Weapons you find in Returnal are governed by weapon proficiency–a bar you gradually fill up during each run that determines the tier of weapons you’ll find. It might be tempting to just focus on the overall weapon level and swap for anything higher than what you have, but as runs start becoming longer and enemies introduce more complex attack patterns, having a weapon that you’re comfortable with is often more deadly than one with a higher level.ĭon’t just automatically pick up a weapon because it’s higher tier.

On top of that, the weapon level doesn’t consider the alt-fire and perks for your equipped weapon, which should give you pause every time you consider switching up. Returnal’s second biome, for example, is filled with mostly airborne enemies, making longer-range weapons a bit easier to work with in its opening stages.

Make no mistake, adapting to new weapons and choosing the right one for the part of a run you find yourself in is crucial. But if you’re still blowing enemies away and feel like you’ve gotten into a groove, stick with what you have until you absolutely feel like it’s not strong enough anymore. One of the skills you start with is an incredibly useful dash that you can pull off pretty much anywhere, but unlike many action games, Returnal expects you to use it to go towards projectiles, not necessarily away from them. While dashing, you are invincible to attacks, letting you use it to bypass a wall of projectiles while also closing the gap to an enemy for a devastating melee kill. Your dodge is also used for some light puzzle-solving, as many optional rooms will be brimming with lasers and other hazards that you will need to deftly dodge through to escape. Things change later in the run where certain attacks (denoted by their purple color) will not allow you to dash through them safely.

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