PlayStation Official Returnal Discussion

[Valhoven]

half half.. maybe more damage but i hardly ever use them. I'd rather grab the malignant ones that heal or give you a malfunction. fixing a malfunction is easy. and if you can snag these artifacts:

Integrity Circuit - Gaining/fixing malfunctions increases max integrity
Repair Circuit - Gaining/fixing malfunctions repairs integrity

There are also two other artifacts that do the same but by adding/removing parasites. Not as useful. These two though are top tier IMO. If you see them snag 'em right away. If you get both you are practically hunting for malignant items (all chests, all drops). Get malfunctions, fix them, again and again.

Also great weapon perks to unlock and use are silphium or obolite extractor. Destroy any objects can create either silphium or obolites. It's random but i've had runs where you'll have a bunch of silphium laying around to heal or increase your integrity. Or you're rich in obolites and buy everything.

I found Integrity Circuit last night and thanks to your advice, I snatched that up immediately. Nice one, Sai.

 

[SaiWa]

I spend mine on the reconstructor in each biome if I can find it. And also that device by the ship, at least until it started costing 10 ether per item. That thing unlocks items that can be randomly found during your runs.

@Valhoven

I never use the reconstructor. I subscribe to the magnificent words of the great and late Ivan Drago: if he dies, he dies…

I save them to unlock more items or open tainted chests (5 cost) or silphium if iam experiencing a great run.

 

[SaiWa]

Ah, sick, thanks. So it’s like a DoT bleed effect I’m somehow proccing.

Apparently. I honestly didn't even know this was a thing in Returnal. I would have worked on trying to get it. Having damage being done to the enemy while you can focus on dodging all the craziness around you really helps in this game.

Yeah it’s decent but that’s also why I recommend the pylon driver and Rotgland lobber. Both do DOT damage from the jump and perks will only enhance it. The Rotgland is especially awesome because if you don’t rush to fire it reloads very fast so you can almost continuously fire at a slightly slower rate. Pylon is easier to use for sure but Rotgland is more fun.

 

[Kevster]

Biome 5 is nuts, especially the containment room. How are you supposed to clear that?

If memory serves me correct I had adrenaline leech and a carbine with leech rounds.

 

[method115]

Yeah it’s decent but that’s also why I recommend the pylon driver and Rotgland lobber. Both do DOT damage from the jump and perks will only enhance it. The Rotgland is especially awesome because if you don’t rush to fire it reloads very fast so you can almost continuously fire at a slightly slower rate. Pylon is easier to use for sure but Rotgland is more fun.

Yes the Pylon driver is my #1 weapon. That thing literally made the game easy mode for me.

 

[KidBaize]

@Valhoven

I never use the reconstructor. I subscribe to the magnificent words of the great and late Ivan Drago: if he dies, he dies…

I save them to unlock more items or open tainted chests (5 cost) or silphium if iam experiencing a great run.

No astronaut either?

 

[KidBaize]

If memory serves me correct I had adrenaline leech and a carbine with leech rounds.

Not enough. I need the BFG.

 

[Valhoven]

My favorite trait so far has been Shockstream. I’ve many yet to unlock but I love going full Nikola Tesla on a mob bullying me.

Latest trait I’ve unlocked is called Easy to Use, iirc, but I’d unlocked it across a frantic few rooms without knowing what it even does.

 

[KidBaize]

My favorite trait so far has been Shockstream. I’ve many yet to unlock but I love going full Nikola Tesla on a mob bullying me.

Latest trait I’ve unlocked is called Easy to Use, iirc, but I’d unlocked it across a frantic few rooms without knowing what it even does.

For traits, serrated projectiles and portal beam on the hollowseeker are making biome 5 almost manageable. And shieldbreaker is the most useful alt fire I've found so far, even if not the most powerful. There are so many shielded enemies and turrets in the second half of the game and they're usually miles away.

 

[SaiWa]

No astronaut either?

You buy that with obolites so that’s fine. You have to buy it anyway or you run the risk of that showing in the next biome shop and you won’t be able to upgrade the sword.

 

[SaiWa]

Some additional tips in case you haven’t figured it out:

1. Save the small silphium vials for boss battles. I never buy the large silphium vials cause they’re too expensive. On a solid run you should be able to save up 5+ small vials. Pair that with repair enhancer and upgrade your repair efficiency every chance you get. You’ll eventually if not already be able to carry up to 3 items so going from biome to biome I take small silphiums, repair enhancers, and nullification spheres (optimally). If need be drop your small silphium somewhere next to a teleporter and then continue through biome to carry other things then once you’ve almost cleared the biome go back and pick it up. I sometimes do that in biome 2.

2. Once you reach biome 6 you’ll be able to skip all bosses on your way to biome 3 or 6. Right before fighting the boss you can cash in you leftover obolites in the obolites repository. I always exchange 300 obolites since you can’t take it with you regardless of whether you beat the boss or not. On your next run you’ll get a free item on your visit to the shop. A minor boost for your next run. Make sure the bar is not close to finishing cause if your deposit will complete it and the item drops immediately.

3. You can farm obolites in biome 4. The vines on the ground regenerate and there are a few areas that are rich in vines and always with or next to a teleporter. One of the reward rooms after one of the midbosses, the circular area leading up to biome 4 boss (the first floor), and an area that has two levels (teleporter on the lower level). The last one isn’t guaranteed to spawn but the first two will always be in your run. Vines respawn after you visit 2 different rooms so I basically teleport and rotate from these rooms and farm obolites. Spend 30-40 mins rotating from room to room and you’ll amass 1000+ obolites. dreadbound is the best weapon, point on the ground in front of you and continually run and dash.

 

[Valhoven]

Some additional tips in case you haven’t figured it out:

1. Save the small silphium vials for boss battles. I never buy the large silphium vials cause they’re too expensive. On a solid run you should be able to save up 5+ small vials. Pair that with repair enhancer and upgrade your repair efficiency every chance you get. You’ll eventually if not already be able to carry up to 3 items so going from biome to biome I take small silphiums, repair enhancers, and nullification spheres (optimally). If need be drop your small silphium somewhere next to a teleporter and then continue through biome to carry other things then once you’ve almost cleared the biome go back and pick it up. I sometimes do that in biome 2.

2. Once you reach biome 6 you’ll be able to skip all bosses on your way to biome 3 or 6. Right before fighting the boss you can cash in you leftover obolites in the obolites repository. I always exchange 300 obolites since you can’t take it with you regardless of whether you beat the boss or not. On your next run you’ll get a free item on your visit to the shop. A minor boost for your next run. Make sure the bar is not close to finishing cause if your deposit will complete it and the item drops immediately.

3. You can farm obolites in biome 4. The vines on the ground regenerate and there are a few areas that are rich in vines and always with or next to a teleporter. One of the reward rooms after one of the midbosses, the circular area leading up to biome 4 boss (the first floor), and an area that has two levels (teleporter on the lower level). The last one isn’t guaranteed to spawn but the first two will always be in your run. Vines respawn after you visit 2 different rooms so I basically teleport and rotate from these rooms and farm obolites. Spend 30-40 mins rotating from room to room and you’ll amass 1000+ obolites. dreadbound is the best weapon, point on the ground in front of you and continually run and dash.

Jotted these down on my notepad. Thanks, Sai.

 

[KidBaize]

Beat the game so now time for the second ending. 117 deaths total. I think 50 to beat the first biome and then progressively less for each one afterwards as I improved with the mechanics.

Turns out I didn't have to beat the containment room in biome 5. Still really glad I checked it out but once I got the three keys I was able to move on to biome 6. Didn't really like the movement in 6. It reminded me of a certain secret level in Quake that originally looked cool but wasn't fun to play. Barely beat the final boss but I'll take it.

 

[Valhoven]

Beat the game so now time for the second ending. 117 deaths total. I think 50 to beat the first biome and then progressively less for each one afterwards as I improved with the mechanics.

Turns out I didn't have to beat the containment room in biome 5. Still really glad I checked it out but once I got the three keys I was able to move on to biome 6. Didn't really like the movement in 6. It reminded me of a certain secret level in Quake that originally looked cool but wasn't fun to play. Barely beat the final boss but I'll take it.

Big ups, dawg.

What’s your playtime having toppled it? I’m 25h in and still stuck in biome 3.

 

[Valhoven]

Should I save Atropian keys for later-biome locked gates and chests, or is drop quality/rarity all the same across biomes so open everything I come upon indiscriminately until keys run out?

 

[KidBaize]

Big ups, dawg.

What’s your playtime having toppled it? I’m 25h in and still stuck in biome 3.

Thanks. Not sure, maybe 40 and most were in the first half of the game.

Just keep plugging away. Sometimes you get a good weapon or upgrades that make a run a lot easier. Also keep moving and use the grapple points to get away and maintain distance from the minibosses.

 

[KidBaize]

Should I save Atropian keys for later-biome locked gates and chests, or is drop quality/rarity all the same across biomes so open everything I come upon indiscriminately until keys run out?

I've read you should save some for later but I usually end up using mine. You can usually find a couple in each biome.

 

[Valhoven]

Beat Nemesis tonight, dawgs. What a rush!

Danced with biome 4 for about an hour and also got leech rounds, pylon web, silphium extractor unlocked. Solid session.

Story is F’d. Daddy like.

/Selene out

 

[KidBaize]

Just cleared out biomes 4, 5 and 6 again along with the final boss and only found one fragment. What a ripoff.

 

[SaiWa]

Should I save Atropian keys for later-biome locked gates and chests, or is drop quality/rarity all the same across biomes so open everything I come upon indiscriminately until keys run out?

I generally never use them on chests unless I have a lot of them (+4) which is rare until near end of biome 3 or 6.

I never use them in biome 1 or biome 4. It’s a waste cause the rewards tend to be disappointing there.

In biome 2 as soon as you are outside in the desert I use the keys for any doorways (side rooms) in the desert.

In biome 5 I always open the locked side door in the main room (with the 3 others doors).

By the time you reach biome 3 or 6 you should have a solid amount of keys. Use them as much as you want but I tend to save at least 2 for the run in the tower of biome 3. In biome 6 just open any doorways available.