In Returnal, a challenging roguelike game from Studio Housemarque, an epic journey awaits you in a cycle of survival and death on an alien planet. Our Returnal Tips and Tricks will show you how to get the most out of the game. Dive into the fascinating world of the roguelike game and master the challenges that Atropos has to offer.
Table of Contents
1) Tips on the cycle in Returnal
In Returnal, you’re about to embark on an epic journey where you’ll experience an abundance of on-screen deaths. In this roguelike game, physical integrity doesn’t play too much of a role. Here, dying is a natural process of living – or rather dying – and learning. So don’t be discouraged if you die a lot. See it as an opportunity to improve your skills and become better and better.
With each death, you’ll gain valuable experience and know better what to do next time. And that’s exactly what it takes to advance in the world of Returnal. Blunt hit-and-run tactics aren’t enough in this game. Returnal requires brains and keen observation.
The setting is the fictional planet of Atropos, which changes with each cycle. Selene’s deaths are so important because of these changes: the more cycles you go through, the better you’ll get to know the patterns and areas and be better prepared for whatever may come.
The game features permadeath, so when Selene dies, it catapults you back to the beginning. However, there’s a silver lining: not everything is lost when your character dies. Story progress remains, as do some items.
This is what you get to keep:
- Permanent equipment (anything story related, collected Xeno technology, and Xenoglyph Ciphers)
- The standard variant of your pistol
- Ether
You will lose:
- All other resources, consumables, and weapons
- Personal items
- Artifacts
- Obolites
- Keys
- Datacubes
- Health is reset to default
- Malfunctions
- Parasites
- Weapon proficiency level progress is reset
While the list of things you get to keep when you die on screen isn’t exactly long, these items are of significant value. As you progress, you’ll gain permanent equipment items that allow you to take shortcuts to the biomes. The Xeno-tech Device and certain extra life artifacts will make your life in Returnal a little easier. The Xeno-tech Device can be turned into a checkpoint in exchange for ether. This only works once though.
2) You are strong in melee combat
Combat in the world of Returnal is more like living chaos. Enemy types and creatures are diverse, and flying enemies are often accompanied by flying projectiles. It can be tempting to seek distance from the turbulent battle.
But you shouldn’t ignore the fact that Selene is extremely strong in melee combat. The Atropian Blade works wonders in melee combat and is highly effective with just a few hits. It also gives you the ability to shatter shields and even destroy a turret in an instant.
3) Tips on adrenaline and overloading
Returnal features two very interesting game mechanics that add to the fun of the game. Let’s start with adrenaline: if you kill three enemies without taking any damage, your adrenaline level will increase with each boost, and Selene will improve with each level. The goal is to keep your adrenaline level high and get the most out of the game. There are five adrenaline levels.
Another special feature is the overload. Overload means that you can skip the cool-down time for magazine changes by pressing the appropriate key in the quick time event. But you have to time it right.
4) Returnal tips and tricks: Look for a yellow glow
Be sure to explore the areas in Returnal and go treasure hunting! Grid doors and secret rooms offer rewarding discoveries. Activate the gates by shooting the yellow glowing switch. The secret rooms contain treasures such as weapons, items, and parasites.
But be careful, they can also hide mini-boss battles. Do you dare? The decision is yours. Explore the hidden secrets of Returnal and let your curiosity lead you!
5) How to open locked gates
If you pay attention during the first level of Returnal, you’ll come across a hidden chest behind a gate. Don’t worry, you don’t need any special equipment to open it. Just look for a square switch nearby.
There is no fixed location: it could be high on a wall, around a corner, or behind a statue. You won’t have to search long, though: when you aim your weapon, the switch will flash red and make a soft beep. This way you can easily find it and open the gate quickly.
6) Familiarize yourself with your weapons
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with your weapons. Each weapon in Returnal has its own unique characteristics. Experiment with different combinations to see what works best for your play style. With the right weaponry, you’ll be able to compete more effectively against the hordes of enemies in Returnal.
Once you’ve made your choice, you’re more likely to stick with it. As you advance in the game, you’ll have access to more weapons and better features. However, you’ll have to use your weapon for a longer period. So loyalty to your shooter pays off.
7) How do I find new weapons?
At the beginning of your adventure, your weapons are limited to pistols, machine guns, and shotguns. No need to mope: your collection will soon grow. To get new weapons, either continue playing the story or explore old areas with new abilities.
After defeating the first boss, you can proudly add a particle gun to your arsenal. If you’re lucky, you might even find a hidden crate in the first level. A tip: Always keep your eyes open for new weapons as you enter new areas.
8) Keep moving and keep your distance
Some Returnal tips and tricks may sound unimpressive, but even the obvious ones are often worth their weight in gold. Our eighth piece of advice falls into this category: Keep moving! When you jump into the action of Returnal, you’ll quickly realize that standing still is a step backward. The action in Returnal is fast-paced, and you’ll need fast reflexes. Selene is also extremely fast, so you’d better get used to her speed.
Forget everything you’ve learned about hiding and waiting – with Selene, you’ll need to keep moving and take full advantage of space to be victorious. In Returnal you can’t lurk lazily behind cover, you have to move, dodge, and pick off enemies as they pass by.
This is where your dash comes in handy. This ability is a valuable tool in your arsenal for several reasons. Not only will you be able to dodge enemy attacks with a quick jump, but you’ll also be able to dodge quick counterattacks. Use the dash to move through enemy ranks and decimate them with targeted shots.
The dash also allows you to penetrate areas of the biome that would otherwise be hidden from you. Practicing this skill is crucial to your gameplay. Plan your dashes wisely and combine them with accurate shooting. Once you’ve mastered these essential gameplay fundamentals, you’ll be ready to take on the challenges of Returnal’s dangerous world.
9) Destroy Energy Barriers
To destroy the red barriers in Returnal, you’ll need the sword from the first level of the game. You can also use it to easily destroy shields and glowing vines. But how about the yellow and orange barriers? This is where the Stabilizer comes into play. This artifact can often be found in the first biome in a room with a fabricator. You’ll find this room in every cycle.
If you’re lucky, you can buy it for 250 Obolite. Once you have the sword stabilizer, you can also cut through the yellow barriers with a single blow. The sword will help you on your way to the enemy planet and gradually overcome all the obstacles in Returnal and reveal the secret of the Dark World.
10) Return to old areas with new skills
As you gain new abilities in Returnal as you progress through the game, it’s worth revisiting old areas. You may find more artifacts, upgrades, and undiscovered shortcuts to other biomes that you missed before.
For example, after defeating the boss in the second biome, you’ll gain an ability that allows you to go directly to the next area on your next run. This saves time and gets you back into the game faster. Use your new abilities to tweak your gameplay and explore new paths.
Survive in the world of Returnal with PLITCH!
Exploring the fascinating world of Returnal is fun, and our beginner tips should get you off to a good start. However, the demands of the game are high and can be nerve-wracking at times. With Returnal cheats from PLITCH, you can customize the game to your liking and vary the difficulty level as you wish. Whether you want to make the game easier and focus on exploration, or if you’re looking for a greater challenge, we have the codes for you.
If you don’t feel like permadeath, you can replenish your health. You can easily set your own skill level with the cheats or add experience. Hardcore players set their health to low and their skills to 0.
You can find more information about PLITCH and our cheats on our YouTube channel.
Happy Gaming!
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