Xenoblade Chronicles 3’s segmented world is truly vast in both size and scope. There is nearly always something waiting to be uncovered behind every corner or under every outcrop. Not all of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is accessible from the get-go, however. In fact, large portions of the world are meant to be revisited (much) later in the game.
This is because Noah and his pals are not particularly adept at exploring. The simple act of walking up a slight incline, or climbing vines is beyond their regular comprehension. Only rigorous training and experience will allow them to overcome these insurmountable obstacles.
How To Unlock Traversal Skills
There are a total of four travel skills to find in Xenoblade Chronicles 3, although “find” may be too strong of a word in some cases. During your adventures, you will actually obtain two Traversal Skills just by pottering through the main quest, and to be fair, a third can be obtained by accident during an adjacent side quest. Needless to say, they aren’t exactly hidden (for the most part).
Wall Climbing
Wall Climbing is the first Traversal skill you will unlock, and it is one of the ones you’ve likely been desperate to find for literal hours. Purple vines litter various mounds and locations, and without Wall Climbing, you simply can’t figure out how to scale them. Thankfully, during Chapter 3, you will be taught this skill by Valdi.
Scree Walking
Scree Walking is an unusual ability that doesn’t do quite as much as you’d like but still ends up being a valuable tool in your traversal kit. Scree Walking is the first optional Traversal Skill and it is unlocked as part of the Going Beyond Power side quest. The earliest you can complete this is in Chapter 3. Scree Walking lets you walk up sandy slopes - providing they are not too steep.
Rope Slider
This is another tricky one that has likely haunted you since the early hours of Xenoblade Chronicles 3. In fact, there have been slidable ropes since your first Colony. Tens of hours later, you finally unlock the ability to zip around on them. We’d say it’s about halfway through Chapter 4 that your party is taught this valuable skill.
Hazard Naturalisation
Hazard Naturalisation is the final Traversal skill in the game, and it is arguably the least useful. It also just so happens to be optional. You can grab this skill by completing the Inhumanity Hero Quest during Chapter 6. The catch is that you also need to have completed The Illusion Returns side quest to unlock Inhumanity. This skill lets you neutralise the effects of poison pools which are not at all common, making this one of the least used skills. Still, it’s handy to have during your adventures.