Returnal Achievements Guide 100%

There’s 38 total achievements in the game, 31 in the main game, and 7 added for the Ascension DLC in Returnal. Most of this guide is based upon PlayStation trophy information.

We know that there are people who have a hard time finishing the Returnal game. If you are one of those who find it difficult to finish the game, let’s take you to our Returnal guide.

Returnal Achievements Guide 100%

Welcome to our Returnal Achievements Guide 100%. There’s 38 total achievements in the game, 31 in the main game, and 7 added for the Ascension DLC. So with all that said, here’s an achievement guide because as far as I know, no one else has done this yet on Steam in English. Most of this guide is based upon PlayStation trophy information.

Returnal is a difficult but very satisfying third-person shooter roguelike developed by Housemarque and published by Sony exclusively for PlayStation 5. However, thanks to Sony’s continuing PC-porting efforts, keyboard and mouse players can join in on the fun. As astronaut Selene Vassos, you’re stranded on the alien planet of Atropos, trapped in a timeloop where every death results in a fresh start at your crash site. The only way to break the cycle is to fight, die, and repeat.

Returnal Achievements Progression & Skill

Returnal is split into 2 halves with 3 biomes each for a total of 6. You initially start off at the crash site in the first biome you’ll experience, the Overgrown Ruins. After clearing the Overgrown Ruins and the 2 subsequent biomes, you’ll enter the second half, where if you die in any of the biomes here, you’ll be brought back to the start of the second half, not the Overgrown Ruins.

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Atropian Survival

“Learn the basics of survival on Atropos”

  • Find and equip the Atropian Blade, your only melee weapon. This can be found in the room with the Crimson Gate, attached to a broken automaton upon reaching it for the first time. Unmissable.

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Surgical Precision

“Perform 5 successful Overloads in a row”

  • Overloading is Returnal‘s form of active reload. Upon firing the last shot of ammo in your gun, it will enter a cooldown state where you have to wait a few seconds before firing off more shots. However, if you time your left-click just right by looking at the charging bar in your crosshair, you can reload your weapon instantly, skipping the cooldown sequence. Depending on the weapon you have, Overloading can be easy or difficult.

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Hardened Shell

“Achieve 200% Max Integrity”

  • Integrity refers to your health. Lose all of it, and you die and reset. Max Integrity can be increased by a number of methods, ranging from technology such as Inert Reclaimers to buying certain augments at Fabricators. However, one of the the more reliable ways of increasing Max Integrity is by collecting green healing items found in rooms at full health. What would normally be regular Silphium that can heal you when damaged hardens into resin. Collect 3 resin and your Max Integrity slightly increases.

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Adrenaline Spike

“Achieve maximum Adrenaline Level”

  • Adrenaline levels can be built up to 5 times. To gain an Adrenaline level, kill three enemies without getting hurt. Keeping Adrenaline up can be beneficial, giving buffs such as an enhanced Overload for instance. However, take damage even once, and your adrenaline level will be depleted to zero.

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Adapting to Circumstance

“Achieve Weapon Proficiency level 30”

Weapon Proficiency affects how good a weapon will be upon finding one, including its stats and weapon traits. However, just because a weapon has a higher proficiency number doesn’t always mean it will be better than the one you have equipped. Proficiency can be increased by collecting certain artifacts or by killing enemies.

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Irreversibly Contaminated

“Have 5 Parasites simultaneously”

  • Parasites are little creatures that provide a buff and debuff upon picking them up. These can be found throughout your runs in all sorts of places such as containers, as a drop from enemies, or within fauna.

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

In-Field Training

“Complete a daily challenge in Simulation Mode”

  • After progressing substantially in the game, a terminal on your crashed spaceship will unlock, granting access to daily challenges. In these, you can compete against other players for the highest score. In the process of completing these challenges, you can also gain Ether. Requires an online connection.

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Risk Assessment

“Finish Calculated Risk”

  • Calculated Risk is a task that can be accessed in the Progress section of the pause menu. Task progression is cumulative so don’t feel pressured to do it all in one go. To complete this task, do the following:
  • Open 3 Malignant Containers
  • Pick up 3 Malignant Silphiums
  • Pick up 3 Malignant Resins
  • Pick up 1 Malignant Key
  • Pick up 3 Spoiled Resins

Main Game Story

These should be unmissable for the most part. In addition, descriptions and methods will all be spoilered. Unless you’re comfortable with spoilers, it’s best to avoid this section.

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Eternal Return

HIDDEN ACHIEVEMENT – “Experience a new cycle after death”

  • Obtained after dying once in the game. Hell, you’ve probably already unlocked this without even knowing it.

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Welcome Home

HIDDEN ACHIEVEMENT – “Complete the first House sequence”

  • During your runs through the Overgrown Ruins, you’ll come across an old 20th-century house. Said house is initially locked, with the key hidden in a side room past a triangular doorway on the minimap. Once you obtain the key, you’ll be able to enter the house. The key will stay with you for subsequent runs as this structure will pop up as you progress more in the game.

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Second Chance

HIDDEN ACHIEVEMENT – “Returned by an Artifact”

  • Upon completing the first house sequence, you’ll be greeted with an Astronaut Figurine that you can pick up. Though there is not much about this item on first glance, it will prove invaluable, as upon dying, it will resurrect you on the spot.

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Failed Escape

HIDDEN ACHIEVEMENT – “Finish Act 1”

  • Unlocked by finishing the first half of the game. So, finish the Overgrown Ruins and the two subsequent biomes.

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Last Drive

HIDDEN ACHIEVEMENT – “Finish Act 2”

  • Finish the second half of the game by completing the remaining three biomes.

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Sins of the Mother

HIDDEN ACHIEVEMENT – “Complete all House sequences”

  • After getting the house key and experiencing the first house sequence, the house can be re-encountered 5 more times; 2 more in the Overgrown Ruins upon making further progress, and 3 in biome 4.

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

White Shadow

HIDDEN ACHIEVEMENT – “Finish Act 3”

MAJOR SPOILERS INBOUND, DO NOT HOVER OVER THE BELOW TEXT IF YOU’RE NOT READY

You’re not much farther now from the end. Follow these steps to unlock this achievement:

  1. Experience at least 5 house sequences: The fifth sequence should unlock upon reaching biome 6.
  2. Defeat Ophion (the boss of biome 6): By defeating Ophion, it will spawn 6 Sunface fragments across the entirety of Atropos.
  3. Collect all 6 fragments: There will be one fragment per biome on Atropos. They will always spawn in the same location, and they will be saved in your inventory for all runs. They will be required to unlock the sixth and final house sequence.
  4. Experience the sixth house sequence: Upon completion of the final house sequence, you will unlock the car keys.
  5. Defeat Ophion a second time: Once Ophion has been killed a second time, you will unlock a new secret cutscene.

Returnal Bosses

Returnal has 5 bosses in its 6 biomes. Each boss has to be defeated just once to progress in the game, though fights can be repeated. All the following achievements are unmissable.

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

A Shadow in the Fog

  • HIDDEN ACHIEVEMENT – “Defeat Phrike”

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Ascension

  • HIDDEN ACHIEVEMENT – “Defeat Ixion”

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Trial by Judgement

  • HIDDEN ACHIEVEMENT – “Defeat Nemesis”

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Silence the Song

  • HIDDEN ACHIEVEMENT – “Defeat Hyperion”

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Inner Darkness

  • HIDDEN ACHIEVEMENT – “Defeat Ophion”

Collectibles

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Cryptic Messages

“Scan a Xenoglyph”

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Cryptic Translations

“Unlock all translation tiers of a Xenoglyph”

  • Xenoglyphs are glowing red tablets that can be found in all biomes and are marked by rune-like symbols on the minimap; however, all Xenoglyphs require translation. To translate a xenoglyph, ciphers, which are red runes that can be found throughout all 6 biomes’ rooms, need to be scanned. Once a sufficient amount of ciphers are found, the Xenoglyph can be fully translated, unlocking lore and story in regards to Atropos. These are usually marked with a green upside-down triangle marker on the minimap. Ciphers are cumulative, meaning collected ciphers will total up, and will be kept upon each run.

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Alternate Fates

“Retrieve 10 Scout Logs”

  • Scout logs are voice logs of alternate versions of Selene that fell due to some unforeseen cause. Listening to these logs can help understand the underlying backstory of Selene, and the lore of Atropos. They are usually marked by a suit signal icon on the minimap and in white in the world.

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Visions of the Past

“Complete a Xeno-archive set (excluding Tower of Sisyphus)”

  • Xeno-archives are three-dimensional projections that further explain the lore of Atropos and are sometimes found in side-rooms marked by triangular doorways. To access an entire set, they may require a permanent traversal artifact that can be obtained later in the game.

Environment Surveys and End Game

At this point you’ve probably made it through all 6 biomes and hell, maybe even made it through the game outright, so congrats! You’ve certainly made it further than I have. Pretty much the only thing left is to complete environment surveys if you haven’t already done so. Each environment survey for the 6 biomes consists of 5 primary components:

  • Scanning all Xenoglyph Ciphers: Glowing red runes that can be found in rooms of a biome. Usually marked with a green upside-down triangle marker on the minimap. Refer to Cryptic Messages and Cryptic Translations for more information.
  • Retrieving all Scout Logs: Usually marked by a suit signal icon on the minimap, and marked in white in the world. Refer to Alternate Fates for more information.
  • Scanning all Xeno-archives: Sometimes found in side-rooms marked with triangular doorways. May require a permanent traversal artifact that can be obtained later in the game. Refer to Visions of the Past for more information.
  • Clearing the Containment Area: Marked with a yellow rectangular door with a star above it, the Containment Area is a marathon challenge that requires clearing three successive waves of enemies increasing in difficulty. While on subsequent runs the room will be reset, the room itself will need to be cleared just once for each survey.
  • Finding a Secret Area: In rooms, you’ll find glowing yellow spheres that aren’t marked on your minimap. These can lead to secret rooms that can contain anything from loose Obolites, containers, or an ultra-tough enemy.

Below is a table for amounts of Xenoglyph Ciphers, Scout Logs, and Xeno-Archives in each biome.

BiomeXenoglyph CiphersScout LogsXeno-Archives
Overgrown Ruins10184
Crimson Wastes2095
Derelict Citadel15105
Echoing Ruins15115
Fractured Wastes10104
Abyssal Scar2095

Upon completing each environment survey, you’ll be granted its respective achievement.

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Past the Ruins

  • “Finish Overgrown Ruins Survey”

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Ascending the Mountain

  • HIDDEN ACHIEVEMENT – “Finish Crimson Wastes Survey”

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Through the Forgotten City

  • HIDDEN ACHIEVEMENT – “Finish Derelict Citadel Survey”

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Echoes of the Past

  • HIDDEN ACHIEVEMENT – “Finish Echoing Ruins Survey”

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Frozen in Time

  • HIDDEN ACHIEVEMENT – “Finish Fractured Wastes Survey”

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Submerged in Memories

HIDDEN ACHIEVEMENT – “Finish Abyssal Scar Survey”

  • If you’ve managed to get everything in this guide, you’ll be granted Returnal‘s ultimate reward:

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Helios

  • “Collect all main Achievements”

Returnal Achievements Ascension DLC (Tower of Sisyphus)

Introduced for PlayStation 5 players on March 22, 2022, Ascension adds an endless mode in the form of the Tower of Sisyphus, along with its own set of achievements. In addition, there’s also online co-op, although no achievements were added for said mode other than tasks for the in-game progress tracker that can be easily accessed in the pause menu.

To access the Tower of Sisyphus to begin with, you need the Icarian Grapnel item (aka the grappling hook) that can be obtained later on in the game. To return back to the crash site, use the device that can be found behind you upon respawning in the Tower hub.

The following achievements can be unlocked here (spoilered for good measure):

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Eternal Ascent

HIDDEN ACHIEVEMENT – “Die and return in the Tower”

  • Self-explanatory. Hell, you’ve probably already unlocked this and don’t even know it.

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Broken, Restored, Empty

HIDDEN ACHIEVEMENT – “Complete the first Hospital sequence”

  • Upon dying for the first time in the Tower, you’ll be greeted with a hospital bed to the left. Interact with it to enter the first hospital sequence.

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

The Watcher

HIDDEN ACHIEVEMENT – “Defeat Algos’ first form”

  • Algos is the main boss of the Tower of Sisyphus. You’ll first encounter it at the end of the first phase of the tower, in room 1-20.

[ENG] WIP Achievement Guide

Destroyer

HIDDEN ACHIEVEMENT – “Kill 100 Hostiles with Disgorgers”

  • Disgorgers are a brand new type of consumable found exclusively in the Tower of Sisyphus. Upon usage, it temporarily transforms your gun into a powerful weapon that can vary upon firing depending on what Disgorger you use. You’ll first encounter one later on in the Tower, in room 2-13. Progress for this achievement is cumulative, so don’t worry about trying to attempt this in one go.

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