Apart from running around the world, getting into random battle zones where enemies warp on in, and progressing the story by moving from point to point, Crystal Bearers has plenty to see and do for those looking for a more open, freeform experience. The all new Medal system is the game's own version of achievements, with over 300 activities that all result in a medal for discovering or mastering them. Each time you earn a medal it's added to your menu screen on a gigantic chart -- similar to the skills chart from Final Fantasy XII, but less complex -- and the neighboring boxes of undiscovered medals become little hint boxes, telling you how to unlock further achievements within the chart.
It's a simple little mechanic, but considering the entire game is all about grabbing onto random items or discovering Easter eggs in the world, it's nice to be rewarded every time you do something unique. The first time you collect certain materials, figure out how to beat an enemy, or discover a secret within a town or dungeon, you'll most likely be rewarded with a medal for your hard work.
Speaking of materials, the entire game's upgrade system is based not only on cash, but also the merging of random items within the world. Shops often have a price to upgrade, but also a set of materials needed to do the upgrade, so while you can go from area to area and find plenty of cash -- treasure chests reset once you leave an area, so you can literally mine for cash as much as you want -- you'll need the proper drops to actually upgrade your gear.
Outside of random material gathering and plenty of medals to search for, Crystal Bearers also includes a huge list of mini-games to find. I've only come across a few so far, but they work great in fleshing out the world. In one of those "off the beaten path" areas, I found an old fisherman who was bored and looking for some competition. I jumped into the mini-game, pointed my telekinesis at fish, and started pulling them on in once I felt them tug via the Wii-mote's rumble feature. Sure enough, I was ranked, got a medal for fishing, but noticed there was a mysterious "?????" fish listed as well. I'd bet my bank roll in saying that pulling up that fish would not only give me some sort of item or cash bonus, but also another medal with further tips to other treasure down the line. I had to move on, but I'll be back for that fish.