Biome 1

Navigate Returnal's first biome, the Overgrown Ruins. Learn about the tutorial phase, combat basics, secret rooms, and essential tips for your initial journey.

This guide treats Biome 1, the Overgrown Ruins, as if you're playing for the first time through the tutorial phase. Due to the roguelike nature, map layouts will vary, but there are static tiles that appear in different orders each run. The tutorial is more predictable, but subsequent trips will be random. This guide focuses on highlighting things to watch out for and skills to employ on your first venture into Returnal, without discussing plot points.

The Tutorial Phase: Locate the "White Shadow"

You start next to your crashed ship, Helios. While the game covers basic movement, you can re-enter the ship through a hole in its side. Inside, interacting with your bed on the left offers a one-time heal of about 10-15% health, useful for topping off without wasting Resin. The ship also displays game stats and has a console for challenge runs with leaderboards, though this feature unlocks later and can be ignored for now, despite a trophy tied to challenge runs.

Controller Settings and Gameplay Options:

Before proceeding, pause the game and adjust settings if needed. Options like "Always Sprint" can be experimented with, though default settings worked fine for the author. The Adaptive Trigger functionality can be changed to a conventional layout if preferred, though getting used to it can be rewarding, especially when the Alt-Fire upgrade is unlocked.

Take your time exploring during the initial phase to understand game mechanics. For details on Obolites, Malignancy, Silphium, and Resin, refer to the "the-basics-of-returnal" section. The game will guide you through scanning, picking up your gun, fighting initial enemies, and familiarizing yourself with controls.

The Dash ability allows dodging through enemy projectiles and can be used midair. In the tutorial, you'll encounter a red laser grid; use your Dash to pass through it. Utilize the Dash liberally as it has a short cooldown and is central to combat.

Death Is Inevitable?

Continue forward until you drop into a grassy pit. You will be attacked by a powerful Titanops. This fight is designed to be challenging, potentially leading to a cutscene upon defeat, illustrating the roguelike aspect. However, this specific Titanops is beatable on the first attempt by dodging its attacks and continuously firing. If defeated, you will return to the ship. Normal Titanops are less damaging than this tutorial version.

Regardless of the Titanops fight outcome, push forward to find your first permanent upgrade. After this point, room randomization increases.

Things You Might Encounter

• Secret Rooms: These are relatively common and easy to find, with variations including chests, breakable purple plants, or arenas with tougher monsters. Exploring them is recommended, but note that once exited, they cannot be re-entered. If a room contains a Fabricator with items you can't afford, you may be out of luck. Entrance variations are shown visually.
• Chests barricaded behind a wall: You may find chests inaccessible at first glance. Similar to shooting a switch early in the tutorial to progress, these chests require finding and shooting a nearby, often hidden, switch. Look on the walls close to the chest for the switch.