as part of version 1.0, it is one of the more difficult ones to explore 100%. Well, it is less difficult and more tedious. Many parts of Liyue are vertical, so it is difficult to navigate the terrain without certain characters. Players are likely to jump down from a high place and find that there is nothing there, then have to climb back up.
Many puzzles in this region also require the use of Geo constructs. This can be annoying, as players have the option of permanently having a Geo character on their team instead of a character with movement abilities to make exploration easier, or they have to constantly switch between teams when they encounter a puzzle that requires a Geo construct.
5 The Abyss: Underground Mines
Seven-star seal
- It's easy to get lost in it
- Lumenstone Adjuvant must be upgraded to gain access to certain chests and puzzles
The Abyss is a sub-region that belongs to Liyue. As the name suggests, this area is completely underground and has many layers to consider when looking at the map. It is easy to get lost here and navigating back to a certain part of the map can be confusing. Players must pay close attention to where they have been exploring and how they got there.
The Lumenstone Adjuvant is a device introduced specifically for this area. Not only does it make characters glow (thereby providing light), but it also serves as the key to solving many of the area's puzzles. However, in order for it to reach its full potential, players must level up the device by collecting Lumenspar (scattered throughout the area) and handing it over to an NPC named Jiwu.
4 Inazuma
Nation of Eternity
- Dangerous terrain
- Electrogana needs to level up to gain access to certain chests and puzzles
Inazuma is inaccessible to players who haven't completed the Liyue Archon quest, and for good reason. The terrain here is dangerous, as players can be struck by lightning at any time (this can be disabled through a world quest), and the enemies can be difficult for newer players to deal with. The region is also divided into 5 separate islands. While they are small individually, this just means players will need to be more thorough when searching for chests and puzzles. There are also underground areas beneath certain islands.
Two of the islands are completely locked by world quests, with one lasting several days (players do not have full access to the island until it is completed). Similar to The Chasm, Inazuma also features a unique mechanic. Collecting Electroganum sprays characters with Electro. This puts them in a special state that allows them to speed through certain parts of the map and bypass Electro barriers. Certain barriers can only be bypassed after leveling up the Electrogana by offering Electro Seals to the sacred Sakura tree at the Grand Narukami Shrine.
3 Dragonback
Vindagnyr
- Dangerous terrain
- The treasure compass does not work in this area
Speaking of dangerous terrain: Dragonspine is not new territory. Dragonspine was the first sub-region (of Monstadt) to become Genshin Influence in version 1.2. The unique mechanic in Dragonspine is known as “Sheer Cold”. If players are not near a heat source, possess a Scarlet Quartz, or stand near a waypoint or Statue of the Seven, the character will continuously take damage and can die.
Dragonspine is basically a giant snow-capped mountain. Navigating the area can be difficult as there are also interior areas and the verticality of the area doesn't make things any easier. For some reason, the treasure compass doesn't work in Dragonspine. This means players must either use the interactive map or just walk around until they find something. With both of these things in mind, you're bound to get lost at least once.
2 Enkanomiya
Evernight and Whitenight
- The Evernight and Whitenight states make exploration and puzzle solving more difficult
- It's easy to get lost
A sub-region of the already difficult to navigate Inazuma, Enkanomiya takes things a step further. While the terrain itself isn't dangerous (the enemies are, though), the mechanics of this area make exploration a pain. The area can be in one of two states: Evernight and Whitenight. These can be switched to one or the other by interacting with certain objects on the map.
Certain puzzles and areas are inaccessible if the area's state is the wrong one. Some of these require players to interact with something in Evernight, move to Whitenight, then return to the same area and continue. Because of this, players must keep track of how they got somewhere to avoid getting lost, as the map has many levels. There are also three secret islands that don't appear on the map until certain criteria are met.
1 Sumeru
Nation of Wisdom
- The region is huge
- Certain areas are locked behind long world quests
The biggest challenge in exploring 100% of Sumeru is that it is absolutely massive. It is by far the largest region in Genshin Influence and is divided into two distinct parts: the Forest and the Desert. Most players will find the Forest area easier to explore as it is more in line with the flow of exploration in other regions. The Desert, however, is completely different as it has numerous underground areas that can be confusing unless you are led there by a World Quest.
Some of the areas and many puzzles are also locked by world quests (including the infamous Aranara quest), and there are tons of collectibles to be found in every corner of the map. At least it's not necessary to collect everything to achieve 100% exploration. If players can complete the exploration of this region, it only gets easier from here on out.
