Returnal Artifacts List: Best Artifacts For Surviving Atropos

Selecting optimal Artifacts represents one of the most critical strategic decisions in Returnal, directly influencing your survival probability during each cycle through Atropos. These powerful enhancements remain active throughout your entire run unless specifically consumed, providing persistent advantages against the planet’s hostile inhabitants.

Returnal stands among PlayStation 5’s most demanding titles, yet its difficulty curve becomes significantly more manageable through strategic Artifact acquisition. As you navigate the ever-changing alien landscape, these game-altering buffs accompany you until either your run concludes or their single-use capacity activates—whichever occurs first. Given Returnal’s roguelike structure with randomized elements, understanding the complete Artifact ecosystem proves essential for consistent progression. This guide delivers comprehensive coverage of all available Artifacts alongside expert recommendations for optimal selections.

The game features 31 distinct Artifacts, each providing exclusively beneficial effects without hidden drawbacks. Unlike Parasites that typically mix advantages with disadvantages, Artifacts offer pure enhancements that strengthen your capabilities throughout each attempt.

While technically possible to complete Returnal using only story-mandated Artifacts, this approach dramatically increases the challenge level. Consequently, thorough exploration for these items becomes paramount to success, particularly when facing the game’s formidable boss encounters. We strongly advise comprehensive area investigation unless your current survival appears immediately threatened.

Artifacts rarely appear along critical path routes, demanding deliberate deviation from main objectives. Although some become available for purchase using Obolites at fabricator stations, their appearance remains infrequent and unpredictable. Your most reliable acquisition method involves targeting minimap locations marked with distinctive blue inverted V symbols rather than standard rectangular room indicators. The former denotes optional exploration zones, while the latter typically indicates primary progression routes through Atropos’s shifting biomes.

Strategic Artifact acquisition involves balancing immediate purchases with thorough exploration of hidden areas.

Purchase Artifacts when financially feasible, but prioritize thorough investigation of optional zones where they frequently appear without cost.

Artifacts systematically enhance your capabilities across several strategic dimensions: survival extension through resurrection and health regeneration, damage amplification via weapon proficiency and conditional buffs, utility improvements including enhanced mobility and resource collection, and synergistic bonuses that amplify other game systems like Parasites and Malfunctions. Understanding these categories helps prioritize acquisitions based on your current build requirements and playstyle preferences.

Regarding premier Artifact selections, my unequivocal top recommendation remains the game’s introductory item: the Astronaut Figurine. This invaluable tool provides a single resurrection opportunity per cycle, which proved instrumental not only during my initial victory over the first boss but also provided the decisive advantage during extended struggles against the second biome’s formidable antagonist.

Another exceptional Returnal Artifact is Murmuring Cocoon, which enhances Parasite effectiveness. Parasites frequently demonstrate net positive value despite their mixed benefit/drawback nature. Murmuring Cocoon magnifies these advantageous aspects, making it an outstanding addition to any loadout.

Visceral Knot delivers remarkable tactical advantages. With approximately every third defeated enemy detonating upon death, your arsenal gains an automated area denial capability that proves exceptionally valuable in densely populated combat zones. Strategic positioning can even trigger cascading explosive sequences, creating spectacular chain reactions among the bioluminescent fauna.

For players struggling with resource management, Golden Coil offers scalable damage enhancement tied to Obolite reserves, encouraging strategic conservation rather than impulsive spending. Meanwhile, Phantom Limb provides sustainable health regeneration that synergizes beautifully with aggressive playstyles focused on continuous enemy engagement.

Advanced players should prioritize Fractal Nail when utilizing Malfunction strategies, as it transforms potential liabilities into damage amplification opportunities. The various Calibrator artifacts provide essential weapon proficiency acceleration, dramatically reducing the time required to access higher-tier firearms.

Returnal imposes no restrictions on Artifact accumulation during individual cycles, making comprehensive collection highly advisable. While some become available through purchase, vendor inventories share the same randomization as environmental layouts, rendering systematic exploration your most reliable acquisition method. Diligently investigate every concealed alcove and obscure passage—and trust that your accumulated enhancements will provide sufficient combat effectiveness when confronting each biome’s culminating boss encounters.

Strategic Exploration Priority: Always allocate exploration time before confronting boss arenas. The defensive and offensive advantages provided by multiple Artifacts frequently determine victory margins in these high-stakes encounters. Early-game prioritization should focus on survivability enhancements, while later cycles benefit more from damage amplification and utility improvements.

Common Collection Mistakes: Many players underestimate the value of backtracking through previously cleared areas after obtaining new traversal abilities. Additionally, avoid spending all Obolites on consumables when Artifacts remain available for purchase.

Advanced Optimization: Experienced players can maximize efficiency by targeting specific Artifact combinations that complement their preferred weapons and playstyles. For instance, aggressive close-quarters combatants benefit tremendously from Blade Balancer combined with Resinous Shield, while precision shooters should prioritize Xeno-Tech Sight alongside damage-enhancing artifacts.

For comprehensive guidance on mastering Returnal’s combat mechanics and progression systems, consult our Complete Guide to developing effective strategies. Weapon selection dramatically influences Artifact effectiveness—discover optimal pairings in our Weapons Unlock guide, while strategic class choices covered in our Class Guide.

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