Beginner's Guide to Returnal
New to Returnal? Learn the roguelite loop, currencies, and key systems to survive Atropos.
Understanding the Roguelite Loop
- 1Returnal resets most of your progress each time you die -- weapons, artifacts, and consumables are lost.
- 2Permanent unlocks include Ether reserves, weapon trait unlocks, and certain traversal tools like the grappling hook.
- 3Each cycle randomizes room layouts, enemy placements, and item locations -- adaptability is key.
- 4Dying is not failure but progress -- each run teaches you enemy patterns and biome layouts.
- 5Focus on unlocking permanent items early rather than pushing deep into biomes you cannot survive.
Malignant Items & Risk Management
- 1Malignant items are free pickups that have a chance to inflict a suit malfunction when collected.
- 2Malfunctions give you a negative debuff that requires completing a specific task to remove.
- 3Risk tolerance is important -- sometimes the malignant Silphium is worth the gamble at low health.
- 4Malignancy chance is shown as a percentage -- lower percentages are safer bets for free resources.
- 5Avoid picking up malignant items when you already have two active malfunctions as a third ends the cycle.
Ether -- The Permanent Currency
- 1Ether is the only currency that persists between deaths, making it extremely valuable.
- 2Use Ether to cleanse malignant items (removing the risk) or activate Reconstructors (respawn points).
- 3Reconstructors cost 6 Ether and let you respawn once in the same biome after dying -- crucial for boss attempts.
- 4You can exchange Ether at certain devices for obolites or other temporary resources.
- 5The maximum Ether cap starts at 30 -- prioritize spending it rather than hoarding past the cap.
Weapon Proficiency System
- 1Weapon proficiency determines the level of weapons you find -- higher proficiency means stronger weapon drops.
- 2Proficiency increases by killing enemies and collecting calibrators found throughout biomes.
- 3Always pick up calibrators immediately as they provide significant proficiency boosts.
- 4Weapon traits unlock permanently by using them in combat -- each trait has a progress bar to fill.
- 5Higher proficiency weapons have more trait slots, making proficiency upgrades multiplicatively powerful.
Key Items & Progression
- 1The Crimson Key, Hermetic Transmitter, and other key items unlock permanent shortcuts and progression.
- 2The Icarian Grapnel (grappling hook) is a permanent traversal tool that opens new paths in all biomes.
- 3House sequences between biomes advance the narrative and provide context for Selene's story.
- 4Xenoglyph ciphers found in each biome unlock lore entries -- collecting all six in a biome reveals secrets.
- 5The true ending requires collecting all Sun Fragments by completing specific tasks in Acts 1-3.