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IGN’s Returnal complete strategy guide and walkthrough will lead you through every step of Returnal from the title screen to the final credits, including every collectible, boss strategy and more.
Everything after the tutorial is completely randomized. Each time you die or reset your game, the entire world shifts around and you will find completely different things on each subsequent “run”. We can tell you what you might find, however, we can’t tell you exactly when you’ll find it!
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Listed below is a complete step-by-step walkthrough that will guide you through everything you need to know in order to roll the credits in Returnal.
Each of the biomes in Returnal rearrange themselves every time you die and begin a new run, but no matter how many times you start over, each run borrows from the same variety of encounters. This guide covers each of the common types of rooms, passages, and secret passages you’ll find in your otherwise procedurally-generated adventures!
Your first crash-landing on Atropos is fraught with danger and mystery. This is your very first run, so naturally you’ll need to learn the ropes. Fortunately, you can learn everything you need to know on this Tutorial page!
The Overgrown Ruins of Atropos are a dense, thickly-covered forest filled with treacherous swamps and demonic monsters. It is here that Selene finds herself waking up after every subsequent death, and it is here that she begins her journey toward the mysterious White Shadow broadcast.
The Crimson Wastes are a barren red wasteland surrounding a remote mountain located on the opposite side of Atropos from where Selene first crash-landed. This guide covers your ascent from the base of the mountain to its summit.
Derelict Citadel is the long-forgotten home of the Severed, the original alien race that once populated Atropos in droves. It’s also the location of the White Shadow signal, and where Selene’s journey reaches its “end”.
The Echoing Ruins are an overgrown jungle where the echoes of an alluring song can be heard for miles around.
The Fractured Wastes are a frozen wasteland based around the foot of a mountain.
Abyssal Scar is the deepest layer of the ocean beneath Atropos, where all answers lie hidden.
Selene can’t seem to escape the 20th century home, or its dubious history, that she thought she left behind on Earth. Learn how to find and progress through each of Returnal’s haunted houses.