Here are some handy tips for Returnal to get you started as a beginner or someone who is already a few hours in.
That's because Returnal doesn't really tell you much about anything, it doesn't cover permanent weapon traits, the best weapons (it's the Electropylon Driver), what those long tentacles do, how to get past the big eyes or buffs, debuffs and malignancy.
That's because Returnal doesn't really tell you much about anything, it doesn't cover permanent weapon traits, the best weapons (it's the Electropylon Driver), what those long tentacles do, how to get past the big eyes or buffs, debuffs and malignancy.
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00:00Sure, Returnal has some tutorials, but a huge part of the game is about not telling you
00:05stuff.
00:06And we're not talking about the story being vague, which it is, but also it doesn't tell
00:10you how weapon upgrades work really, or that parts of the environment that seem to be attacking
00:15you are actually helping you out.
00:17So those long tentacles can actually be used to reach otherwise inaccessible areas.
00:23Littered throughout the overgrown ruins are long red tentacles dangling from up above.
00:27If you walk too close, they'll grab you and you need to dash out to escape, and your first
00:31instinct will likely be to avoid them at all cost.
00:34But they're often situated near ledges and platforms that you wouldn't be able to access
00:39otherwise, you just can't jump that high.
00:41So when you've cleared an area of hostiles, you can use these tentacles to elevate yourself
00:46and then dash out in the direction of the platform to get some much needed goodies or
00:49upgrades.
00:51Find your favourite and stick to it.
00:54Not being able to choose your weapon and only hold one weapon at a time leaves you up to
00:58the RNG gods.
01:00We all have our own preferred way to play, and you'll quickly find a weapon you prefer.
01:04When you do find that weapon you like to use, try to pick it up as often as you can if you
01:09get the choice.
01:10The more you use it, the more weapon traits for that weapon you will unlock, making it
01:14more and more powerful.
01:16These are also permanent unlocks even when you die.
01:19So yes, you might do a run with a weapon that you hate and cannot use, but when you do have
01:24a lucky roll and you get your upgraded preference with all the best weapon traits, you'll be
01:29confident of being able to do a proper run.
01:33Lots of weapons, but very little choice.
01:36Every weapon in Returnal fills a specific role or playstyle, but these are some of the
01:41best and well-rounded weapons that can hold their own in any encounter.
01:45The Tachyomatic Carbine is brilliant either up close or at distance and is most akin to
01:50an assault rifle, while the Spitmore Blaster is a shotgun that works great if you're mobile
01:55and able to get in the face of enemies.
01:57Meanwhile, the Electropylon Driver is best suited to draining enemies of health from
02:02a safe distance by laying down traps as they get close.
02:05If you manage to come across the electric pylon driver in the game, it really can completely
02:10change your run by turning you into a god of red lightning.
02:15Get lucky with those rolls, and if you don't, prioritise the following.
02:19The buffs, debuffs and malignancy you randomly get for each run can vary wildly, sometimes
02:25making you feel like a god, and others more like a glass cannon.
02:29Being aware that all runs are not equal means sometimes you have to instead prioritise other
02:34things, specifically other things that will carry over when you die, like aether or permanent
02:40weapon traits.
02:41So, if you happen to get a debuff or a malignancy that scrambles your map completely and you're
02:46running around lost, instead just try to focus on grabbing some aether while only using
02:50your favourite weapon to level it up and get some of those permanent traits for it so that
02:54when you get the amazing auto-repair buff on the next run, that could see you all the
02:59way through to the credits.
03:01Once you defeat a boss, you don't need to fight it again every time to go back to the
03:05next world.
03:06So, unlike other roguelikes, you don't have to keep fighting bosses over and over and
03:10over in each world every time to progress.
03:13Once you've beaten the first boss in the Overgrown Ruins, for example, you'll receive
03:17the Crimson Key, which opens the portal to the Crimson Wastes.
03:21When you die and have to start over, even though you're back at Helios and starting
03:25with nothing except a pistol, you do have the key, so all you need to do is find the
03:29portal again rather than searching for the boss.
03:33Get more obolites
03:35Every now and then, when you enter an area that doesn't have the standard hostile enemies
03:38in it, you'll stumble upon a small group of golden tentacle creatures.
03:42These mysterious beings aren't hostile, instead, when they detect you, they'll start to flee
03:46and burrow underground.
03:48Killing them will net you a bunch of obolites in return though, so try to get as many of
03:52them as you can before they disappear.
03:55The sword is a one-shot kill machine that can also give you access to new areas.
04:01In the Overgrown Ruins, you'll find a lot of red glowing vines and walls that look structurally
04:05weak.
04:06They can be destroyed, but only once you have unlocked the melee attack and the sword.
04:10You find this when you reach the portal to the Crimson Waste for the first time, before
04:15you have the key to activate it.
04:16Now that you've got your shiny, pointy push-button sword, you can also deal some real damage
04:21with it.
04:22When you first pick it up, it one-hit kills most enemies.
04:25So instead of using your sidearm, most enemies in the Overgrown Ruins will die from one sword
04:30slash, so maybe try zipping around a bit with some stabbing thrown in for good measure to
04:34thin out the crowd a bit.
04:36Use the eyes in the big Cyclops Towers to remove the searchlights temporarily.
04:41Sometimes you'll stumble upon huge, vast areas with enormous towers shining spotlights
04:45down searching for you.
04:47Being spotted by these massively stationary Cyclops results in a shot coming down at you,
04:51which you can dodge if you're quick enough, but it does do a lot of damage if you don't
04:56get out of the way.
04:58Alternatively, you can aim and shoot a single bullet into each eye to temporarily disable
05:02the spotlights, creating a safe passage to venture through.
05:05So yeah, there's a lot of stuff that Returnal doesn't really tell you about, and it's kind
05:09of handy just to know some of these things as you're getting into the game so you don't
05:12get too frustrated.
05:13Hopefully this has helped you, and for more guides and tips and tricks, check back on
05:17GamesRadar and subscribe to the YouTube channel.