An interconnected world
The developer describes Phantom Blade Zero as neither an open-world game nor a strictly linear adventure. Its world connects eight maps drawn in a Chinese ink-painting style.
This structure gives you connected areas to explore rather than a single open-world map. The eight-map description concerns the world’s layout; it is not a list of eight isolated missions.
How fast travel works
Bells let you travel between locations you have already discovered. Discovering a destination comes before using it as a fast-travel option.
When revisiting an area, use the available bell destinations to move between discovered locations. The fast-travel feature does not imply that every location is accessible from the start.
Plan time for exploration
Connected areas and return travel matter when deciding how much time to set aside. A first ending and a fully explored world are different goals; the playtime guide separates the published story estimates from a reviewer’s first-ending run.