Into the Nexus features a total of 40 skill points. They are used to unlock cheats and concept art in the Extras menu. Into the Nexus is the first game in the series to include an actual progress counter for each skill point.
Skill points[]
| Category | Skill point | In-game description |
|---|---|---|
| General | Keep on Moving | Perform all of Ratchet's moves. |
| Voltanoid Ninja | Defeat the Voltanoid with only the OmniWrench. | |
| Assassin of Leisure | Kill 25 enemies while inside a grav-stream. | |
| Drop Zone | Use a Grav-Tether to transport an enemy over a gap, and then deactivate it to let them fall to their doom. | |
| For Cronk and Zephyr | Defeat Neftin or the Prog Bot without taking any damage. | |
| Death Defying | Use the jetpack to hover less than 5m above the water for 10 seconds. | |
| Galactic Marksman | Kill 3 single enemies in a single shot with an upgraded Plasma Striker. | |
| Tis the Season! | Use the Winterizer to create 10 presents at once. | |
| Yerek | Party Crasher | Destroy all of the tables, chairs, and pots in the first area. |
| Droppin' Dropships | Take down any dropship in the level. | |
| Silox | Vandal | Destroy all of the breakable glass windows. |
| Vote Grumblebrick | Destroy the two statues at the start of the jetpack segment in Weeblesnog City. | |
| Running on Empty | Get through escaping the sewers without refueling. | |
| Thram | Jetpack Maverick | Pass under at least 15 of the arches using the jetpack. |
| Ramping up | Hoverboot off of every ramp in the Hagrow Swampland. | |
| Igliak | Glass Ball Buster | Destroy all of glass bulbs hanging from the trees. |
| Dead like Disco | Complete the Groovitron room in under 45 seconds. | |
| Don't Try This at Home | Don't get hit by any of the cars in the freeway. | |
| Eye for an Eye | Defeat Mr. Eye with only Nether based weapons (which include the Netherbeast and the Nether Blades). | |
| Kragg | Knock 'Em Back | Use the wrench to smack 5 blade balls into the Mangler in the Precision Shooter challenge. |
| The Champion of Doom Canyon | Complete Doom Canyon in less than one minute. | |
| Snowman City | Complete the Zero Hour Blitz with only the Winterizer. | |
| Netherverse challenges | Master of the Netherverse - Alpha | Complete Netherverse puzzle 1 only changing gravity 5 times. |
| Master of the Netherverse - Beta | Complete Netherverse puzzle 2 only changing gravity 10 times. | |
| Master of the Netherverse - Gamma | Complete Netherverse puzzle 3 only changing gravity 6 times. | |
| Master of the Netherverse - Delta | Complete Netherverse puzzle 4 only changing gravity 25 times. | |
| Master of the Netherverse - Epsilon | Complete Netherverse puzzle 5 only changing gravity 10 times. | |
| Master of the Netherverse - Zeta | Complete Netherverse puzzle 6 only changing gravity 20 times. | |
| Clock Blockers - Alpha | Complete Netherverse puzzle 1 in 00:33. | |
| Clock Blockers - Beta | Complete Netherverse puzzle 2 in 00:43. | |
| Clock Blockers - Gamma | Complete Netherverse puzzle 3 in 00:37. | |
| Clock Blockers - Delta | Complete Netherverse puzzle 4 in 01:25. | |
| Clock Blockers - Epsilon | Complete Netherverse puzzle 5 in 01:18. | |
| Clock Blockers - Zeta | Complete Netherverse puzzle 6 in 01:13. | |
| Unbeatable Robot - Alpha | Complete Netherverse puzzle 1 without taking damage. | |
| Unbeatable Robot - Beta | Complete Netherverse puzzle 2 without taking damage. | |
| Unbeatable Robot - Gamma | Complete Netherverse puzzle 3 without taking damage. | |
| Unbeatable Robot - Delta | Complete Netherverse puzzle 4 without taking damage. | |
| Unbeatable Robot - Epsilon | Complete Netherverse puzzle 5 without taking damage. | |
| Unbeatable Robot - Zeta | Complete Netherverse puzzle 6 without taking damage. |
General Skill Points[]
Keep on Moving[]
"Keep on Moving" is earned by performing a specific series of Ratchet's moves. The in-game skill point description is slightly misleading, as not every move counts. The ones that do are:
- Double jump. (
+ ) - High jump. (
+ 
) - Long jump. ( + + )
- Multi-strike. ( + + )
- Comet-strike. ( + )
- Hyper-strike. ( + )
- Shoot. ()
- Hoverboot ramp jump. ()
All of these except the hoverboot ramp jump can be done on the Nebulox Seven. The ramp jump cannot be done before Thram, as that is where the hoverboots are acquired.
Voltanoid Ninja[]
"Voltanoid Ninja" is earned by defeating either a Voltanoid or a Blazebot with only the OmniWrench. The Voltanoid is a boss that appears on Yerek and on Silox, whereas the Blazebot can be fought repeatedly in the "Blazebot Battle" challenge on Kragg. The former two are technically easier due to the lack of Thugs-4-Less reinforcements in the arena.
However, either enemy will take an incredibly long time to defeat using only wrench attacks. Resort to repeated hyper-strikes at near point-blank range to avoid the need to dodge its laser attacks, while only watching out for its fire shockwave counter-move. Switching the difficulty to Cadet is recommended to make the fight faster.
Assassin of Leisure[]
"Assassin of Leisure" is earned by killing 25 enemies while inside a grav-stream. This is very easy to do on a return visit to Yerek. Retrace the path leading to the Infobot; after the mag-surface tunnel is a dilapidated road with three serathoid nests and two pairs of grav-targets. Simply activate either one (possibly defeat the nearby thug grenadier first) and then sit in a grav-stream while taking potshots at the never-ending stream of serathoids.
Drop Zone[]
"Drop Zone" is earned by using a Grav-Tether to transport an enemy over a gap, and then deactivating it to let them fall to their doom. This can also be done on Yerek, in the same area as "Assassin of Leisure". Continue to the platform where the grenadier was located; another set of grav-targets can be used here to carry the two unsuspecting thugs across and into the chasm.
For Cronk and Zephyr[]
"For Cronk and Zephyr" is earned by defeating either Neftin Prog or the Prog Bot without taking any damage. Neftin can only be fought once, at the end of the Silox level, whereas the Prog Bot can be fought repeatedly in the "The Bigger They Are" challenge on Kragg. Fully upgraded weapons are preferred to bring either boss down as quickly as possible; the Nightmare Box and Gravity Bomb are practically mandatory due to their ability to disrupt attacks and keep both the boss and any supporting thugs temporarily occupied. Switching the difficulty to Cadet is recommended to make the fight faster.
Death Defying[]
"Death Defying" is earned by using the GrummelNet Jetpack to hover less than 5m above the water for 10 seconds. This can be done on either Silox or Thram. A full fuel gauge is recommended but not required, as the jetpack can last for a long time.
Galactic Marksman[]
"Galactic Marksman" is earned by killing three enemies with a single shot from an upgraded Plasma Striker. The upgraded Plasma Striker, the Plasma Slayer, pierces all enemies. It is highly recommended to also equip the Chrono Disruptor mystery upgrade to slow down time while aiming, but it can also be done without.
The skill point can be completed on Thram, when facing a large enough group of serathoids, but is easier in the challenge mode-only "Iron Lombax" challenge due to the very large swarm of blade ball enemies in the first wave.
Tis the Season![]
"Tis the Season!" is earned by using the Winterizer to create 10 presents at once. This requires the Deck the Halls mystery upgrade, and preferably the Blizz-O-Matic upgrade as well. Morphing a large group of serathoids on Thram or blade balls on Kragg will be more than sufficient to complete the skill point.
Yerek[]
Party Crasher[]
"Party Crasher" is achieved by destroying all of the table and chair sets in the first area, prior to reaching the Meero City Center where the vendor is located. The breakable objects tend to blend in with the environment, but the level's linearity and short length make them easy to find.
Droppin' Dropships[]
"Droppin' Dropships" is earned by taking down any dropship in the level. This skill point is technically missable, as dropships do not reappear on revisits to the planet. Destroy them either on an initial playthrough by using a turret (such as at the end of the Infobot path), or in challenge mode by using the RYNO VII and other powerful weapons.
Silox[]
Vandal[]
"Vandal" is earned by destroying all of the breakable glass windows. This skill point refers to the tall and narrow glass windows on buildings throughout the city. Although most have glass inside of them, the breakable ones can be told apart by their bright cyan glass compared to the other dull, gray windows. Due to the game's render distance, you must be close to the windows to tell whether or not they are the correct ones.
Parts of the level become inaccessible upon returning after the defeat of Neftin Prog. Although there are windows in those areas, they do not count towards the skill point. The location of windows is as follows:
- In the starting area, from the landing pad to the train station.
- In the relay station area, down to the waterworks entrance.
- In the first jetpack area, on the walls surrounding the open area.
- In the second jetpack area, which can only be accessed by reactivating the pumps and going through the Weeblesnog pipeline.
Keep in mind that the windows can often be very high up, so look up as much as possible.
Vote Grumblebrick[]
"Vote Grumblebrick" is earned by destroying the two statues at the start of the jetpack segment in Weeblesnog City. This refers to the two large golden statues flanking the path to the open area with the water pumps, immediately after the relay station.
Running on Empty[]
"Running on Empty" is earned by getting through the sewer escape without refueling. This refers to the Weeblesnog pipeline area, where you must activate a bolt crank to be able to continue, causing the water to rise. From there, the goal is to fly all the way back to the entrance, then continue through the newly-opened door and into another tunnel. Turning the second bolt crank at the end completes the skill point.
Due to the way the jetpack works, it saves a lot of fuel if you do not continuously hold 
to keep ascending, as the gadget by itself can maintain its current altitude for a moment even when not in use. Hence, throttle it as much as possible. Alternatively, when revisiting the planet after Thram, the hoverboots can be used when on the ground to gain some distance alongside a long jump with the Heli-Pack.
Thram[]
Jetpack Maverick[]
"Jetpack Maverick" is earned by passing under at least fifteen of the arches using the jetpack. This requires "Trade 30 horns for access to the fuel station" to have been completed. The arches this refers to are the massive tree roots spread throughout the central area. There are far more than the fifteen required.
Ramping up[]
"Ramping up" is earned by hoverbooting off every ramp in the Hagrow Swampland. Since the hoverboots are required, the mission "Trade horns for hoverboots" must be completed first. There are numerous ramps spread throughout the entire swampland, and they are hard to miss, especially from the air. The majority also follow one another, forming a trail across the island (and are often required to quickly retrieve all the battery bots to collect the vault keys for "Find the 5 keys").
Igliak[]
Dead like Disco[]
"Dead like Disco" is earned by completing the Groovitron room in under 45 seconds. This refers to the Groovitron Experience room in the Intergalactic Museum of History in Meridian City. The timer ends upon reaching the second floor balcony, although it is not clear whether or not it starts upon pressing the button that sets everything in motion. It is easiest to use the first platform to long jump to the platform above the entrance, from where you can easily reach the second floor. Technically you are required to use the tourbot to activate the second song, and thus also activate the second half of the challenge, since otherwise it will teleport away, but this is not required for the skill point.
Glass Ball Buster[]
"Glass Ball Buster" is earned by destroying all of the local trees' glass bulbs. On Igliak, these trees are found in two main areas. The first is in and around the Intergalactic Museum of History: outside the entrance, inside the museum, and outside the exit. The vast majority, however, are located in the second area: the city center's many planters and plazas. They are hard to miss, but numerous. It is recommended to complete "Defeat the Netherbrutes" first, and to use the Omniblaster to snipe the bulbs.
Don't Try This at Home[]
"Don't Try This at Home" is earned by not getting hit by any of the cars in the freeway. This refers to the area traversed during the "Rendezvous with Neftin" mission, after completing "Defeat the Netherbrutes". There are only two tunnels that must be passed without taking damage, which is relatively easy with well-timed long jumps while hoverbooting.
Eye for an Eye[]
"Eye for an Eye" is earned by defeating Mr. Eye, the Nether Leader and final boss, using only nether-based weapons: the Netherbeast and Nether Blades. The game will provide enough ammo crates, and both are powerful weapons. It is recommended to have them fully upgraded regardless, and to switch the difficulty to Cadet to make the fight go faster.
Kragg[]
Knock 'Em Back[]
"Knock 'Em Back" is earned by using the wrench to smack five blade balls into the Mangler in the "Precision Shooter" challenge. This skill point is fairly easy; only the thug brawlers constantly getting in your way are problematic. The five hits do not have to be completed within a single attempt at the challenge.
The Champion of Doom Canyon[]
"The Champion of Doom Canyon" is earned by completing "Doom Canyon" in less than one minute. The key is to not miss any of the ramp jumps with the hoverboots, and to ignore any thug shooters that do not impede progress. It can also help to take a moment after each ramp jump to reposition rather than trying to race ahead without control. On Legend difficulty the challenge has a one minute timer by default.
Snowman City[]
"Snowman City" is earned by completing the "Zero Hour Blitz " challenge with only the Winterizer. This is best attempted with a fully upgraded Blizz-O-Matic, due to its frost nova effect, which makes it sufficiently powerful to convert all enemies fast enough.
Netherverse challenges[]
All Netherverse challenges can be replayed in challenge mode by selecting the Netherverse portal location on the galactic map when controlling Aphelion. This also shows whether or not a challenge's skill points have already been completed.
In case of the "Master of the Netherverse" skill points: one possible strategy is to 'tank' difficult hazards along the way to reach the nether with a minimal amount of shifts, then get killed by the nether to reload the checkpoint. This allows you to continue with the current number of shifts, while still at the nether and at full health again.
Master of the Netherverse - Alpha[]
"Master of the Netherverse - Alpha" is earned by completing Netherverse puzzle 1 while only changing gravity 5 times. Only two gravity shifts are needed to reach the nether, and two more to return to the rift, reserving the last to enter it.
Master of the Netherverse - Beta[]
"Master of the Netherverse - Beta" is earned by completing Netherverse puzzle 2 while only changing gravity 10 times. Only one shift is needed to reach the cube, which has to be pushed upwards, followed by using another shift and push to place it on the cube slot.
The second cube puzzle can then also be reached in one shift, but requires four shifts to be placed in the slot: first fall down next to it, drag it over, make it fall upwards, drag it away again, then make it fall sideways and finally fall into the slot.
Another shift has to be used to reach the nether, and then one more to escape from it and reach the third cube. At this point the last shift allowed must be used to make the cube fall, after which it can be pushed into its slot. The exit can then be reached by falling down the shaft.
Master of the Netherverse - Gamma[]
"Master of the Netherverse - Gamma" is earned by completing Netherverse puzzle 3 while only changing gravity 6 times. A single gravity shift to fall upwards is all that is needed to fall past a large portion of the level, until a vertical moving platform is reached. Note the second platform above it: shift gravity to the right and switch back to upside-down when that platform has moved halfway. This allows you to move past the second platform by using a double jump while walking through the gap in the ceiling.
A fourth shift must be used once the nether is reached to escape it by falling down. The fifth and sixth shifts must be used at the end: first to move another vertical platform out of the way, and then to continue falling down into the rift.
Master of the Netherverse - Delta[]
"Master of the Netherverse - Delta" is earned by completing Netherverse puzzle 4 while only changing gravity 25 times. Start by shifting gravity to the right so the horizontal platform blocks the other, then shift to upside-down, right, and upside-down again so the cube falls into place. Continue onward and shift gravity to down, up, right, and down to finish at the other cube puzzle.
Shift gravity to upside-down first, then left so that the lower horizontal platform is underneath the cube. Shift back to down, followed by left, up, right, down, right, up, left, up. The total number of shifts so far should be at 19 out of 25. Move towards the nether and wake it up, taking the steps taken so far in reverse: down and up again to escape, followed by left, down, and up to reach the rift. You can land in the purple fluid on the ceiling to bounce into the rift without spending another shift.
Master of the Netherverse - Epsilon[]
"Master of the Netherverse - Epsilon" is earned by completing Netherverse puzzle 5 while only changing gravity 10 times. First walk to the right and fall down, shift to the right upon nearing the end to stop the moving walls from blocking the path completely. Land on the cube and shift gravity to upside-down, then quickly to the right: push the cube into the second laser. Shift to down and then right again and push it into the third laser, jump past and drag it to the middle and shift to left, repeating the same moves. Shift to down at the end to move it into the slot.
With the gate open, continue walking and fall down the pit. Do not shift gravity to avoid the floating hazards; either try to jump over or just tank the damage. Continue falling down and carefully float between the movable platforms. Shift up at the bottom, smack the nether, then return to Vendra Prog with two more down and up shifts to finish the level.
It is technically possible to wake the nether up by performing an aerial slam ( + 
) directly above its position, as the shockwave carries through the floor, thus saving two shifts.
Master of the Netherverse - Zeta[]
"Master of the Netherverse - Zeta" is earned by completing Netherverse puzzle 6 while only changing gravity 20 times. The lasers at the start can be avoided by only shifting gravity to the right and slowly gliding through the mazes in the net, including the moving one at the end. Past it, shift to the right, up to move alongside the platform, left, up, and left again to continue alongside the second platform. At the end shift to down, then right, and finally left (using glide to avoid hitting the laser) to reach the nether. Slam the wall next to it to wake it up, having only spent nine out of twenty moves.
Retrace all steps in reverse: the only difference being that when past the moving laser, gravity will have to be shifted to down, followed by up, to escape the lasers from the start.
Clock Blockers[]
| Challenge | Skill point | Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| Netherverse #1: Introduction | Alpha | 00:33 |
| Netherverse #2: Path to the Orphanage | Beta | 00:43 |
| Netherverse #3: The Caves to Vendra | Gamma | 00:37 |
| Netherverse #4: The SkyTrain Station | Delta | 01:25 |
| Netherverse #5: Saving Vendra Part 1 | Epsilon | 01:18 |
| Netherverse #6: Saving Vendra Part 2 | Zeta | 01:13 |
All "Clock Blockers" skill points are earned by completing each challenge quickly enough. This always requires Clank to be continuously 'falling' in the direction of the path, otherwise he will not be fast enough. Especially during the cube puzzle sections, quick reflexes and intimate knowledge of the exact moves required are needed to get through fast enough.
Unbeatable Robot[]
All "Unbeatable Robot" skill points are earned by completing each challenge without taking damage. The primary danger here comes from the moving hazards and trying to rush the puzzles, as well as failing to avoid the nether while being chased and needing to manipulate an object.