Returnal offers a unique blend of psychological horror and sci-fi, with a challenging trophy system that rewards skill and exploration. This guide helps you navigate the game’s intricate trophy requirements, from story-related achievements to collectibles and boss battles, ensuring a smooth path to 100% completion.
Overview of Returnal and Its Trophy System
Returnal features a trophy system with 31 achievements, including the coveted Platinum trophy, Helios. The trophies are divided into story-related milestones, biome surveys, combat challenges, and collectible unlocks. Completing surveys in each biome, such as the Crimson Wastes and Abyssal Scar, is essential for progression. Trophies like Ascending the Mountain and Frozen in Time highlight the game’s challenging yet rewarding design. With varying rarity levels, some trophies are ultra rare, requiring precise strategies and dedication. This system encourages exploration, mastery, and persistence, making the journey to Platinum both demanding and satisfying.
Importance of Trophies for 100% Completion
Trophies are crucial for achieving 100% completion in Returnal, as they unlock key content and showcase mastery. Each trophy, from story milestones to collectible challenges, contributes to the Platinum. Completing biome surveys and defeating tough bosses rewards exclusive achievements. Scout Logs and Xenoglyphs reveal lore, while Sunface Fragments unlock hidden sequences. Earning all trophies demands skill, exploration, and persistence, offering a sense of accomplishment and a deeper understanding of the game’s world. This comprehensive approach ensures a rewarding journey to the Helios Platinum trophy.
Story-Related Trophies
Story-related trophies track Selene’s journey through key narrative milestones. Unlock ‘Eternal Return’ and others by progressing through cycles and discovering Atropos’s secrets, marking her enduring struggle and growth.
Eternal Return: Experience a New Cycle After Death
This trophy is unlocked after dying for the first time and restarting a new cycle, a core mechanic of Returnal. It marks the beginning of Selene’s journey and is unmissable, occurring early in the game. The trophy symbolizes the loop-driven narrative and sets the stage for understanding the game’s unique structure. Earning this achievement introduces players to the cyclical nature of the story and gameplay, making it a foundational milestone for completionists aiming for the platinum trophy.
Atropian Survival: Learn the Basics of Survival on Atropos
This trophy is earned by picking up the Atropian Blade, marking your first major milestone in the game. It is an unmissable bronze trophy that occurs early in your journey, introducing you to the survival mechanics on Atropos. The Atropian Blade is crucial for combat and exploration, making this trophy a foundational step in your progress. It sets the stage for understanding the game’s core systems and prepares you for the challenges ahead in Selene’s quest to uncover the mysteries of the alien planet.
Past the Ruins: Complete Overgrown Ruins Survey
Completing the Overgrown Ruins Survey is a key early progression milestone in Returnal. This bronze trophy requires you to fully explore the first biome, gathering all Scout Logs and Xenoglyphs. These collectibles provide lore and insights into the world of Atropos. The survey is essential for understanding the game’s story and mechanics. Be thorough in your exploration, as missing items may require multiple cycles to locate. This trophy is a foundational step toward 100% completion and sets the stage for more complex challenges ahead in the game.
Biome Survey Trophies
Earning Biome Survey Trophies involves thoroughly exploring Returnal’s distinct biomes, collecting Scout Logs and Xenoglyphs. Each survey requires patience and multiple cycles to complete, ensuring no secrets are missed.
Ascending the Mountain: Finish Crimson Wastes Survey
Completing the Crimson Wastes Survey is a challenging task that requires multiple cycles to gather all necessary Scout Logs and Xenoglyphs. This biome introduces harsher enemies and environmental hazards, making exploration demanding. Utilize your weapons and upgrades strategically to survive longer runs. Be patient, as some collectibles are hidden behind specific events or enemy drops. Once all items are collected, the trophy will unlock, marking your mastery of this unforgiving biome.
Through the Forgotten City: Complete Abyssal Scar Survey
Completing the Abyssal Scar Survey involves navigating the dark, labyrinthine environments filled with aggressive enemies and environmental puzzles. This biome requires careful exploration to uncover all Scout Logs and Xenoglyphs. Due to its complexity, multiple playthroughs may be necessary to locate every collectible. Stay vigilant, as enemies are more aggressive here, and resource management is crucial. Once all items are collected, this trophy will be awarded, showcasing your dedication to exploring one of Returnal’s most challenging areas.
Echoes of the Past: Unlock Secrets in the Fractured Coast
Uncover the mysteries of the Fractured Coast by thoroughly exploring its eerie, coastal environments. This survey requires locating all Scout Logs and Xenoglyphs hidden within the biome. Be meticulous, as some items are tucked away in hard-to-reach areas or behind environmental puzzles. The unpredictable layout of each cycle means multiple attempts may be needed to find everything. Use your scanner frequently and keep an eye out for hidden paths. Once all collectibles are gathered, this trophy will unlock, rewarding your persistence in unraveling the secrets of the Fractured Coast.
Frozen in Time: Master the Glacier Survey
Conquer the icy vastness of the Glacier by completing its survey, which involves finding all Scout Logs and Xenoglyphs in this unforgiving biome. The Glacier’s slippery terrain and environmental hazards make exploration challenging, so use your scanner frequently to locate hidden collectibles. Be prepared to navigate through icy caves and crevices, as some items are tucked away in hard-to-reach areas. Due to the biome’s layout, multiple cycles may be required to uncover all secrets. Persistence pays off, as mastering the Glacier survey rewards you with this trophy and deeper insight into Returnal’s mysterious world.
Combat and Boss Trophies
Defeat formidable bosses like Ixion in Crimson Wastes, Nemesis in Abyssal Scar, and Algos in the Final Act. Prepare thoroughly for these challenging encounters to earn prestigious trophies.
Ascending the Mountain: Defeat Ixion in Crimson Wastes
Defeating Ixion, the winged boss in the Crimson Wastes, is a significant challenge. Use cover effectively to avoid his aerial attacks and focus on stagger management. Equip weapons like the Tachyon SMG or Sporelauncher for optimal damage. Utilize consumables and upgrades to boost your survivability. Stay mobile, exploit his ground attacks, and maintain a steady offense. Patience and strategy are key to overcoming this tough encounter and unlocking the Ascending the Mountain trophy.
Trial by Judgement: Defeat Nemesis in Abyssal Scar
Nemesis, the boss of the Abyssal Scar, is a formidable opponent with devastating attacks. To defeat her, master dodging her rapid melee strikes and projectiles. Stay mobile, exploit brief windows after her combos, and use cover when necessary. Equip high-damage weapons like the Hollowseeker or Dreadnought to whittle her health down. Utilize consumables like health stations or malignant resin upgrades to boost survivability. Stay patient and focused, as her attack patterns require precise timing. Defeating Nemesis rewarded with the Trial by Judgement trophy, a testament to your skill and persistence.
Silence the Song: Defeat Algos in the Final Act
Defeating Algos in the Final Act is a climactic challenge, requiring mastery of combat and pattern recognition. Algos has three distinct phases, each introducing new mechanics and intensified aggression. In the first phase, focus on dodging her telegraphed attacks and exploiting brief windows to retaliate. The second phase introduces environmental hazards, so stay agile and avoid deadly traps. The final phase combines all previous patterns with relentless speed. Use high-damage weapons like the Hollowseeker or Dreadnought, and ensure you’re well upgraded with malignant resin and health stations. Precision and patience are key to silencing Algos and claiming this hard-earned trophy.
Collectibles and Completionist Trophies
Collectibles like Scout Logs and Xenoglyphs unlock hidden lore, while Sunface Fragments reveal secrets in the mysterious House. Completionist trophies require meticulous exploration and pattern mastery, ensuring a rewarding challenge for dedicated players.
Scout Logs and Xenoglyphs: Unlocking Hidden Lore
Scout Logs and Xenoglyphs are crucial collectibles in Returnal, offering insights into the game’s mysterious world and its inhabitants. These logs, scattered across various biomes, provide narrative fragments that piece together the lore of Atropos. Xenoglyphs, encoded messages found on ancient structures, require decoding to unlock additional story details. Collecting all Scout Logs and Xenoglyphs is essential for completionist trophies and understanding the game’s deeper themes. While the process can be tedious, dedicated exploration and the use of guides can help you locate these hidden gems efficiently, enriching your journey through the alien world.
Sunface Fragments: Completing House Sequences
Sunface Fragments are key to unlocking the secrets of the mysterious House in Returnal. These fragments, scattered throughout the biomes, are essential for completing specific sequences tied to the game’s narrative. Each fragment provides a piece of the puzzle, revealing more about Selene’s past and the enigmatic structure. Collecting all fragments requires thorough exploration and attention to detail, with some hidden in hard-to-reach areas or behind specific events. Completing these sequences not only progresses the story but also contributes to your trophy collection, making them a critical part of your journey to 100% completion.
Platinum Trophy
Earning the Helios Platinum Trophy requires unlocking all other trophies in Returnal, showcasing mastery of the game’s challenges, story, and collectibles.
Helios: Unlock the Shiny Platinum Trophy
Earning the Helios Platinum Trophy in Returnal is the ultimate achievement, requiring players to unlock all 31 trophies. This includes completing story-related milestones, conquering challenging biomes, defeating formidable bosses, and collecting every Scout Log and Xenoglyph. The journey demands dedication, skill, and thorough exploration of Atropos. Each trophy contributes to the overarching goal of 100% completion, making the Helios Trophy a testament to mastery of the game’s intricate mechanics and hidden secrets.
Additional Tips and Tricks
Mastering resource management and exploiting enemy weaknesses are key to success. Focus on conserving health and suit integrity while optimizing weapon upgrades for challenging encounters.
Optimizing Your Playthrough for Trophies
To efficiently unlock trophies, focus on completing story-related achievements first, as they often unlock access to new biomes and collectibles. Prioritize gathering Scout Logs and Xenoglyphs early, as they are essential for Survey Trophies. Utilize weapon upgrades strategically, especially malignant resin, to enhance your combat effectiveness. Avoiding unnecessary risks and managing resources like health and suit integrity will streamline your progress towards the Platinum Trophy. Balancing exploration with focused objectives ensures a smoother journey through Returnal’s challenging world.
Utilizing Weapon Upgrades and Malignant Resin
Weapon upgrades and malignant resin are crucial for enhancing combat effectiveness in Returnal. Prioritize upgrading your weapons to increase damage output and survivability. Malignant resin, found in chests or dropped by enemies, boosts weapon stats temporarily but resets upon death. Use it strategically during boss fights or challenging sections. Optimize your loadout by equipping artifacts that complement your playstyle, ensuring a balanced approach to resource management and combat efficiency. This strategy will help you progress smoothly and unlock trophies effectively.
Completing Returnal’s trophy list is a testament to skill and perseverance, offering a deeply satisfying experience. Overcome challenges, unlock every achievement, and embrace the rewarding journey through Atropos.
Final Thoughts on Completing Returnal’s Trophy List
Earning the Platinum trophy in Returnal is a testament to dedication and skill, as it requires mastery of the game’s challenging mechanics and completion of all trophies. The journey through Atropos is as rewarding as it is difficult, with each trophy representing a milestone in your progression. From defeating formidable bosses to uncovering hidden lore, the sense of accomplishment is unparalleled; Patience and persistence are key, as the game’s roguelike elements and procedurally generated worlds ensure a unique experience each cycle. Completing the trophy list is not just about achieving 100% completion—it’s about conquering a thrilling, otherworldly adventure.