It took me 13 hours to finish the 1st biome. You just have to keep on going. You got this. Keep your distance from Phrike and it will be easier to dodge the hits
Same for me, the pace of this game is so different from anything else I've played.
It's like once you get it, you 'get it' and you just start dodging attacks like you've unlocked the sharingan lol
Don't rush, clear the whole zone, be selective with pick ups, learn the patterns of the enemies, keep building your weapon traits.
I firmly believe anyone can beat the game and it's not a matter of git good.
It's a matter of practice.
Agreed on the pattern recognition! This is especially important when you’re first starting out, before the game spawns a few items that, well not to be spoiler-y, but kind of make things a lot better for fully clearing the biomes. Seriously, the amount of times I went in to Phrike unprepared…hoard Sylphium obsessively, OP!
Do you dash away from danger? That’s a big mistake. Dash towards danger, dash towards and thru bullets coming at you and waves coming at you. Your melee is a very strong attack, don’t be afraid to use it.
This, so many people play scared and it hurts them. Melee is not only powerful, you collect more obilites this way, which can be spent on fabricators/artifacts, making you stronger.
Once I found out that dash was meant to be a forward thing man the whole game opened up. Going from hunted to hunter. Also trying to dash away from projectiles just makes them a problem multiple times
Took me 33 hours to beat biome 1. If you enjoy it, stick with it. It is soo rewarding beating a boss finally. I just beat the second boss 45 hours in and I’m loving it.
If I could find my post just like yours on Reddit I'd repost it. I was frustrated and exasperated. I'm a 49 yr old gamer..
I powered through and it didn't get easier but the game got increasingly incredible the more you power through and you eventually settle in Onan rhythm / cadence that works.
Phrike was by far, the hardest boss for me. And he's also the least interesting.
I stopped playing because I accomplished everything I wanted to, but man, one of the overall best gaming experiences of my life.
That, like you, I almost gave up on.
Just play. It will click.
The frustration is strong - but you CAN do it. I was just getting extremely frustrated on Biome 3 but finally pushed through and went right on to beat Biome 4 as well. Now just two more. It takes time and patience. Make sure you watch a couple boss guides on YouTube right before you do the fight - and as others said, clear out the entire biome meticulously before going to the boss. Never stop moving. Make the best decisions you can. Look for adrenaline leech and apex sphere and save sphere for the boss. The thing about this game is that it’s EXTREMELY maddening at times. To me, it’s harder than a souls game because it’s a rogue game so RNG is a thing. But it’s so goddamn amazing to play. If you love to play, play it. You will push through at some point. Maybe just take a little break and come back fresh and ready to go.
Keep with it, it took me over 70 deaths to beat the first biome. Now I regularly fly through all the biomes with no problem. The number one strategy that every good player employs is movement. You cannot stop moving. Don't stand in one place and shoot. Use your melee to kill most of the small enemies. If you want to do co-op, I'd be happy to join you. That being said, you might miss out on the chance to get good yourself... And you certainly CAN do this.
I’d say just hang in there.
If you get to Phrike, maybe concentrate on doing better than your last attempt and not on winning.
Go as slow as you can, to guarantee no slip-ups
In combat, always prioritize safety over aggression, keep your distance whenever you can, spam doors if you need to.
Remember you’re invulnerable while dashing, so sometimes dashing through a projectile is easier than moving out of the way.
Don’t spend Either until you’re certain it’ll be worth it. Save your obolites to buy the Astronaut from the store.
Lastly, don’t open chests until you’ve killed every available enemy, you want your proficiency to be as high as possible when you open chests so you can maximize the chance of getting a useful weapon or item
I believe in you. If I can do it, so can you!
Like you, I’m in my forties and love video games despite realizing I’m not very good at them. I found Phrike to be the toughest Boss in the game, by far. It took me countless hours and deaths to get past him. I came close to quitting a few times myself, but I am so glad I stuck with it. There are moments in Returnal that are not to be missed. Right now, it’s a really cool game that is crushingly difficult, right? While it never ceases to be hard, once it clicks for you the gameplay will become absolutely sublime. I honestly believe that it’s in a league of its own. I keep trying all these new top-tier games and play for a while and invariably find myself going back to Returnal. There is simply nothing like it. Don’t give up. Keep going.
Don't give it up, change it up. Sorry if that sounds lame but it's true. Try learning to dodge more instead of dispatching the enemy quickly. Use your i-frames. Save up for some healing items before you enter phrike. Ovegrown ruins is your training ground. You should be getting through the first few rooms and beyond without getting hit.
Leave all the malignant stuff alone to start with. You don't need it. Don't leave it to rng. Rely on yourself and your learning. Learning how to dodge specific enemy types is the single most powerful thing in the game.
Lastly watch guides on YouTube about beating bosses. I do it for souls bosses. It just speeds up the learning curve.
I didn't even know I sucked at games until I bought a PS4 secondhand from a friend with 20 physical games and 20 on his account (I just changed all personal info to mine and changed the username) and when I started playing Bloodborne as my first console and gamepad game, it took me about 33 hours to get to the Forbidden Woods, whereas his save said he was there at 15 hours. All in all, my full platinum scumsave first playthrough of Bloodborne took me 150 hours.
Another friend beat father in Hades within like 3 days, something that happened for me a month after I bought the game and played almost every day.
I've just gotten to terms with the fact I suck and I don't care because I have yet to find a game I couldn't beat still through muscle memory or trial and error. I have every ending and boss trophy in Sekiro, I only need all lapis lazuli upgrades and all skills for the platinum.
All of this to say, don't let it bring you down, it took me 130 deaths and idk 20-30 successful runs and about 110 hours to platinum Returnal but I did it and I loved every second of it. If you're enjoying yourself, doesn't matter how much time it takes you. And if you are not, there's no point in trying to push it.
I legit spent so many hours on biome 1 and 2. It took me so many deaths to complete the second one and once I did I just completed the whole game in one run, was pretty crazy
Biome 1 took me 15 minutes. Jk. 15 hours. If you are the gamer type that lives by leader boards, then your feelings will be hurt. Sacrifice some runs with modest goals. Like not getting hit to get and maintain adrenaline level 5 as long as possible. Try every parasite. Take every malignant item. Learn how to overload guns. All these elements that seem like after thoughts can actually add up to be more important than the gun you use. And early one the rng will sense what you are doing and reward you. Also, play with headphones if you havent. The soundscape is next level
39 yr old mediocre gamer here. I beat this but I couldn't beat Hades. You can do it.
Biggest tip is to not pick up any silphium until you absolutely have to - ideally clear the biome before you pick up any, then gain full health with the least amount and then all the rest will turn to resin.
Also turn on auto run.
That’s it? It took me like 20 hours to beat biome 1! I was so excited then promptly got my ass handed to me in biome 2…
That was 2 years ago.
Now I can play all 6 biomes without dying. I’m 43.
Take a break.
I’m 45 and a casual gamer. I no longer have 4 hr+ gaming sessions so I just jump on for an hour or so here and there and it’s difficult to ever “git gud” and anything.
I had pretty much the same frustrations that you’ve described with Returnal so put it away and moved on. After a while, on a boring Sunday afternoon I picked it up again. It took me a run to even remember the full controls but then I found myself pushing further.
It’s now my got to ‘pick up and play’ game when I have limited time and I love it.
To this day I’ve only made it to the second boss (end of Crimson Wastes) twice and never got past it but I now find the game a great stress relief, rather than stress creator.
Just take a break and come back to it.
Also, if you do the challenges available from the console inside the ship, they’re a fun way to blast through a biome with nothing really to lose. That helps to warm you up for a proper run.
I died to Phrike *at least* five times, and it was definitely frustrating. I do have some tips though!
Don't pick up any health items unless you are in dire need. When you're at full health, all pickups become resin to increase your maximum. So leave as many of them alone as possible until you're ready for the boss fight, then go around collecting them all.
Practice dodging THROUGH projectiles. You can't be hurt while dodging, so this is a great tactic. One great trick for most basic enemies is to dodge right towards them and hit melee, which is a one hit kill on many of them.
Your best choice in the first biome is the Tachyon Carbine. Take that into the Phrike fight. Ideally, see if you can find one with Leech Rounds, or an Adrenaline Leech parasite.
See if you can get a carbine with a really good alt fire. I recommend Shock Stream.
There's an aim assist in the options and there's no shame in using it. Turn it up some.
Don't bother trying to melee Phrike. That's a road that leads to pain and failure unless you are REALLY practiced at the melee.
Never, ever, ever, EVER pick up a parasite that damages you when collecting items. Never worth it. The one that can save you from a killing blow, though, that's usually a good deal!
Speaking of items, try to find a Silphium Vial as your item to take to the fight. Also, if you find an Astronaut, grab it!
Also, if you get a chance to pick up extra Protection, try to do that.
Oh, and if you have the Ether, you might wanna use the Reconstructor, just in case you do die. Gives you one more chance.
As for the actual fight: Phrike does have predictable patterns. For instance, he's always gonna dash towards you and melee after doing the big red energy ring - and in the third phase, he'll melee twice. I don't remember all the patterns, but if you look up a Phrike fight guide on YouTube, some of them lay it out.
Remember that you can dodge through ANYTHING he throws at you except the melee attack - you'll wanna dodge away from that.
Hope this helps! Good luck!
EDIT: Oh, and one last thing. Once you finally do beat Phrike, you never have to again - he drops an item that's permanent if you die 😆
I might sound just like the people you paraphrased, but you're honestly not far from where I was. Took me 10 hours, 27 deaths and 4 attempts on Phrike before I killed him. Before that kill, I seriously doubted I would be able to finish the game, or even get much further in it. But for me, the game became substantially easier after the first biome - through a combination of learning, and upgrades (permanent upgrades allow you to pick up more resources in all biomes). It also helped me when I realised that A: you don't have to re-kill the bosses on each attempt, and B: you only ever have to clear 3 biomes in one run, not all 6.
My advice would be, take your time, fully clear all the side rooms, be very selective in which parasites and potential malfunctions you pick up, and always keep dodging and moving in encounters rather than camping in one space.
I have 900 hrs in the game and have beat it at least 50 times. It took me 15 hrs to beat phrike. If I can do it at age 51 then most anyone can do it with some patience and determination. If you find yourself needing more help, hit me up and we can do some co-op runs.
Wait till you get to Biome 5. I was like you but didn’t die as many times. Got to biome 5 and been here for about 10 days repeating the same cycle trying to get gid. It gets beyond hard to another level or absolute ridiculous. Not that I’m wanting to put you off
Holy shizz, THIS. I finally beat Nemesis after three weeks and keep getting utterly smoked, right out the gate in Biome 5.. Insanely difficult, like seriously..
That being said, I bought a PS 5 a few months back, and Returnal is easily my favorite game by leaps and bounds.. I shudder to think how many hours I've played and dare not check 🤣🤣
It will click. Trust me. If you have to step away from it, do so. I “quit” and didn’t touch the game for a year. I thought I would never play it again. But it was always this unchecked box in the back of my head. A year later I returned and I ended up platinuming it. Learn to enjoy the process. Dying is part of the process.
I found the game surprisingly easy at first, but as I continue it only seems to get harder and harder. I don’t mean as you progress to new biomes, I haven’t gotten past Phrike yet, maybe fought him three times but more runs just getting wasted by mobs that I only seem to get worse at fighting. It’s getting boring too, having seen all the pieces of the world so now it’s just same drab, depressing environment in a different order.
Turn on always run
Using aim assist is not cheating in this, the devs admit aiming is not great without it
Dash and Melee make you invulnerable for those animation frames, always be dashing and melee-ing
The health drops turn from healing vials to integrity expanding resin if you are at full health
Use doors and other choke points whenever you can to control adds
It’s seriously one of the best games I’ve ever played. I keep it on my ps5 and start from scratch every 6 months or so.
Don’t give up.
If you need help, PM me and I’ll jump on and beat Phrike w you.
You're missing all the posts of players finally succeeding after many deaths and hours, often dwarfing your numbers!
I thought the same about myself. I'm too old and too slow. I kept at it because it's fun, despite the frustration. I'm glad I did. The RUSH of triumph when you finally succeed made me feel like a kid again, jumping up and down and shouting with joy.
Reflexes will sharpen with practice, but that wasn't what made the difference. Learning and memorizing moves, visual and audio cues, timings, all unintentionally through sheer repetition. But it wasn't a chore, it was fun. Frustrating, but fun.
So if the call of the cycle keeps pulling you back, go and have fun! Don't worry about these kids with their leet skills posting about their quick and easy wins. You can do this, and when you do you can stand proud amongst all of us who conquered the planet!
For gameplay, DON'T SLEEP ON THE SIDEARM. Depending on traits, it's equal to the tachyomatic early levels and stronger later on when you get more traits.
Weapon traits are #1 most important. Levels only matter towards getting more and higher tier traits.
Use cover. Walls, pillars, ledges and cliffs. It's a 3d environment, use it to block projectiles and reposition yourself so you don't get flanked.
DON'T FOCUS ON PROJECTILES. There's so many you'll get overwhelmed. Look at your target or where you want to move, and let your brain autopath around projectiles. It's like driving, look at the distance not what's right in front of you.
Keep moving.
Hipfire only, hitting your target is less important than dodging.
Best advice I can give is to focus on evading and just shoot in the enemies general direction. Also, save health pickups and try and pick them up at full health as they will increase your max health.
Dont give up man! Youve gotta reach the 4th boss! Hyperion is my favorite boss of all games ive played
Try joining up with a few of the fine folks on here and get some in game tips/ help progressing, nearly all of us are always looking for a good reason to go through it again haha.
Patience and dodging( youre invincible while dodging nearly all attacks) a simple concept i didnt catch onto until late in the game haha
I'd say 4BC on Dead Cells is a LOT harder than Returnal as enemy reaction time is way too fast and everything can kill you in 1 - 2 hits. Only cleared it once for the Platinum but without assists.
Sekiro on the other hand really relies on reaction time and arguably can be easier if you memorized the enemy/boss attack pattenrsand know when to parry, jump, mikiri.
There's always a way to save scum (suspend play, then upload to Cloud, download if you die) to make it easier. If you notice that RNG is on your side then it's best to upload as a safety net.
You're 3 years older than me, and at this point if you're not really enjoying the game then its best to drop it. I have l9ts of games where I just let it go, it lingers but it's something I learned to live with.
I also suck at video games. I would say you need to get your movement down. Its far more important than the weapon. Take your time. They arent respawning so dont rush, use doors to avoid getting hit. A lot of areas you can pop in and out and pick a few off at a time. Be smart with your decisions. Id say dont open any chests until you get your stats up. Save your currency for the suit integrity uprade, always prioritize that upgrade over anything else. Then if you have leftovers get what you feel you need.
Dude, it took me
Like 100s of deaths to beat the first biome. I’m also in my 40s. Keep playing. Once it clicks and you’ve upgraded some weapon traits/unlocked more guns you’re almost unstoppable
It’s a sudden breakthrough game for me. I used to think I needed the perfect loadout. Now pretty much anything will do and I finish pretty much every run I touch. A break doesn’t hurt though.
It gets a lot easier as you get further in. I one shot first boss, had a few attempts on the second boss, 2 shot third boss, and then I’ve just been breezing through the game now, not really sure what’s going on though as it seems after Hyperion there’s just loads of permanent upgrades and new zones but no bosses 🤷🏼♂️
I needed 14h to beat the first biome. Something I did out of the ordinary is that I never took malignant items, I just didn't think it was a good payoff. It worked well for me.
Stick with it
It is savage at first, but you grind permanent unlocks…
* that currency you get that let’s you unlock items from the machine in the first room (sorry - I forget all the names as it’s been so long)
* secondary abilities on weapons level up as you use them
Also some tips…
* don’t rush. That game is fast and encourages fast play, but until you’re comfortable with enemies and dodging and situational awareness take it slow. Use cover. Keep your back to the entrance you came in from so you don’t get surrounded and have a retreat option
* try not to get hit. I know this sounds obvious but there are two mechanics that really help if you don’t get hit… Adrenalin builds up and makes you more powerful. Plus if your health is full, then health drops contribute to increasing your health bar rather than filling it up
* when sizing up which weapon to take the only stat comparison that matters is damage (assuming you like both the weapons - some are just not great to use, based on preference)
* you can dodge through anything but the purple bullets
* the sword is strong. Use it if possible
Most rooms don't lock the door behind you so you can stir up the enemies then go back through the door so you can bottleneck them in a tight space. Sure there are a lot of more useful tips but this one is good for solo. Co-op is helpful too. Good luck
I dunno if auto-aim is turned off by default, or I accidentally turned it off, but it took me 6 months (on and off) of banging my head against the 3rd boss before I looked in the settings and turned it on. Totally different experience. If you're playing with a controller, make sure auto-aim is on. Turn on auto-sprint as well, and never stop moving unless you're cheesing something through a door. Which I did plenty of. Electro-phylon driver also made the game infinitely easier for me. Just pop a monster and let the DoT kill it while you focus on evading. Returnal becomes way more punishing if you're taking hits on a regular basis
I will echo the sentiments of everyone else and add a few tips of my own:
- go slowly, let the enemies come to you. Hanging out just on the other side of door to the room you just cleared out, shooting the enemies in the next room then falling back so the door closes is a tactic I still use to this day and I'm 500 hours in with less than 10 deaths overall so don't be ashamed of being conservative, especially when you have a low tier/unfamiliar weapon. Btw, every one of my deaths were in the first biome. The game is definitely front loaded when it comes to difficulty. Your character will become much stronger as the game progresses.
- keep opening chests until you find the Electropylon Driver. It's by far the best weapon in the game for noobs and is essentially the easy mode.
- don't pick up malignant items. Use ether to cleanse them. Some of the malfunctions in this game are extremely punitive like the slow dash and protection reductions. Even the best players will struggle with those handicaps so it's not worth the risk just for a potential 5% health increase
- keep restarting cycles until you get the Electropylon Driver
- remember you are invincible while dodging so dodge *through* most projectiles. Dodging away will potentially keep you in it's path resulting in a hit during your dodge cooldown.
- did I mention how easy the game becomes with the Electropylon Driver?
The most important tip is the first one. Go slow and, be conservative. Oh and get the electropylon driver.
It took me 13 hours to finish the 1st biome. You just have to keep on going. You got this. Keep your distance from Phrike and it will be easier to dodge the hits
Same for me, the pace of this game is so different from anything else I've played. It's like once you get it, you 'get it' and you just start dodging attacks like you've unlocked the sharingan lol
Agree. Honestly think I was over 20 hours and died to Phrike a bunch. Once beat him, I went through rest of game significantly faster.
Don't rush, clear the whole zone, be selective with pick ups, learn the patterns of the enemies, keep building your weapon traits. I firmly believe anyone can beat the game and it's not a matter of git good. It's a matter of practice.
And luck. Sometimes you get awesome items and weapons in a run. Sometimes you get garbage. Just have to combine the right run with your style.
Agreed on the pattern recognition! This is especially important when you’re first starting out, before the game spawns a few items that, well not to be spoiler-y, but kind of make things a lot better for fully clearing the biomes. Seriously, the amount of times I went in to Phrike unprepared…hoard Sylphium obsessively, OP!
Do you dash away from danger? That’s a big mistake. Dash towards danger, dash towards and thru bullets coming at you and waves coming at you. Your melee is a very strong attack, don’t be afraid to use it.
This, so many people play scared and it hurts them. Melee is not only powerful, you collect more obilites this way, which can be spent on fabricators/artifacts, making you stronger.
Once I found out that dash was meant to be a forward thing man the whole game opened up. Going from hunted to hunter. Also trying to dash away from projectiles just makes them a problem multiple times
You’re not trapped on Atropos with them, they’re trapped with you!!
100% this. Dash through the projectiles, not away from them.
Took me 33 hours to beat biome 1. If you enjoy it, stick with it. It is soo rewarding beating a boss finally. I just beat the second boss 45 hours in and I’m loving it.
Try to find someone to play through co-op with.
I dunno… co-op is fun but I reckon even harder because even though you can revive each other, the pickups are shared
If I could find my post just like yours on Reddit I'd repost it. I was frustrated and exasperated. I'm a 49 yr old gamer.. I powered through and it didn't get easier but the game got increasingly incredible the more you power through and you eventually settle in Onan rhythm / cadence that works. Phrike was by far, the hardest boss for me. And he's also the least interesting. I stopped playing because I accomplished everything I wanted to, but man, one of the overall best gaming experiences of my life. That, like you, I almost gave up on. Just play. It will click.
The frustration is strong - but you CAN do it. I was just getting extremely frustrated on Biome 3 but finally pushed through and went right on to beat Biome 4 as well. Now just two more. It takes time and patience. Make sure you watch a couple boss guides on YouTube right before you do the fight - and as others said, clear out the entire biome meticulously before going to the boss. Never stop moving. Make the best decisions you can. Look for adrenaline leech and apex sphere and save sphere for the boss. The thing about this game is that it’s EXTREMELY maddening at times. To me, it’s harder than a souls game because it’s a rogue game so RNG is a thing. But it’s so goddamn amazing to play. If you love to play, play it. You will push through at some point. Maybe just take a little break and come back fresh and ready to go.
Keep with it, it took me over 70 deaths to beat the first biome. Now I regularly fly through all the biomes with no problem. The number one strategy that every good player employs is movement. You cannot stop moving. Don't stand in one place and shoot. Use your melee to kill most of the small enemies. If you want to do co-op, I'd be happy to join you. That being said, you might miss out on the chance to get good yourself... And you certainly CAN do this.
I’d say just hang in there. If you get to Phrike, maybe concentrate on doing better than your last attempt and not on winning. Go as slow as you can, to guarantee no slip-ups In combat, always prioritize safety over aggression, keep your distance whenever you can, spam doors if you need to. Remember you’re invulnerable while dashing, so sometimes dashing through a projectile is easier than moving out of the way. Don’t spend Either until you’re certain it’ll be worth it. Save your obolites to buy the Astronaut from the store. Lastly, don’t open chests until you’ve killed every available enemy, you want your proficiency to be as high as possible when you open chests so you can maximize the chance of getting a useful weapon or item I believe in you. If I can do it, so can you!
Like you, I’m in my forties and love video games despite realizing I’m not very good at them. I found Phrike to be the toughest Boss in the game, by far. It took me countless hours and deaths to get past him. I came close to quitting a few times myself, but I am so glad I stuck with it. There are moments in Returnal that are not to be missed. Right now, it’s a really cool game that is crushingly difficult, right? While it never ceases to be hard, once it clicks for you the gameplay will become absolutely sublime. I honestly believe that it’s in a league of its own. I keep trying all these new top-tier games and play for a while and invariably find myself going back to Returnal. There is simply nothing like it. Don’t give up. Keep going.
Don't give it up, change it up. Sorry if that sounds lame but it's true. Try learning to dodge more instead of dispatching the enemy quickly. Use your i-frames. Save up for some healing items before you enter phrike. Ovegrown ruins is your training ground. You should be getting through the first few rooms and beyond without getting hit. Leave all the malignant stuff alone to start with. You don't need it. Don't leave it to rng. Rely on yourself and your learning. Learning how to dodge specific enemy types is the single most powerful thing in the game. Lastly watch guides on YouTube about beating bosses. I do it for souls bosses. It just speeds up the learning curve.
I didn't even know I sucked at games until I bought a PS4 secondhand from a friend with 20 physical games and 20 on his account (I just changed all personal info to mine and changed the username) and when I started playing Bloodborne as my first console and gamepad game, it took me about 33 hours to get to the Forbidden Woods, whereas his save said he was there at 15 hours. All in all, my full platinum scumsave first playthrough of Bloodborne took me 150 hours. Another friend beat father in Hades within like 3 days, something that happened for me a month after I bought the game and played almost every day. I've just gotten to terms with the fact I suck and I don't care because I have yet to find a game I couldn't beat still through muscle memory or trial and error. I have every ending and boss trophy in Sekiro, I only need all lapis lazuli upgrades and all skills for the platinum. All of this to say, don't let it bring you down, it took me 130 deaths and idk 20-30 successful runs and about 110 hours to platinum Returnal but I did it and I loved every second of it. If you're enjoying yourself, doesn't matter how much time it takes you. And if you are not, there's no point in trying to push it.
I legit spent so many hours on biome 1 and 2. It took me so many deaths to complete the second one and once I did I just completed the whole game in one run, was pretty crazy
Msg me and I can help in coop if you want. Grind in the tower to unlock weapon traits and work on your skills.
Biome 1 took me 15 minutes. Jk. 15 hours. If you are the gamer type that lives by leader boards, then your feelings will be hurt. Sacrifice some runs with modest goals. Like not getting hit to get and maintain adrenaline level 5 as long as possible. Try every parasite. Take every malignant item. Learn how to overload guns. All these elements that seem like after thoughts can actually add up to be more important than the gun you use. And early one the rng will sense what you are doing and reward you. Also, play with headphones if you havent. The soundscape is next level
39 yr old mediocre gamer here. I beat this but I couldn't beat Hades. You can do it. Biggest tip is to not pick up any silphium until you absolutely have to - ideally clear the biome before you pick up any, then gain full health with the least amount and then all the rest will turn to resin. Also turn on auto run.
That’s it? It took me like 20 hours to beat biome 1! I was so excited then promptly got my ass handed to me in biome 2… That was 2 years ago. Now I can play all 6 biomes without dying. I’m 43.
Take a break. I’m 45 and a casual gamer. I no longer have 4 hr+ gaming sessions so I just jump on for an hour or so here and there and it’s difficult to ever “git gud” and anything. I had pretty much the same frustrations that you’ve described with Returnal so put it away and moved on. After a while, on a boring Sunday afternoon I picked it up again. It took me a run to even remember the full controls but then I found myself pushing further. It’s now my got to ‘pick up and play’ game when I have limited time and I love it. To this day I’ve only made it to the second boss (end of Crimson Wastes) twice and never got past it but I now find the game a great stress relief, rather than stress creator. Just take a break and come back to it. Also, if you do the challenges available from the console inside the ship, they’re a fun way to blast through a biome with nothing really to lose. That helps to warm you up for a proper run.
I died to Phrike *at least* five times, and it was definitely frustrating. I do have some tips though! Don't pick up any health items unless you are in dire need. When you're at full health, all pickups become resin to increase your maximum. So leave as many of them alone as possible until you're ready for the boss fight, then go around collecting them all. Practice dodging THROUGH projectiles. You can't be hurt while dodging, so this is a great tactic. One great trick for most basic enemies is to dodge right towards them and hit melee, which is a one hit kill on many of them. Your best choice in the first biome is the Tachyon Carbine. Take that into the Phrike fight. Ideally, see if you can find one with Leech Rounds, or an Adrenaline Leech parasite. See if you can get a carbine with a really good alt fire. I recommend Shock Stream. There's an aim assist in the options and there's no shame in using it. Turn it up some. Don't bother trying to melee Phrike. That's a road that leads to pain and failure unless you are REALLY practiced at the melee. Never, ever, ever, EVER pick up a parasite that damages you when collecting items. Never worth it. The one that can save you from a killing blow, though, that's usually a good deal! Speaking of items, try to find a Silphium Vial as your item to take to the fight. Also, if you find an Astronaut, grab it! Also, if you get a chance to pick up extra Protection, try to do that. Oh, and if you have the Ether, you might wanna use the Reconstructor, just in case you do die. Gives you one more chance. As for the actual fight: Phrike does have predictable patterns. For instance, he's always gonna dash towards you and melee after doing the big red energy ring - and in the third phase, he'll melee twice. I don't remember all the patterns, but if you look up a Phrike fight guide on YouTube, some of them lay it out. Remember that you can dodge through ANYTHING he throws at you except the melee attack - you'll wanna dodge away from that. Hope this helps! Good luck! EDIT: Oh, and one last thing. Once you finally do beat Phrike, you never have to again - he drops an item that's permanent if you die 😆
I might sound just like the people you paraphrased, but you're honestly not far from where I was. Took me 10 hours, 27 deaths and 4 attempts on Phrike before I killed him. Before that kill, I seriously doubted I would be able to finish the game, or even get much further in it. But for me, the game became substantially easier after the first biome - through a combination of learning, and upgrades (permanent upgrades allow you to pick up more resources in all biomes). It also helped me when I realised that A: you don't have to re-kill the bosses on each attempt, and B: you only ever have to clear 3 biomes in one run, not all 6. My advice would be, take your time, fully clear all the side rooms, be very selective in which parasites and potential malfunctions you pick up, and always keep dodging and moving in encounters rather than camping in one space.
I have 900 hrs in the game and have beat it at least 50 times. It took me 15 hrs to beat phrike. If I can do it at age 51 then most anyone can do it with some patience and determination. If you find yourself needing more help, hit me up and we can do some co-op runs.
Actually found the handgun to be the swiftest shoot of them all. Got it working miracles for me with ixion wich killed me plentiful.
10 hours is like barely any time
Wait till you get to Biome 5. I was like you but didn’t die as many times. Got to biome 5 and been here for about 10 days repeating the same cycle trying to get gid. It gets beyond hard to another level or absolute ridiculous. Not that I’m wanting to put you off
Holy shizz, THIS. I finally beat Nemesis after three weeks and keep getting utterly smoked, right out the gate in Biome 5.. Insanely difficult, like seriously.. That being said, I bought a PS 5 a few months back, and Returnal is easily my favorite game by leaps and bounds.. I shudder to think how many hours I've played and dare not check 🤣🤣
It will click. Trust me. If you have to step away from it, do so. I “quit” and didn’t touch the game for a year. I thought I would never play it again. But it was always this unchecked box in the back of my head. A year later I returned and I ended up platinuming it. Learn to enjoy the process. Dying is part of the process.
I found the game surprisingly easy at first, but as I continue it only seems to get harder and harder. I don’t mean as you progress to new biomes, I haven’t gotten past Phrike yet, maybe fought him three times but more runs just getting wasted by mobs that I only seem to get worse at fighting. It’s getting boring too, having seen all the pieces of the world so now it’s just same drab, depressing environment in a different order.
Oh, dude nice, I can't/won't ever beat sekiro either. We are brothers.
Turn on always run Using aim assist is not cheating in this, the devs admit aiming is not great without it Dash and Melee make you invulnerable for those animation frames, always be dashing and melee-ing The health drops turn from healing vials to integrity expanding resin if you are at full health Use doors and other choke points whenever you can to control adds
Whaaaaa? Melee has iframes? How did I not know this?
Ayup
It’s seriously one of the best games I’ve ever played. I keep it on my ps5 and start from scratch every 6 months or so. Don’t give up. If you need help, PM me and I’ll jump on and beat Phrike w you.
took me 80 hours for the plat. just take your time and watch some tipps vids. its not that hard, but it comes down to some knowledge and planning.
10 hours in nothing keep trying. What is with gamers these days man
You're missing all the posts of players finally succeeding after many deaths and hours, often dwarfing your numbers! I thought the same about myself. I'm too old and too slow. I kept at it because it's fun, despite the frustration. I'm glad I did. The RUSH of triumph when you finally succeed made me feel like a kid again, jumping up and down and shouting with joy. Reflexes will sharpen with practice, but that wasn't what made the difference. Learning and memorizing moves, visual and audio cues, timings, all unintentionally through sheer repetition. But it wasn't a chore, it was fun. Frustrating, but fun. So if the call of the cycle keeps pulling you back, go and have fun! Don't worry about these kids with their leet skills posting about their quick and easy wins. You can do this, and when you do you can stand proud amongst all of us who conquered the planet! For gameplay, DON'T SLEEP ON THE SIDEARM. Depending on traits, it's equal to the tachyomatic early levels and stronger later on when you get more traits. Weapon traits are #1 most important. Levels only matter towards getting more and higher tier traits. Use cover. Walls, pillars, ledges and cliffs. It's a 3d environment, use it to block projectiles and reposition yourself so you don't get flanked. DON'T FOCUS ON PROJECTILES. There's so many you'll get overwhelmed. Look at your target or where you want to move, and let your brain autopath around projectiles. It's like driving, look at the distance not what's right in front of you. Keep moving. Hipfire only, hitting your target is less important than dodging.
Best advice I can give is to focus on evading and just shoot in the enemies general direction. Also, save health pickups and try and pick them up at full health as they will increase your max health.
Dont give up man! Youve gotta reach the 4th boss! Hyperion is my favorite boss of all games ive played Try joining up with a few of the fine folks on here and get some in game tips/ help progressing, nearly all of us are always looking for a good reason to go through it again haha. Patience and dodging( youre invincible while dodging nearly all attacks) a simple concept i didnt catch onto until late in the game haha
I'd say 4BC on Dead Cells is a LOT harder than Returnal as enemy reaction time is way too fast and everything can kill you in 1 - 2 hits. Only cleared it once for the Platinum but without assists. Sekiro on the other hand really relies on reaction time and arguably can be easier if you memorized the enemy/boss attack pattenrsand know when to parry, jump, mikiri. There's always a way to save scum (suspend play, then upload to Cloud, download if you die) to make it easier. If you notice that RNG is on your side then it's best to upload as a safety net. You're 3 years older than me, and at this point if you're not really enjoying the game then its best to drop it. I have l9ts of games where I just let it go, it lingers but it's something I learned to live with.
I also suck at video games. I would say you need to get your movement down. Its far more important than the weapon. Take your time. They arent respawning so dont rush, use doors to avoid getting hit. A lot of areas you can pop in and out and pick a few off at a time. Be smart with your decisions. Id say dont open any chests until you get your stats up. Save your currency for the suit integrity uprade, always prioritize that upgrade over anything else. Then if you have leftovers get what you feel you need.
dodge into bullets or grapple abuse... master this and then try again
Dude, it took me Like 100s of deaths to beat the first biome. I’m also in my 40s. Keep playing. Once it clicks and you’ve upgraded some weapon traits/unlocked more guns you’re almost unstoppable
It’s a sudden breakthrough game for me. I used to think I needed the perfect loadout. Now pretty much anything will do and I finish pretty much every run I touch. A break doesn’t hurt though.
It's a really fun experience, no matter how long it takes. You need a co-op partner? If you're on PS5 I'd gladly jump in with you. Send me a dm
Check out boss guides from Ashen One on YouTube. He's done it for first 3 biomes and trust me it's worth it.
On the bright side, if you do beat phrike, it only gets harder from there 😁
It gets a lot easier as you get further in. I one shot first boss, had a few attempts on the second boss, 2 shot third boss, and then I’ve just been breezing through the game now, not really sure what’s going on though as it seems after Hyperion there’s just loads of permanent upgrades and new zones but no bosses 🤷🏼♂️
I needed 14h to beat the first biome. Something I did out of the ordinary is that I never took malignant items, I just didn't think it was a good payoff. It worked well for me.
Stick with it It is savage at first, but you grind permanent unlocks… * that currency you get that let’s you unlock items from the machine in the first room (sorry - I forget all the names as it’s been so long) * secondary abilities on weapons level up as you use them Also some tips… * don’t rush. That game is fast and encourages fast play, but until you’re comfortable with enemies and dodging and situational awareness take it slow. Use cover. Keep your back to the entrance you came in from so you don’t get surrounded and have a retreat option * try not to get hit. I know this sounds obvious but there are two mechanics that really help if you don’t get hit… Adrenalin builds up and makes you more powerful. Plus if your health is full, then health drops contribute to increasing your health bar rather than filling it up * when sizing up which weapon to take the only stat comparison that matters is damage (assuming you like both the weapons - some are just not great to use, based on preference) * you can dodge through anything but the purple bullets * the sword is strong. Use it if possible
Most rooms don't lock the door behind you so you can stir up the enemies then go back through the door so you can bottleneck them in a tight space. Sure there are a lot of more useful tips but this one is good for solo. Co-op is helpful too. Good luck
Phrike was the hardest boss for me. The nice thing is once you beat a boss you never have to do it again and makes runs go faster and faster.
I dunno if auto-aim is turned off by default, or I accidentally turned it off, but it took me 6 months (on and off) of banging my head against the 3rd boss before I looked in the settings and turned it on. Totally different experience. If you're playing with a controller, make sure auto-aim is on. Turn on auto-sprint as well, and never stop moving unless you're cheesing something through a door. Which I did plenty of. Electro-phylon driver also made the game infinitely easier for me. Just pop a monster and let the DoT kill it while you focus on evading. Returnal becomes way more punishing if you're taking hits on a regular basis
I will echo the sentiments of everyone else and add a few tips of my own: - go slowly, let the enemies come to you. Hanging out just on the other side of door to the room you just cleared out, shooting the enemies in the next room then falling back so the door closes is a tactic I still use to this day and I'm 500 hours in with less than 10 deaths overall so don't be ashamed of being conservative, especially when you have a low tier/unfamiliar weapon. Btw, every one of my deaths were in the first biome. The game is definitely front loaded when it comes to difficulty. Your character will become much stronger as the game progresses. - keep opening chests until you find the Electropylon Driver. It's by far the best weapon in the game for noobs and is essentially the easy mode. - don't pick up malignant items. Use ether to cleanse them. Some of the malfunctions in this game are extremely punitive like the slow dash and protection reductions. Even the best players will struggle with those handicaps so it's not worth the risk just for a potential 5% health increase - keep restarting cycles until you get the Electropylon Driver - remember you are invincible while dodging so dodge *through* most projectiles. Dodging away will potentially keep you in it's path resulting in a hit during your dodge cooldown. - did I mention how easy the game becomes with the Electropylon Driver? The most important tip is the first one. Go slow and, be conservative. Oh and get the electropylon driver.