Topic: Returnal

@Tatarimokke I’m glad to see so many tips for you in here.. it is an overwhelming game to start with!

A little tip I’ve not seen mentioned though is that in biome 1, those annoying tentacle “plants” that grab you can actually be used to reach high up platforms for extra obolites and other items.

Also, I don’t know if you’ve figured out the chests that seem locked behind a gate but normally in the nearby area there is a glowing red (?) button that you can shoot to allow you to get the chest. The button in biome 1 is sometimes behind a statue next to it.

@Just_2_milky @Thrillho Good call on these tips as well, these really help early on and the astronaut is even more valuable than the reconstructor for my money!

@Just_2_milky @Thrillho I believe @Tatarimokke mentioned not being able to enter the house yet and I'm pretty sure you can't get the astronaut until then.
First you need to get the house key which just appears randomly, I think.

@render @MatthewJP @Voltan @Just_2_milky thanks guys I'll keep on eye on those figures. What does it do? I found some reconstructors but i am not able to use it as i have just 4 ethers i think. Is it worth to spend on?

@Tatarimokke The astronaut figurine gives you an extra life basically
The reconstructor also gives you an extra life but with a couple caveats:

• works only in the biome you activated it in
• you're transported back to the reconstructor, which can be a good thing but it also means that if you die during a boss battle, you have to start it over

@Voltan @Tatarimokke And those are the reasons I rate the astronaut over the reconstructor every time. The reconstructor also doesn't save your consumables so if you've used health packs during the boss fight then they've gone for good.

@Tatarimokke Since you’re low on ether right now, it might be a moot point, but the reconstructor is only a good investment if you have a really good run going have put a lot of time into the Biome and feel like “this is the one.” Later on the ethers are much easier to come by and you can more liberally invest in reconstructors. But usually I used my ether on the device at the beginning by the Helios where you unlock (and obtain for that run) a new item. You’ll get the item and it will now be in the pool of randomly appearing items ever after. Sometimes the item is fairly useless, like some of the consumables, but sometimes it’s a nice artifact that really buffs you.

I don’t know if it’s been said, but unlocking traits on the weapons (one of the few things that carries over run to run) is actually a lot more useful than you might think. It’ll typically make that Gun more powerful in unique ways. So its more progress than you realize that will carry over there.

@Voltan @render @Th3solution ok thanks. I think I just leave the reconstructors for now . First i want to get in that house to have that figurine. Is it you who decide to use it or it does automatically? Is it a permanent item?

@Tatarimokke
House key- permanent item, but the house is only active after you clear a boss (I think?)

Astronaut- non permanent item, can also spawn in the shop for you to buy with 250 obolites
EDIT: the artifact called “child’s watch” (something like that) does the same thing as an astronaut, but is much rarer

@Tatarimokke The figurine is used automatically when your health is depleted. It’s not permanent, it’s an artifact. Once you unlock it you’ll be able to find it randomly (it’s most commonly found in fabricators). It disappears after one use but it’s possible that you’ll find another one later in the same run (you can only have one at a time though).

Just had 1.5 hour run i think i almost reached the boss. I had good weapon and 3 tier health upgrade and i also found a device which i've never seen before something which restores your health and increase integrity for free. I wanted to go back for using it before the boss...but i couldn't reach it. Again. The same old big jumpy monster killed me because i maneuvered myself next to a wall so i couldn't dash away I feel exhausted it was a very good run and if I'm capable for another one today.

@Tatarimokke If what gave you Heath was a stone bed that was lit up green, that will only heal you once. If you find a stone bed that is lit up red, it will steal health for an item (IMO not worth it) sounds like you are doing much better!

@Just_2_milky yeah i feel more confident but it still not enough to succeed. All the tips you guys gave me works perfectly i think that's the main reason i could run farther. Hope I'll reach that boss soon

@Tatarimokke Good job! Keep it up. Each run you learn something. When you get to the boss it’s possible that you might hit another wall, although some players clear it on the first try. For me I was pretty frustrated for and took several attempts at it. It becomes a matter of pattern recognition once again, and if you’re a Souls veteran, you know the drill.

@Tatarimokke As others have said, there’s no shame in watching videos or reading about boss attack patterns as it can really help figure out attacks patterns.

They all have three stages to them though so don’t think you’ve won when you whittle the health bar down for the first time!

Can anyone confirm the current state of play regarding healing back at the ship? I didn't buy the game at release and I've read it was almost a cheat where you could keep returning to heal, then it got patched out completely? Couple of times I've tried it lately and it does restore a small-medium amount of integrity when sleeping but only once

@MatthewJP I think it only heals once now (feel free to correct me if I’m wrong)

@Tatarimokke a beginners tip from a beginner - don't even bother venturing down to the first boss unless you have at least one silphium vial and preferably an astronaut as well. You won't last long.

But you will soon get to the point in the game where you'll be taking the boss on just for fun even though you've defeated him before and wondering what all the fuss was about.

@MatthewJP Yeah, it was patched soon after release (while I was still playing and I started day 1).

@Just_2_milky yeah that's what I'm experiencing. I missed all the patches - early adopters must have loved that option of a free heal at every opportunity!