00:00 Sure, Returnal has some tutorials, but a huge part of the game is about not telling you
00:05 stuff.
00:06 And we're not talking about the story being vague, which it is, but also it doesn't tell
00:10 you how weapon upgrades work really, or that parts of the environment that seem to be attacking
00:15 you are actually helping you out.
00:17 So those long tentacles can actually be used to reach otherwise inaccessible areas.
00:23 Littered throughout the overgrown ruins are long red tentacles dangling from up above.
00:27 If you walk too close, they'll grab you and you need to dash out to escape.
00:31 And your first instinct will likely be to avoid them at all cost.
00:34 But they're often situated near ledges and platforms that you wouldn't be able to access
00:39 otherwise, you just can't jump that high.
00:41 So when you've cleared an area of hostiles, you can use these tentacles to elevate yourself
00:45 and then dash out in the direction of the platform to get some much needed goodies or
00:49 upgrades.
00:51 Find your favourite and stick to it.
00:54 Not being able to choose your weapon and only hold one weapon at a time leaves you up to
00:58 the RNG gods.
01:00 We all have our own preferred way to play, and you'll quickly find a weapon you prefer.
01:04 When you do find that weapon you like to use, try to pick it up as often as you can if you
01:09 get the choice.
01:10 The more you use it, the more weapon traits for that weapon you will unlock, making it
01:14 more and more powerful.
01:16 These are also permanent unlocks even when you die.
01:19 So yes, you might do a run with a weapon that you hate and cannot use, but when you do have
01:24 a lucky roll and you get your upgraded preference with all the best weapon traits, you'll be
01:29 confident of being able to do a proper run.
01:33 Lots of weapons, but very little choice.
01:36 Every weapon in Returnal fills a specific role or playstyle, but these are some of the
01:41 best and well-rounded weapons that can hold their own in any encounter.
01:45 The Tachy-O-Matic Carbine is brilliant either up close or at distance and is most akin to
01:50 an assault rifle.
01:51 While the Spitmore Blaster is a shotgun that works great if you're mobile and able to get
01:56 in the face of enemies.
01:57 Meanwhile, the Electro-Pylon Driver is best suited to draining enemies of health from
02:02 a safe distance by laying down traps as they get close.
02:05 If you manage to come across the Electric-Pylon Driver in the game, it really can completely
02:10 change your run by turning you into a god of red lightning.
02:15 Get lucky with those rolls and if you don't, prioritise the following.
02:19 The buffs, debuffs and malignancy you randomly get for each run can vary wildly, sometimes
02:24 making you feel like a god and others more like a glass cannon.
02:28 Being aware that all runs are not equal means sometimes you have to instead prioritise other
02:34 things, specifically other things that will carry over when you die like Aether or permanent
02:40 weapon traits.
02:41 So, if you happen to get a debuff or a malignancy that scrambles your map completely and you're
02:46 running around lost, instead just try to focus on grabbing some Aether while only using your
02:50 favourite weapon to level it up and get some of those permanent traits for it so that when
02:54 you get the amazing auto-repair buff on the next run, that could see you all the way through
02:59 to the credits.
03:01 Once you defeat a boss, you don't need to fight it again every time to go back to the
03:05 next world.
03:06 So, unlike other roguelikes, you don't have to keep fighting bosses over and over and
03:10 over in each world every time to progress.
03:13 Once you've beaten the first boss in the Overgrown Ruins, for example, you'll receive
03:17 the Crimson Key, which opens the portal to the Crimson Wastes.
03:21 When you die and have to start over, even though you're back at Helios and starting
03:25 with nothing except a pistol, you do have the key.
03:28 So, all you need to do is find the portal again rather than searching for the boss.
03:33 Get more obolites
03:35 Every now and then, when you enter an area that doesn't have the standard hostile enemies
03:38 in it, you'll stumble upon a small group of golden tentacle creatures.
03:42 These mysterious beings aren't hostile, instead, when they detect you, they'll start
03:46 to flee and burrow underground.
03:48 Killing them will net you a bunch of obolites in return, though, so try to get as many of
03:52 them as you can before they disappear.
03:55 The sword is a one-shot kill machine that can also give you access to new areas.
04:01 In the Overgrown Ruins, you'll find a lot of red glowing vines and walls that look structurally
04:05 weak.
04:06 They can be destroyed, but only once you have unlocked the melee attack and the sword.
04:10 You find this when you reach the portal to the Crimson Waste for the first time, before
04:15 you have the key to activate it.
04:16 Now that you've got your shiny, pointy push-button sword, you can also deal some real damage
04:21 with it.
04:22 When you first pick it up, it one-hit kills most enemies.
04:25 So, instead of using your sidearm, most enemies in the Overgrown Ruins will die from one sword
04:30 slash, so maybe try zipping around a bit with some stabbing thrown in for good measure to
04:34 thin out the crowd a bit.
04:36 Do the eyes in the big Cyclops towers to remove the searchlights temporarily.
04:41 Sometimes you'll stumble upon huge, vast areas with enormous towers shining spotlights
04:45 down searching for you.
04:47 Being spotted by these massively stationary Cyclops results in a shot coming down at you,
04:51 which you can dodge if you're quick enough, but it does do a lot of damage if you don't
04:56 get out of the way.
04:58 Alternatively, you can aim and shoot a single bullet into each eye to temporarily disable
05:02 the spotlights, creating a safe passage to venture through.
05:05 So yeah, there's a lot of stuff that Returnal doesn't really tell you about, and it's kind
05:09 of handy just to know some of these things as you're getting into the game so you don't
05:12 get too frustrated.
05:13 Hopefully, this has helped you, and for more guides and tips and tricks, check back on
05:17 GamesRadar and subscribe to the YouTube channel.
05:25 (upbeat music)
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