Earning Rank 3: Explorer unlocks some of the best upgrades in Journey To The Savage Planet, and it’s absolutely required if you want to get the best possible pistol enhancements. You’ll also find a handy backpack upgrade that lets you carry around 10 items for each of the consumables. That’s crazy-useful for the late-game areas where you’ll need to traverse some pretty hair-raising vertical cliffs with just your Grapple Seeds at your side.
As usual, there are four quests you’ll need to complete. These four quests are way, way harder than the first set of challenges — you’ll need to know exactly where to go and what to do, and it isn’t always clear in the instructions. After a ton of trial-and-error, I’ve solved these four quests. So just check my tips below for easy solutions.
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 Reach Rank 2 Field Explorer | ‘For Science!’ Guide | How To Get The Launch Thruster & Advanced Proton Tether Upgrades
Like Rank 2, you’ll need to complete four special optional objectives to earn Rank 3: Explorer.
Now you’ll be able to get (some of) the best possible upgrades for your Nomad Pistol, the biggest Utility Belt, and the Quadruple Thruster jump, along with an Advanced Launch Booster and faster refuel. They’re all really useful, so unlocking Rank 3 as early as possible is pretty important.
Gather live samples from creatures: Kapyane, Jellywaft, Infected Pufferbird
Kapyane is a new creature in the Itching Fields. You’ll find it in the Domain of the Untamed Beast, an arena area up the hill from the Fungi of Si’ned VII. Just tag one of the beasts after dodging it’s charge attack. When it flashes forward and appears behind you, turn around and melee it to stun it.
Infected Pufferbirds are found in the Gaseaous Underbelly / Festering Chasm interior cave. You’ll know they’re nearby if there is green gas and a pufferbird gravesite. They’re slow but they always attack, so you can use a Binding Bile to make them safer.
Jellywafts are found all over the place, but you can always return to the Jellywaft Basin back in the starting area, or go to the pond on the left side of the Fungi of Si’ned VII.
Hit 2 creatures with dying Prime Jellywaft’s acid.
This one is tricky. Go to the Zor’s Planetary Flotsam teleporter — there’s a pink Prime Jellywaft with regular green jellywafts on one of the large rocky islands. Use bait to lure Pufferbirds closer to the pink Jellywaft, then blast it.
It’s really tricky, as you’ll need the Jellywaft to be in just the right spot, but it’s explosive poison blast has a pretty wide radius. There are lots of pufferbirds near the pink jellywaft in this area, so it’s one of the most viable spots to get this objective done.
Kill 3 amber Pufferbirds with a Bombegranate.
Travel to the swamp downhill from the Festering Chasm teleporter — this area is full of amber Pufferbirds. Use bait to lure them all together, then hit at least three with a Blight Bomb, them immediately toss a Bombegranate to complete the challenge.
Kill 4 stuck creatures in 3 seconds
You can do the same truck to complete this challenge! Use Bait in the swamp downhill from the Festering Chasm teleporter to lure four Pufferbirds close together, then hit them all with Binding Bile. Use a nearby Blight Bomb to clear off any annoying amber, then use a Bombegranate to defeat them all.
This one sometimes doesn’t trigger, so try to gather up at least 5 creatures all in the same place. Wait for a moment so they’re fully stuck in the Binding Bile, then toss a Bombegranate. In my experience, the Nomad Pistol is way too slow.
