Can You Go to Sumeru Without Inazuma? Exploring Genshin Impact’s Nation of Wisdom
Yes, you absolutely can travel to Sumeru without completing the Inazuma storyline in Genshin Impact. Unlike Inazuma, which requires progression through specific Archon Quests to access, Sumeru is designed to be more readily available for exploration, even for newer players. This means you can bypass the entirety of the Inazuma chapter and dive straight into the lush landscapes and intriguing mysteries of Sumeru. This flexibility offers a different path of progression and opens up exploration sooner than previous regions.
How to Reach Sumeru
The key to unlocking Sumeru lies in the western regions bordering Liyue and Mondstadt. While the game suggests a guided journey through The Chasm for your first experience, it’s not the only way. Here’s a breakdown of the pathways to reach Sumeru:
The Recommended Path: The Chasm
The game’s intended introduction to Sumeru involves exploring The Chasm in Liyue. Specifically, you’ll need to find the cave entrance that connects to Sumeru. This entrance is conveniently located next to a Teleport Waypoint in the far west corner of Cinnabar Cliff, providing easy access. This route serves as a fantastic introductory experience and gently eases you into the new region’s mechanics and story elements.
The Direct Route: Bypassing the Storyline
If you are eager to explore Sumeru immediately without following the Archon storyline, you can do that too. Simply head over to the western-most Teleport Waypoint in Cinnabar Cliff, within The Chasm. There, you will find a small cave that leads directly to the borders of Sumeru. This allows players to venture into the new region practically at their own pace, as early on as they’re willing to make the journey.
What You Need to Unlock Sumeru
While accessing Sumeru doesn’t require completion of the Inazuma quest line, there are some requirements to unlock the full experience:
Adventure Rank and Archon Quests
While you can initially explore Sumeru fairly early in the game, certain features like Sumeru Commissions and Reputation require some degree of progress. Specifically, to unlock Sumeru Commissions, you will need to complete the Archon Quests Chapter 3: Act 1 and Act 2. To get started with the Archon Quest line that leads to Sumeru, you need to be Adventure Rank 35 or higher and must have finished the Archon Quest “Requiem of the Echoing Depths”. These requirements mean that while you can walk into Sumeru quite early, fully engaging with all of its content requires a moderate investment of time.
Unlocking Sumeru Reputation
To unlock the Sumeru Reputation system, you will need to complete the new ‘Chapter 3 – Act 2: The Morn a Thousand Roses Brings’ Archon Quest. This quest is added as part of the 3.0 update and will officially establish your standing within the region.
Exploring Sumeru’s Landscape and Features
Sumeru is known for its diverse landscapes, from lush rainforests to arid deserts, offering a rich tapestry of biomes to discover. Unlike Inazuma’s more hostile environments, Sumeru encourages exploration with interactive elements and fascinating environmental puzzles.
Traversal and Environmental Reactions
Sumeru introduces new traversal mechanics and elemental reactions, making exploration engaging and unique. These elements help differentiate it from other regions and allow for exciting new combat mechanics.
Time to Explore Sumeru
The time it takes to explore Sumeru fully can vary. If you focus on Bounties and Requests alone, it might take around 14 weeks. However, if you incorporate World Exploration and Sumeru Quests, the time can be reduced to approximately 11 weeks. The Sumeru Archon Story is relatively substantial, requiring an estimated 14 hours of gameplay.
Navigating Sumeru’s Story
While you can enter Sumeru without completing the Inazuma quests, the main story in Sumeru progresses as a continuation of the Archon questline.
Quest Progression
Leaving Sumeru City during certain quests will reset your quest progress, so it is important to ensure that you don’t interrupt a questline by returning to the earlier nations. This can be avoided, however, after watching the Dance of Sabzeruz. Once you’ve seen it, the Wonders of the World achievement “All Dreams Must End With an Awakening” will be granted.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Traveling to Sumeru
Here are 15 frequently asked questions about reaching Sumeru, providing more clarity and detail:
1. Can I skip Inazuma completely and still access Sumeru?
Yes, you can. Sumeru is designed to be accessible even without completing the Inazuma storyline.
2. Do I need to complete the Archon Quests to enter Sumeru?
No, you do not need to complete Inazuma’s Archon Quests. You can physically walk into the region from Liyue.
3. What Adventure Rank do I need to access Sumeru?
You need to be Adventure Rank 35 or higher to start the Archon Quests that lead to Sumeru and for general story-related progression in Sumeru.
4. Where exactly is the entrance to Sumeru?
The primary entrance is in Cinnabar Cliff in The Chasm, accessible via a cave near a Teleport Waypoint.
5. Can I access Sumeru without doing the Chasm questline?
Yes, you can still enter Sumeru without progressing the Chasm storyline if you are only looking to explore.
6. Do I need to complete any other quests before entering Sumeru?
Yes, you will need to complete the Archon Quest “Requiem of the Echoing Depths” before beginning the Sumeru Archon questline.
7. How do I unlock Sumeru Commissions?
Complete Archon Quests Chapter 3: Act 1 and Act 2 to unlock Sumeru Commissions.
8. How do I unlock Sumeru Reputation?
Complete the ‘Chapter 3 – Act 2: The Morn a Thousand Roses Brings’ Archon Quest to unlock Sumeru Reputation.
9. Is it better to explore Sumeru through The Chasm?
The Chasm offers a recommended introductory experience to Sumeru, but it is not mandatory.
10. What happens if I leave Sumeru during certain Archon Quests?
Your quest progress will be reset if you leave Sumeru City during these quests, so ensure you do not interrupt the questline by returning to earlier nations. This is not the case after completing certain parts of the main questline.
11. Is Sumeru harder to navigate than Inazuma?
Sumeru’s terrain and interactive elements make it engaging to explore, though it may take time to adjust to the new mechanics compared to the more restrictive nature of Inazuma.
12. How much time will it take to fully explore Sumeru?
It will take roughly 11-14 weeks, depending on how much focus you give to different activities.
13. Can new players walk to Sumeru?
Yes, new players can walk to Sumeru, but it requires a lot of walking and knowing where to go.
14. How can I get to Fontaine from Sumeru?
You can reach Fontaine by using the northeastern Teleport Waypoint in the Realm of Farakhkert desert area of Sumeru once you have completed the Prologue story in Mondstadt up to Act III ‘Song of the Dragon and Freedom’.
15. How do I unlock the Sumeru World Tree?
You will need to progress through the Aranyaka World Quest to unlock the Sumeru world tree, the Tree of Dreams, specifically after entering the true version of Vanarana.
Conclusion
In summary, you can absolutely reach Sumeru without going through Inazuma in Genshin Impact. The game is flexible enough to allow different exploration paths, giving players the chance to explore the region as soon as they are willing. Whether you choose the recommended path through The Chasm or venture directly into the region, Sumeru offers a rich and engaging experience regardless of your progress in other regions. By understanding the access points and the required Adventure Rank, you can begin your Sumeru journey whenever you’re ready, and immerse yourself in all the wonders and challenges it has to offer.