Returnalis a rogue-like game developed by Housemarque. This is agenre not everyone will love, but those who enjoy challenges in their games will love just how interesting the gameplay mechanics of this game is. Like many of the games in its genre, however, there are a lot of mechanics in this game that aren’t outright revealed to the players. Sometimes, the players will have to discover these things for themselves.
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Those who are willing and able to get intoReturnalonthe PlayStation 5will face its toughest obstacles. Players should know everything there is to know about this game, including those they never knew they could do.
10Purple-Colored Projectiles Can’t Be Dashed Through
Players should use the dash mechanic as much as possible when playingReturnal.This traversal movement offers so many benefits in terms of exploration and combat. The great thing about the dash system is that players are essentially invincible whenever they are dashing.
The player can dash through any kinds of projectiles and receive no damage whatsoever. This applies to all kinds of projectiles except for one. Later in the game, the players will encounter enemies with purple-colored projectiles. These are the only ones the players can’t dash through.
9Silphium Resins Increase Overall Health
Maintaining Selene’s integrity bar on full is an obvious priority. Ultimately, it will make or break a player’s experience while playingReturnal.This game isn’t easy, anddying can set players backhours' worth of gameplay.
Thankfully, there is a way to increase the player’s overall health. InReturnal,items called Silphiums heal the player, and Silphium Resins add to overall health bars. However, the game doesn’t explicitly tell players that when they pick up Silphium Resins once their health is full, their integrity bar will increase.
8Timer HUD
A lot of players have commented on how perfectReturnalisfor speedruns. The game is insanely fast and its overall length will ultimately depend on the player’s skill. However, the game also supports this with its incorporation of a Timer HUD.
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In the game’s settings, there is an option to turn on a timer HUD. This allows player to this timer see above the map display. Not only is this useful for speedrunners, but it is also a fine tool for those who want to keep track of how long they’ve been exploring a certain biome.
7Statues With Glowing Eyes Contain Obolites
In the game, there are two types of currencies the players can collect, Obolites and Ethers. Obolites are the type of currency the players will lose when they die. Ethers will remain in their inventory, but they are much harder to come across. Regardless, both are essential and should be utilized properly.
In addition to collecting them from enemies, the players can also earn Obolites if they come across statues with glowing eyes. They simply need to destroy those statues, and will be graced with a currency they can use to buy items from fabricators.
6Switches Beep When The Gun Is Aimed
Exploration inReturnalcan be just as integral as combat. This is where the players can earn more upgrades, weapons, collect resins, parasites, and farm for Ethers and Obolites. Players can loot a lot of these things off of chests, which mostly hide behind locked doors.
This aspect of the game involvesa little puzzle solving, where players will have to locate a door’s designated switch before they can get it open. Some of these switches are tough to find. One way the players can pinpoint its exact location is by aiming down. Once they do that, the switch will emit a pulsating sound which they can then follow.
5Always Sprint
Movement is very important inReturnalif the player wants to survivethis harsh game. Not only do they need to walk around, but they must also always sprint.
The players can press the Sprint button for this, or they can make things easier on themselves by simply turning on the Always Sprint option in the settings. Since players will have to do this constantly anyway, they might as well just turning this option on.
4Aim Assist
Likemany shooter gamesplayed on a console, there is an option inReturnalto toggle on Aim Assist. The default setting for this is Medium, but those who are struggling even more can switch it to Hard. This makes the Aim Assist system more accurate.
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Most of the combat aspect of the game relies on movement rather than aiming. Thus, this option is something that players can absolutely choose to do.
3Melee Attack Is Overpowered
In the later parts of the first biome, the player will be able to pick up a permanent melee weapon. They can use this weapon to clear obstacles and deal with enemies.
What’s amazing is how powerful the melee weapon is. Most enemies in the game, aside from bosses, can be taken down with only one or two swipes with a melee weapon. The melee weapon has a cooldown, but it also decreases once the player’s adrenaline level rises.
2Enemies Start Spawning At Specific Areas
The players can be easily overwhelmed whenever they go into rooms inReturnal.However, a lot of the enemies only spawn when the player reaches a specific part of the room, especially when they reach the center.
The player can take things easy and slow at first by scouting a little. They can go into a room slowly, eliminating whichever enemies spawn first before they fully proceed and clear the rest of the enemies.
1Astronaut Figurines Provide Extra Life
Players can collect items called Astronaut Figurines inReturnal.The first one of these is in Selene’s house, which spawns in the first biome. This figurine will give the player a second chance to fight again after their integrity bar drops to zero.
The rest of these figurines can be found all around the game. Players can also buy them from the fabricators.
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