9 essential Returnal tips and tricks

(Image credit: Sony)

Returnal is one of a handful of PS5 exclusive games available right at present, and if you're wondering whether or non to pick information technology upwards, the answer is "yes." We gave it an almost perfect score in Returnal review, and are loving the side by side-gen features it offers. If you like spooky sci-fi, shoot-'em-ups, and the challenge of a roguelike, Returnal is worth a look.

While there's no avoiding the fact that you're going to spend a lot of time dying in Returnal, there are ways to make the cycles easier. Having a bit of spoiler-free cognition at the kickoff is going to brand things significantly easier on you. We've rounded upward some essential Returnal tips and tricks to assist you survive on Atropos, and get the best out of the never-ending time loop.

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1. Take your time

Returnal sits in the stable of Housemarque games — a studio known for frenzied, action-heavy titles like Resogun, Matterfall, and Nex Machina. With that in mind, you might feel obligated to throw yourself into battles with gay carelessness.

Dancing in and out of a flurry of neon orbs spewed out by enemies, effortlessly dispatching them, and perfectly timing your reload is something you tin can bask watching on YouTube. Out here in the trenches, you might want to reconsider the flashy stuff and accept it easy.

Every death strips you of practically everything — weapons, currency, y'all proper name it. If you're non proficient with the genre, you can still enjoy the game and play at your ain pace. Scan each new area, check out the map for collectibles and points of interest, and edge your way in to trigger enemy spawns.

At that place's no shame in wanting to get the lay of the country rather than blindly running in and hoping for the best. If you're comfortable ploughing in and putting on a deadly light show, nosotros applaud yous! But don't go sucked into rushing to your ain decease because it'south the 'right' style to play.

2. Picking your weapon

Returnal weapons — (Image credit: Time to come)

There are a number of different weapon types available in Returnal, outside of the pistol that you outset each wheel with. The RNG gods will dictate what y'all discover and the properties that particular weapon is imbued with. Y'all'll come beyond a breadth of conflicting firearms with obscure sci-fi names, but ultimately they fall into categories you'll already be familiar with: Assault burglarize, shotgun, rocket launcher etc.

Considering your inventory is wiped upon your demise, we suggest experimenting with each new find until you settle on one you're comfortable with and that fits your playstyle. While enemy types and attacks vary, the random nature of the game leaves a lot of uncertainty, so wielding a weapon yous savor using is the way to go.

Each weapon has three properties: Alt-fire, stats, and traits. Alt-burn is basically a special attack with a cooldown. Stats dictate ability and other attributes. Traits tweak or add new behaviours to weapons.

A lot of traits are locked, but continually using that weapon will unlock them. If you lot're keen on unlocking specific traits, then yous'll want to consider passing over new weapons to chip away at the progress bar. Alternatively, you might want to embrace the cyclical nature of the game and use each loop to experiment, and if anything unlocks along the fashion, it's an added bonus.

It'due south worth noting that your Proficiency level (which is reset every cycle) determines how loftier the stats will be on the weapons you notice. Killing enemies and using specific items will kicking it up a notch, then go on an eye on that, too.

3. Pay attending to the map and environment

Returnal map scanning — (Image credit: Future)

Returnal is quite forgiving in that it maps out each new surface area you lot enter, flagging upwardly collectibles. The route to your objective is clearly marked with highlighted doors, but there are also routes to side objectives that are worth looking out for. These excursions can result in some pretty decent finds, so we recommend deviating from the principal path whenever the opportunity presents itself.

To that end, check the map in each new area, and brand the virtually of the scan button! It can highlight useful points of involvement in the surround (some of which you might not be able to collaborate with until certain abilities have been unlocked). The sonar-type ping also gives you a good look at the layout of the 'room' you're in, so you lot can identify useful spots for battles as well as figure out how all-time to traverse the area to selection up items.

Returnal hidden switches — (Image credit: Future)

Often in Returnal, yous'll spot a delectable looking pickup tucked away in what seems like an unreachable expanse. These tin be cordoned off until you gain a certain ability, but it'll be fairly obvious when that's the example. If yous stumble across gates like these withal, you can open them immediately. But you'll need to accept a poke around for the switch that opens the gate.

Returnal gate switch — (Epitome credit: Future)

The switches are pyramid shaped, with a yellow lite in the middle. When you aim your gun at them, they'll begin flashing red. Shoot them to open up upwards the nearby gate. If you miss the window, they'll revert to a steady xanthous calorie-free, and it seems like the opportunity has passed to open the gate. When I missed the cue (because I was busy taking screenshots), shooting at the switch was ineffective. Y'all can try leaving the area and coming dorsum, but save yourself a task and just spray it with alien bullets at the commencement opportunity.

4. Shoot annihilation and everything that glows

Returnal obolites — (Image credit: Future)

Obolite is the in-game currency, with the tiny yellowish orbs being rewarded when you kill enemies. Unlike the Souls game, when yous dispatch a hostile, you lot'll need to become and collect the obolites that spill out of their corpses earlier they fade away. So make certain you're not so overwrought during a firefight that y'all neglect to option them up. This besides discourages cheesing to a caste, just it's up to you to summate the gamble/ reward of each meet, and pick the arroyo that works all-time.

At that place are other ways to harvest obolite, and that involves shooting anything and everything that'south shiny, glowing, or pulsating. Statues with yellowish eyes aren't going to stir into life as y'all walk past (which I was sure was going to happen). Shoot them, and they'll burst into a million tiny pieces, sprinkling obolite at your anxiety.

If y'all run across any foliage that looks similar it tin exist shot, get nuts. They don't all contain obolite, but in that location'southward plenty there to brand shooting inanimate objects worth your time. Plus ammo is space, so spray away.

5. Enter trap rooms at your peril

Returnal trap room — (Image credit: Future)

If you encounter a large, yellow, glowing brawl floating above the basis like this, be warned — the flooring will give way under y'all, and yous'll exist deposited in a closed-off room. Whatsoever number of things are waiting for you lot down there, from enemies, to a room full of obilite that you need to hoover up before it disappears. There are besides chests full of goodies, besides as tombs that can offer up items, equally well as trigger an enemy spawn.

The good news is that the transporters which you utilize to leave the surface area can be activated at any time. If you driblet into a room and a giant alien monster is downwardly in that location, you don't have to tussle. Merely run to the transported and get out of there.

If yous're low on health and spot the telltale orb, think twice before paying the room a visit. Information technology may not be worth the risk, but depending on how confident/ dauntless/ stupid you are, you might determine it'south worth the take a chance. Skillful luck!

half dozen. Selection and choose Parasites

Returnal Parasites — (Image credit: Future)

Yous'll come across Parasites early in the game. They offer a buff/ debuff combo, and if you similar what you see, you tin can attach them to your suit to beginning enjoying the benefits and simultaneously suffering the consequences of your choices.

While nosotros wouldn't recommend stacking as well many, or attaching every single one you some across, the adventure/ reward factor should be at the forefront of your mind. At that place are trophies for attaching a number of them, then if you're after those, by all means, get wild.

Given the roguelike nature of the game, it'due south also fun to experiment with pickups, especially at the first when the stakes don't experience so loftier. So that's the time to play effectually. Outside of that, it'south worth erring on the conservative side, especially taking Malignant items into account.

vii. Yous don't demand to pick up every Malignant item

Returnal Malignant items — (Paradigm credit: Future)

Malignant items are versions of regular items that have been afflicted with a malignancy which turns them a pretty royal color. It also means that too as benign buff, there'southward a debuff waiting in the wings to pounce.

Luckily, you can run into what y'all're in for before picking upward the item. You accept a couple of options at this point — you tin can either pick information technology up and complete the objective to get rid of the debuff, called a 'adjust malfunction,' or you lot tin can use ether to cleanse it. Ether is a rare resource and is 1 of the few things that carries over between cycles. It has other uses in the game that are far more than important than cleansing Malignant items, so we don't recommend frittering away on cleansing. Of course, that's ultimately up to yous, but we'd advise passing up particularly nasty items, or slogging through with the objective to become rid of the malfunction.

You can pick up multiple Malignant items, and each one brings its ain suit malfunction to the party. You tin end up stacking quite the assortment of horrendous side furnishings, like non being able to pick upwards new weapons, or enemies leaving backside pools of acid later on they've been killed.

It's up to y'all to estimate the risk/ reward component, but unless the buff is something stellar, or you enjoy experimenting, we'd say steer clear. Or at to the lowest degree exercise some restraint!

8. Sleep every fourth dimension you spawn at Helios

Returnal Helios — (Epitome credit: Time to come)

You lot'll be visiting Selene'southward ship a lot in Returnal. Every time you die, y'all'll spawn outside. It's worth popping dorsum into the ship before you head out though, for a few reasons.

Within, you tin access your in-game stats, which will let you know how many deaths you've clocked up, how many enemies you've killed etc. Yous can also admission online leaderboards here. Only there'southward besides a bed in the ship that Selene tin accept a nap in, and it's worth doing it if you're interested in the mystery and lore of the game.

Without getting into spoiler territory, resting at the transport offers nothing other than a brief cutscene. You'll notice a range of them, and they won't make much sense at start. It's not necessary to do this, but it adds to the mystery of whatever is happening on Atropos.

9. You might want to tinker with DualSense settings

Returnal DualSense settings — (Epitome credit: Future)

This is less of a game tip, and more than of a PSA. Returnal takes advantage of the PS5's next-gen hardware features, and that includes the DualSense controller. But boy howdy! Does it take a toll on the bombardment.

Rory noted that while playing the game for review, his controller battery drained twice as fast as usual, giving him around two and a one-half hours playtime. If you take two DualSense controllers, or a charging cable long enough to reach your gaming nest, then it'southward not as well much of an issue.

But if the bombardment draining is an annoyance, or the controller speaker is bothering y'all (it'south in apply a lot), you tin can head to the game's settings to arrange both the haptic feedback, and the speaker level.

You'll find the vibration toggle in the controller tab in the settings carte du jour, while the controller speaker slider is nether the audio tab. And don't forget you tin can head to the console's system settings to adjust these as well.

More: Returnal review: A true adjacent-gen feel

Shabana is T3's News Editor roofing tech and gaming, and has been writing virtually video games for virtually a decade (and playing them since forever). Besides as contributing to Tom's Guide, she'due south had bylines at major gaming sites during her freelance career before settling downwards at T3, and has podcasts, streaming, and video content under her belt to boot. Exterior of work, she as well plays video games and should really think about expanding her hobbies.