Topic: Returnal

@velio84 @MightyDemon82 On my first go of Ophion, it threw out some health items towards the end of the fight so keep an eye out for them as it’s easy to miss them when things get so chaotic!

@mcdreamer The orange barriers in areas you can only open with an artefact/ability you can buy when you come to the fabricator that sells the four different items. I forget what it’s called but it says it upgrades your melee attack. It’s not a permanent upgrade though.

But on that note, I really recommend using normal melee attacks on biome 1 enemies. It kills off little enemies in one hit and it’s great against the bigger enemies when staggered (the big green enemies only need two melee attacks to finish them off once staggered).

@Thrillho thanks for the tip. I'll keep a look out for those!

@velio84 Totally agree the pylon gun is brilliant to use and especially in 5. It’s great to shoot and run in those rooms full of elites 😀.

@MightyDemon82 I’ve done the same before and held on to a lower level weapon with the traits I know work well. The traits seem to make way more difference than the other stats although I don’t doubt they count.

@mcdreamer Welcome on board, sounds like you are already happy with the game. When you start making progress you’ll not want to stop 👍

@mcdreamer Futher to what @Thrillho said, the red barriers you can open once you obtain the blade, which also destroys those red vine walls as well as enemy shields. To break open the orange barriers you need the Blade Balancer Artefact, which can be found as a random drop, in chests or fabricated in a Fabricator if there as an option to buy.

@Thrillho @JohnnyShoulder Thanks for the tips. Glad to hear that the blade comes relatively early on. Will be good to have a melee option.

@render Yeah, I think my play through of route B in Nier Automata is going to be seriously on the back burner now for a little while!

@velio84 Congrats!

Are you planning on going for the platinum or just to complete act 3?

@velio84 congrats, just back home after dropping my niece off. So peace and quiet for the remainder of the weekend, Will give it a bash later.

I was feeling a bit demoralised about it earlier ... but then I had a really good run where I got 200% integrity and a decent carbine. Got to the second phases of Nemesis (just), but over-anticipated one of the yellow beams and that put an end to me.

At the moment it feels like I'll never beat this boss, but I know I felt like that about the first two as well!

@JigsawPieces With 2 first two phases of Nemesis you can basically walk left and right and only dash when a beam is coming or if you need to change direction and got bullets incoming. His normal bullets will never hit you as long as you keep moving.
Phase 3 is a little different but staying on the move is still key

Great to see everyone making progress!

I’m beginning to get pretty anxious about this platinum after reading about the crimson waste glitches. Have biomes 1,3 and 4 done and currently on 17/20 in 2...but that could mean im on 19...I don’t fancy starting a new save just for that.

@Scratchy_Seal I believe the counter is fixed now (since the last update)

@Voltan let’s hope so. I think @render is primed to pip me to the post on the plat though...feel like that announcement is imminent 😉

@velio84 Great work, it’s great to bad all the bosses and see those credits roll. Hopefully you’ll gather everything you need for act 3 in one run!

@JigsawPieces That’s unlucky. I think I had 3 goes at Nemesis before I cracked it. It hits harder as you spend time building up across the other biomes but when you get it you’ll feel like you’ve earned it.

@Scratchy_Seal I’d like to say I could pip you to that post but I think that finding that scout log in 5 and the last cypher in 6 is going to be brutal. Then I’m in the same boat as you hoping that my counter for 2 is right and I just get lucky with my next run. Also I promised the wife that she could have a go tonight so might have to hold off on my plans and let you take the glory 😂

Any tips for the Abyssal Scar fragment? It's the last one I need to find...

@phil_j I need one from there too so also welcome any tips on that one.

The wife gave up after building up and then dying in the Crimson Wastes. Never nice to see but at least I got a go 😁.

Just found the last one I needed in the Citadel, so another trophy unlocked, but went through the Crimson Wastes and didn’t find a single one of the 5 it says I need. Looks like I won’t be platinuming it this weekend @Scratchy_Seal 😂.

Just beaten Ixiom! Only just as had a slither of health left and used up all my health vials. Onto the Derelict Citadel now...

@phil_j @render The 6th fragment is in a small side area next to one of those areas with a narrow broken path/bridge thing. I think it might not be marked on the map but there's a little side part of the path/bridge with a chest on it and you need to go past the chest. You probably know what I'm talking about.
It's a small area with an orb to activate some platforms, it would previously contain a datacube.

@JohnnyShoulder Have fun at the citadel

@Voltan Cheers for the tip, will make sure I’m looking out for it next time. Did a few runs straight through to the Crimson Wastes without stopping but haven’t made it through it yet as I keep coming up against some elite that takes me out. Think I’m being a little too speedy 😄.

@JohnnyShoulder Well done for progressing. Now dispatch some of those drone mf’ers for me 😉.

@velio84 TLoU2 is going to be an interesting change of pace after Returnal. I need to get back to that and finish collecting all the collectibles but might have to put it on easy so I can run and gun 🤣

@phil_j @render For me (and most Reddit posts I read) the Scar fragment is in an area after you drop down to open the boss door (but obviously before dropping down to fight it).

I read one place saying it was always before the drop so freaked out thinking I’d missed it but it appeared there. Just make sure to look out for all of the crates and any blue orbs nearby.