Returnal: How to Melee

Trying to stay alive on the alien world of Atropos can be daunting, but Housemarque’s Returnal provides players with plenty of weapons to fight back. While the various sci-fi guns are always fun to wield, you can always depend on your melee attack in a pinch. If you are wondering just how to melee in Returnal, here are the important details you will have to know heading into the roguelike.

How to Melee in Returnal

As you emerge from your crashed ship, Helios, you will find that Selene is only able to rely on her firearm, which happens to be a sidearm. There is no close-ranged melee attack at your disposal… yet.

Once you progress a little further into your first biome, the Overgrown Ruins, you will eventually stumble upon the impressive-looking Atropian Blade. With this weapon in your arsenal, you can now begin your melee madness in Returnal.

Pressing the Square button unleashes the melee attack that pushes you forward with some momentum. This attack will come in handy against enemies that come up too close, and even more so against shielded foes. The enemies with the red shielding requires a melee attack to break through.

It helps that the Atropian Blade melee attack hits hard and heavy, and it should be regularly used as an attack in Returnal.

If you find yourself just short of reaching the ledge after a jump or dash, you can also use your melee attack to give you a little more reach. Who knew melee attacks were such fun!

That’s all there is to know about how to melee in Returnal. For more tips, tricks, and info tied to the game, head on over to our guide wiki.

To learn even more about Returnal, check out the articles below. They’ll cover everything from the latest Returnal news and trailers to our review of the game.