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Open-world structure
Honkai: Nexus Anima has an open world set on the continent of Lusciell, which exists within the Plane of Reality. The starting area is the seaside town of Iia, with additional Planes becoming accessible as the player progresses through regional championships. Each Plane has its own visual style and environmental design. The world isn't one continuous landmass but a collection of distinct dimensional areas connected by the continent of Lusciell.
Movement options
Players have several ways to get around:
Item | Description |
|---|---|
On foot | Standard walking and running through environments |
Aerial glides | Riding Anima like Frigull (a seagull) for gliding through the air |
Mounted travel | Some Anima can be ridden, galloping, flying, or swimming depending on the creature |
Day-night cycle
The world runs on a day-night cycle with real-time lighting changes that affect the environment's atmosphere and visual mood. Different things happen at different times of day. Certain NPCs appear only at night, some wild Anima are more active during specific hours, and the lighting itself transforms familiar locations into different-feeling spaces.
Players can sit on benches scattered throughout the world to fast-forward time. If you need it to be nighttime for a specific encounter but it's currently day, find a bench, sit down, and wait. The bench mechanic is a nod to the game's relaxed pace. You're literally sitting down and watching the world go by rather than grinding through the hours.
Anima exploration skills
Each Anima has a unique exploration skill that interacts with the environment in a specific way:
Skill | Effect |
|---|---|
Puddlipup | Bounces to reach elevated platforms and high ledges |
Frigull | Carries the player for aerial glides across gaps and down from heights |
Nomnom | Destroys environmental obstacles blocking paths |
Vulberry | Interacts with NPCs, its cake-smearing ability increases favorability ratings |
Rimechime | Ice-themed traversal abilities (specific details pending) |
This system gives players a reason to bring specific Anima into the field based on the terrain they're exploring. A mountainous area might call for Puddlipup's bounce ability, while an area full of destructible barriers needs Nomnom.
Wild Anima encounters
Wild Anima appear throughout the open world. Players can approach them for "Bond Encounters", befriending and capturing them. Blue and purple-tier (3-star and below) Anima can be captured directly. Higher-rarity Anima aren't available through wild encounters and must be obtained through the gacha system or event rewards.
Points of interest
The starting area of Iia alone contains multiple named locations: Nexus Hall, Aniwon Plaza, Montemar Academy, Romanesque Hall, Kampete's Gallery of Wandering, and Quick Bites (a fast-food spot featuring the French-fry seagull Frigull). Beyond Iia, each Plane visited throughout the story introduces its own landmarks and explorable areas.
Easter eggs and secrets
The developers have scattered hidden easter eggs throughout the map. These include tucked-away NPCs, environmental puzzles, and surprise interactions. HoYoverse has a track record of hiding things in their open worlds (Genshin Impact is full of them), and Nexus Anima follows the same design philosophy of rewarding exploration with small discoveries.