Returnal: How to Heal

The hostile creatures of Atropos hit pretty hard, so you’re going to have to heal if you want to stay alive in Returnal. Housemarque’s latest title is brutally difficult, especially in the early stages of the game when you don’t have too many weapons or items unlocked. Health does not automatically regenerate in Returnal, so you’ll have to keep an eye out for healing items and other methods to restore your health during a run. When you die, you’re sent all the way back to the beginning, so keeping your health bar topped off is incredibly important. Here’s how to heal in Returnal.

How to Heal in Returnal

The primary way to heal in Returnal is to collect Silphium, a bright green item that is dropped by enemies. It comes in different sizes, with larger amounts of Silphium restoring more of your health. You can also purchase Silphium vials using Obolites if you’re lucky enough to find a shop. You can also find something called Malignant Silphium, which will heal you but give your suit a Malfunction in the process.

While Silphium is the main way to heal in Returnal, there are other items that can regenerate your health. Returnal is a roguelike, so the level layouts and items will change each time you die. Some of the random items you can get will have regenerative properties that will heal you without any Silphium. Some Parasites will regenerate your health when it drops below a certain threshold, and other items will absorb health from fallen enemies. It’s a good idea to experiment with Parasites and other things so you know what to look out for on future runs.

Returnal is a tough-as-nails shooter, so you’ll likely be at low health quite often. There’s only so much Silphium to go around, but learning how to effectively utilize your movement abilities like your dash and jump will help you survive.

Returnal is available now on PlayStation 5.