To get upgrades that’ll make your life way, way easier on Journey To The Savage Planet, you’ll need to reach Field Explorer Rank 2. To do that, you’ll have to complete four challenge quests — and they’re not too hard if you know exactly how to complete them. Here, you’ll find guides explaining the easiest ways to complete each challenge.
You’ll need to make some progress to make these really easy, and Rank 2 isn’t really important until you unlock the Itching Fields region — the second region of the game. Not all of the Rank 2 upgrades are strictly required to beat the game, but it does help to get them all. You won’t be able to get those Rank 2 or Rank 3 upgrades to your Nomad Pistol if you don’t do these mini-quests. And the Triple Thruster makes life so much easier with those tricky platforming challenges.
More Journey To The Savage Planet guides:
How To Complete The ‘Fixer Upper’ Quest | Alien Alloy Location | How To Get Double-Jump & Grappling Hook Upgrades | How To Get The Bombegranate Stabilizer | Cragdaw Boss Guide | How To Get The Launch Thruster & Advanced Proton Tether Upgrades
Reaching Rank 2 unlocks a bunch of new upgrades — but the best by far is the Triple Thrusters and Improved Damage for your Nomad Pistol. The Precious Stuff Magnet is pretty good too.
Gather live samples from creatures: Pufferbird, Babouushka, Pikemander
Once you unlock the Science Experiment quests, you’ll unlock the Live Sample needle. Use this on living creatures to gather a sample — remember, they have to be alive! You can’t gather up dead critters.
You’ll find Pufferbirds everywhere, but there are some in the cave just outside the Javelin ship. Baboushkas are the screaming critters in the first large area of the Verdant Wilds of Zyl. Use a sticky seed to trap them if they’re too fast to scan. Finally, you’ll find Pikemanders on the tall plateau above the Meteor Crater teleporter. Just wait for them to ram into an object and you’ll have time to get a sample.
Blow up 5 Pufferbirds with a single Alpha Pufferbird blast
Alpha Pufferbirds, when attacked, explode in a massive blast that will instantly knock out the rest of their friends. You can easily locate one of these creatures in Shangtar’s Frigid Embrace. As you enter from the caves, turn right and find a small watering hole filled with Pufferbirds. Use a bait can to draw them closer together if they’re far apart, then blast the alpha bird.
Survive a 50 meter drop with Jump Thruster
This one is tricky. Wait until you gain the Jump Thruster and the Proton Tether, then start from the Towering Crystals of Madness. Drop down from any point, then double-jump near the ground to save yourself. Just don’t cut it too close — it’s better to take a little damage than to die instantly on impact!
Kill 5 enemies while airborne
Another simple one. Just find a cluster of Pufferbirds — they’re literally everywhere — and press [Square / X] to kick them. While they’re mid-air, shoot them down with your Nomad Pistol. If you upgrade to Level 2 Damage, that makes this a breeze.
