Detailed Guide on Prioritizing Health and Defensive Upgrades in Returnal

In the challenging and unforgiving world of Returnal, maintaining your character’s survivability is essential for progress. Below is a comprehensive guide on how to prioritize health and defensive upgrades effectively, ensuring that you can withstand the numerous threats you’ll encounter.

1. Max Integrity Upgrades
Max integrity, or health, is fundamental to your survival. Focus on the following strategies to enhance it:

– Integrity Upgrades at Fabricators: Make it your primary goal to invest in max integrity upgrades whenever you find a fabricator within a biome. These upgrades significantly increase your overall health pool and should be prioritized over other enhancements unless you’re facing an immediate crisis. Given the game’s RNG nature, always opt for upgrades that can make you more resilient against damage.

2. Collecting Resin and Parasites
Resin and parasites are vital resources that contribute to your health:

– Resin: As you explore biomes, actively collect resin, which can be used to boost your max integrity permanently. Look for this resource in enemy drops, destructible objects, and treasure chests.

– Parasites: Keep an eye out for beneficial parasites that increase your max integrity. While some may have drawbacks, the health benefits they provide can be worth the risk, especially early on when you may struggle to maintain your health against tougher enemies.

3. Acquiring Health Kits
Health kits can turn the tide in critical situations:

– Prioritize Large Health Kits: When using the fabricator, always prioritize large health kits over other items. These kits offer significant recovery and can be life-saving in tough encounters, particularly during boss fights or when navigating high-damage environments.

4. Defensive Upgrades – Evasion as a Strategy
While Returnal does not feature traditional defensive upgrades, you can adopt the following approaches:

– Mastering Evasion: Developing evasion techniques and understanding enemy attack patterns is vital. Practicing your dodging skills will help you avoid damage altogether, serving as a defensive strategy in itself. As you progress, focus on learning the nuances of each enemy type, enhancing your ability to evade their attacks.

5. Utilizing the Astronaut Artifact
The Astronaut artifact is a game-changer:

– Revival with Health: Securing the Astronaut artifact allows Selene to revive with approximately half of her maximum health upon death. This can provide you with a crucial second chance in challenging scenarios like boss fights or during runs with heavy damage taken. Always keep an eye out for this artifact, as it substantially increases your overall survival rate in the game.

6. Emphasizing Permanent Xenotech Upgrades
Permanent upgrades can provide lasting benefits:

– Focus on Suit Upgrades: Throughout your journey, strive to acquire permanent Xenotech upgrades. These suit enhancements can yield significant advantages, such as improved durability or additional abilities that aid in surviving lethal encounters.

Strategic Gameplay Tips

– Clear Rooms Efficiently: Always aim to clear rooms without taking unnecessary damage. This strategy not only keeps your health intact but also allows you to conserve resources for future challenges. After completing a room, make sure to use fabricators to heal before moving on.

– Biome Progression: Restrain yourself from spending resources until the completion of each biome to maximize your gathering. This approach ensures you can acquire the best items and upgrades without rushing.

– Perfecting Timing and Movement: Engage in mastering Selene’s movement and the timing of your attacks. A well-timed dodge can often negate the need for traditional defenses. This skill development is key to surviving in the intense environments of Returnal, where each second matters.

By following these strategies and honing your skills, you will significantly increase your longevity in Returnal, making survival in its challenging world much more manageable. Prioritizing health and defensive capabilities can lead you towards greater success and a more enjoyable gameplay experience.