How to Play Returnal: A Comprehensive Guide to Mastering the Brutal Loop

How To Play Returnal: A Comprehensive Guide To Mastering The Brutal Loop

by

How to Play Returnal: A Comprehensive Guide to Mastering the Brutal Loop
Related Articles

Introduction

Discover everything you need to know about How to Play Returnal: A Comprehensive Guide to Mastering the Brutal Loop

How to Play Returnal: A Comprehensive Guide to Mastering the Brutal Loop

How to Play Returnal: A Comprehensive Guide to Mastering the Brutal Loop

Introduction to the Game

Returnal is a roguelike third-person shooter developed by Housemarque and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Set on the hostile alien planet Atropos, players take on the role of Selene, an astronaut who crash-lands on the planet and finds herself trapped in a relentless time loop. Each death resets the player back to the beginning of the loop, forcing them to constantly adapt and learn from their mistakes.

Returnal’s unique blend of challenging gameplay, atmospheric world design, and innovative mechanics has made it a critical and commercial success. But for new players, the game’s difficulty and unforgiving nature can be intimidating. This guide aims to provide a comprehensive overview of everything you need to know to conquer Atropos and escape the cycle.

Gameplay Overview

Returnal is a game that demands precision, resourcefulness, and a willingness to learn from failure. Here’s a breakdown of the key gameplay elements:

1. Combat:

  • Fast-paced and fluid: Returnal’s combat is characterized by its frenetic pace and emphasis on movement. Players must constantly stay on the move, utilizing strafing, dodging, and cover to avoid enemy fire.
  • Weapon variety: The game features a diverse arsenal of weapons, each with unique firing patterns, ammo types, and special abilities. Experimenting with different weapons is essential for finding the right combination to tackle specific enemies and situations.
  • Parrying: Certain weapons allow players to parry incoming attacks, opening up opportunities for counterattacks. Mastering parrying is crucial for survival against tougher enemies.

  • Weapon Proficiency: Each weapon has a proficiency level that increases with usage, unlocking new firing modes and upgrades.
  • Weapon Traits: Weapons can also acquire random traits that modify their performance, adding an element of unpredictability and customization.

2. Exploration:

  • Open-ended levels: Each playthrough of the loop features procedurally generated levels, ensuring a fresh experience every time.
  • Hidden secrets: The world of Atropos is full of hidden secrets, collectibles, and optional objectives that reward players with valuable resources and lore.
  • Environmental hazards: The alien landscape is filled with dangerous environmental hazards, such as toxic gas, energy fields, and collapsing structures, adding another layer of challenge to exploration.

3. Resources and Upgrades:

  • Consumables: Players can collect various consumables, such as health packs, shield boosters, and weapon upgrades, to enhance their survivability and combat capabilities.
  • Weapon and Suit Upgrades: Players can permanently upgrade their weapons and Selene’s suit by collecting resources and completing objectives.
  • The Cypher: This mysterious device allows players to unlock the secrets of Atropos and gain insight into the time loop.

4. The Time Loop:

  • Permadeath: Death in Returnal resets the player back to the beginning of the loop, losing all collected resources and progress.
  • Carryover: While players lose most of their progress, they retain some abilities and knowledge gained from previous loops. This includes unlocked weapon traits, suit upgrades, and learned enemy patterns.
  • The Cycle: Each loop is an opportunity to learn from mistakes, explore new areas, and discover new strategies. The key to success lies in understanding the loop and utilizing its mechanics to your advantage.

Walkthrough: A Step-by-Step Guide to Progressing Through Returnal

1. Early Game:

  • Familiarize yourself with the controls: Master the basics of movement, shooting, and dodging.
  • Explore the first area: Focus on learning the layout of the initial area and understanding the game’s mechanics.
  • Prioritize weapon upgrades: Unlocking new firing modes and upgrades for your weapons will make combat significantly easier.
  • Learn enemy patterns: Pay attention to enemy behaviors and attacks to develop effective strategies for dealing with them.
  • Experiment with different weapons: Try out different weapons to discover which ones suit your playstyle.
  • Collect consumables: Gather health packs, shield boosters, and weapon upgrades to enhance your survivability.

2. Mid-Game:

  • Explore deeper into the world: Venture into new areas and uncover hidden secrets.
  • Unlock advanced weapons: Seek out powerful weapons with unique abilities and firing patterns.
  • Master parrying: Learn to parry enemy attacks to gain a tactical advantage.
  • Utilize environmental hazards: Use the environment to your advantage, such as using toxic gas to damage enemies or utilizing collapsing structures to your advantage.
  • Learn to exploit enemy weaknesses: Each enemy has weaknesses that can be exploited to inflict more damage.
  • Utilize the Cypher: Unlock the secrets of Atropos by interacting with the Cypher and gathering information about the time loop.

3. Late Game:

  • Master advanced combat techniques: Combine different weapons, utilize parrying effectively, and exploit enemy weaknesses to maximize your damage output.
  • Utilize all available resources: Collect and utilize all consumables, upgrades, and weapons to their full potential.
  • Understand the loop’s mechanics: Learn how the time loop works and utilize its mechanics to your advantage.
  • Prepare for challenging boss encounters: Each boss encounter requires specific strategies and knowledge of enemy patterns.
  • Explore optional objectives: Complete optional objectives to unlock hidden secrets, upgrades, and lore.
  • Embrace the challenge: Returnal is a difficult game, but its challenges are rewarding. Don’t be afraid to die and learn from your mistakes.

Tips and Tricks for Playing Returnal

1. Movement and Positioning:

  • Stay on the move: Never stand still in combat, as enemies will quickly overwhelm you.
  • Utilize strafing and dodging: Master the art of strafing and dodging to avoid enemy fire.
  • Use cover strategically: Take advantage of cover to avoid enemy attacks and regain health.
  • Learn enemy attack patterns: Pay attention to enemy attack patterns to anticipate their moves and avoid getting hit.

2. Weapon Management:

  • Experiment with different weapons: Try out all the weapons in the game to find the ones that suit your playstyle.
  • Prioritize weapon upgrades: Unlocking new firing modes and upgrades for your weapons is essential for progress.
  • Use weapon traits to your advantage: Experiment with different weapon traits to create unique builds.
  • Manage your ammo: Pay attention to your ammo reserves and don’t waste it on weak enemies.

3. Resource Management:

  • Collect all consumables: Gather health packs, shield boosters, and weapon upgrades whenever possible.
  • Prioritize upgrades: Focus on upgrading your weapons and Selene’s suit to enhance your survivability and combat abilities.
  • Use consumables strategically: Don’t waste consumables on minor injuries, save them for critical situations.

4. Time Loop Mechanics:

  • Learn from your mistakes: Each death is an opportunity to learn from your mistakes and improve your strategy.
  • Utilize carryover mechanics: Remember that some progress carries over between loops, including unlocked weapon traits and suit upgrades.
  • Explore new areas: Each loop presents an opportunity to explore new areas and uncover hidden secrets.
  • Don’t be afraid to experiment: Try out different strategies and approaches to see what works best for you.

Advanced Strategies for Returnal

1. Mastering Parrying:

  • Practice parrying regularly: Parrying is a crucial skill for surviving against tougher enemies. Practice it in safe areas to master the timing.
  • Utilize parrying for counterattacks: Parrying allows you to launch devastating counterattacks, giving you a significant advantage in combat.
  • Combine parrying with other skills: Parrying can be combined with other skills, such as dodging and weapon switching, for even more tactical options.

2. Weapon Synergies:

  • Experiment with weapon combinations: Different weapons have unique synergies that can be exploited for greater damage output.
  • Utilize weapon traits to enhance synergies: Weapon traits can amplify the effectiveness of weapon combinations.
  • Adapt your weapon loadout based on the situation: Choose weapons that are best suited for the specific enemies and challenges you face.

3. Utilizing Environmental Hazards:

  • Use environmental hazards to your advantage: Toxic gas, energy fields, and collapsing structures can be used to damage enemies or create opportunities for flanking.
  • Be aware of the hazards’ effects on yourself: Environmental hazards can also harm you, so be careful when using them.
  • Combine environmental hazards with weapons: Some weapons can interact with environmental hazards to create devastating effects.

4. Understanding Enemy Weaknesses:

  • Learn each enemy’s attack patterns: Pay attention to enemy attack patterns to identify their weaknesses.
  • Exploit enemy weaknesses with specific weapons: Certain weapons are more effective against specific enemies.
  • Utilize enemy weaknesses to your advantage: Use enemy weaknesses to create opportunities for flanking, parrying, or dealing critical damage.

Game Setup and Configuration Tips

1. Controller Settings:

  • Adjust sensitivity: Fine-tune the controller sensitivity to suit your playstyle.
  • Customize button mapping: Map buttons to your preference for optimal control.
  • Enable vibration: Vibration feedback can enhance the immersion and provide valuable feedback during combat.

2. Display Settings:

  • Adjust resolution and refresh rate: Choose the highest resolution and refresh rate your monitor supports for the best visual experience.
  • Enable HDR: HDR can enhance the visual fidelity of the game, especially in environments with bright lighting.
  • Optimize graphics settings: Adjust graphics settings to balance performance and visual quality.

3. Audio Settings:

  • Adjust volume levels: Fine-tune the volume levels for music, sound effects, and voice chat.
  • Enable surround sound: Surround sound can enhance the immersion and provide a more realistic audio experience.
  • Experiment with different sound settings: Find the audio settings that best suit your preferences.

Quick Review and Conclusion

Returnal is a challenging but rewarding roguelike shooter that offers a unique and unforgettable gaming experience. Its fast-paced combat, atmospheric world design, and innovative time loop mechanics make it a standout title in the genre. While the game’s difficulty can be intimidating, the constant learning and progression offered by the time loop make it an incredibly engaging and satisfying experience.

Pros:

  • Challenging and rewarding gameplay: The game’s difficulty is balanced by its rewarding gameplay loop and the sense of accomplishment that comes from overcoming its challenges.
  • Unique and innovative time loop mechanics: The time loop system adds a layer of depth and strategy to the gameplay, forcing players to constantly learn and adapt.
  • Atmospheric world design: The alien planet Atropos is beautifully designed and filled with secrets and mysteries to uncover.
  • Diverse arsenal of weapons: The game features a wide variety of weapons, each with unique firing patterns, ammo types, and special abilities.

Cons:

  • High difficulty curve: The game can be extremely challenging, especially for new players.
  • Unforgiving nature: Death in Returnal resets the player back to the beginning of the loop, losing all collected resources and progress.
  • Limited replayability: The game’s procedurally generated levels can feel repetitive after multiple playthroughs.

Overall:

Returnal is a must-play for fans of challenging roguelike shooters and anyone looking for a unique and unforgettable gaming experience. Its innovative time loop mechanics, fast-paced combat, and atmospheric world design make it a standout title that will leave a lasting impression.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is Returnal difficult?

Yes, Returnal is a challenging game, especially for new players. The game’s unforgiving nature and high difficulty curve can be intimidating, but the reward of overcoming its challenges is incredibly satisfying.

2. What are the best weapons in Returnal?

There is no single "best" weapon in Returnal, as different weapons are more effective in different situations. The best approach is to experiment with different weapons and find the ones that suit your playstyle.

3. How does the time loop work?

When you die in Returnal, you are reset back to the beginning of the loop, losing all collected resources and progress. However, some abilities and knowledge gained from previous loops carry over, such as unlocked weapon traits, suit upgrades, and learned enemy patterns.

4. What are the best tips for playing Returnal?

  • Stay on the move.
  • Master parrying.
  • Experiment with different weapons and weapon combinations.
  • Utilize environmental hazards to your advantage.
  • Learn enemy attack patterns and exploit their weaknesses.
  • Collect all consumables and prioritize upgrades.
  • Don’t be afraid to die and learn from your mistakes.

5. How do I unlock new weapons and upgrades?

New weapons and upgrades are unlocked by exploring the world of Atropos, completing objectives, and collecting resources.

6. Is Returnal worth playing?

Returnal is a challenging but rewarding game that offers a unique and unforgettable gaming experience. If you are a fan of roguelike shooters and are looking for a game that will test your skills and challenge you to think strategically, then Returnal is definitely worth playing.

Closure

Thank you for reading! Stay with us for more insights on How to Play Returnal: A Comprehensive Guide to Mastering the Brutal Loop.
Make sure to follow us for more exciting news and reviews.
Feel free to share your experience with How to Play Returnal: A Comprehensive Guide to Mastering the Brutal Loop in the comment section.
Keep visiting our website for the latest trends and reviews.

Leave a Comment