*Will we see the return of the affinity system to unlock various skills and sidequests ? * There is of course the relationship between Blades and Drivers that is the main point of gameplay, as by nourishing them you will become stronger, unlock new skills, and so on. The game obviously has numerous sidequests, some dedicaced to developping characters, some dedicaced to developping the relationships between characters and their Blades, and some that will rely on NPCs that you will meet in town. Completing those particular missions will allow you to develop the town, to unlock new gear to buy, that kind of bonuses. Quest validation should be automatic in most cases, like in previous episodes : you don't have to go back to the quest giver to get the rewards. However, everything will depend of what kind of quest it is and the context in which you received it.