10 Incredible, Tiny Details You Might Have Missed in Returnal

Housemarque’s Returnal is out now on PS5. The challenging rogue-like third-person shooter is another prime example of how to make use of all of the PS5’s various new features, especially those in the DualSense. The controller makes you feel the game in a way that lends it a true ‘new-gen’ feel.

There’s more than some adaptive triggers and haptic feedback in here that makes Returnal feel so new-gen, though, and a large part of that comes down to the intricate level of detail Housemarque has poured into the hostile, alien planet of Atropos. Because we’re right geeks about this kind of thing over here at Twinfinite, we decided to run you through 10 incredible, tiny details you might have missed as you blasted your way through countless aliens in Returnal.

The ‘Astra’ Brand Name on the Back of Selene’s Suit

Incredible, Tiny Details in Returnal

This one is one of my personal favorites. If you look really closely (and do a bit of zooming in), you can actually see the ‘Astra’ brand name of Selene’s suit just on the back of her helmet.

It’s kind of obscured a little in the image above by the cord running between the helmet and the rest of her suit, but you can still make out a fair few of the letters all the same. Who would ever notice that? Barely anyone, but kudos to Housemarque for going all-in on this level of detail. It certainly gives Returnal that true, premium, AAA feel.

The Insane Level of Lighting Detail on Transporter Particles

Incredible, Tiny Details in Returnal

I’ve got to give a shout-out to Digital Foundry on this one, as they helped me realize just how incredibly detailed these transporter animations are.

Each time that Selene uses one of the long-distance transporters found throughout Atropos, she’s broken down into thousands of little blue orb particles before being reconstructed at the other end. It can sometimes be difficult to appreciate, as the game loads in so quickly that it all happens in the space of a second or two. Yes, the screenshot above was a real pain to get!

What makes this animation so fascinating is that it looks as though each particle is this perfectly rendered 3D sphere with lighting effects applied to them. Exactly how Housemarque has managed this wizardry, we’re not entirely sure, but we can’t help but appreciate it every time we zip to another location.

The Grain in the Wood of ‘the House’

Incredible, Tiny Details in Returnal

Throughout Selene’s adventure, you’ll come across a 20th Century House that plays a key reoccuring role in the narrative. These sections play a part in explaining exactly what our protagonist is going through, and how strange things are getting on Atropos.

During one of the earlier sections, Selene will come out onto the porch, and if you look very carefully at the wooden beam on the left-hand side of the screenshot above, you’ll notice the grain of the wood running vertically through it.

This, combined with the lighting effects in this scene, make for a really photorealistic image. We’re pretty sure this’ll win our ‘Best Wooden Beam of 2021’ award come the year-end. Spoilers: No such award exists… yet.

Selene’s Laptop Keyboard Has Signs of Wear

Incredible, Tiny Details in Returnal

At another point in these house scenes, Selene’s laptop shows up. While a bunch of strange messages and code flashing up on the screen will likely draw most people’s attention, it’s actually the keyboard and trackpad that grabbed I noticed more than anything else.

If you look closely at the trackpad, and some of the keys on the keyboard like the space bar and enter, you can actually see realistic, visual signs of wear from where Selene’s fingers have worn the matte finish down over time.

You can see it right in the middle of the trackpad very faintly, and it’s more noticeable in the center of the spacebar. It’s that telltale, glossy splodge that makes you realize just how much you’ve battered your keyboard over several years. It would appear Selene is quite the avid internet explorer, too!

The Ripples of Water As You Walk Through

Incredible, Tiny Details in Returnal

There are times Selene’s gonna have to get her feet wet. She’ll be traipsing through shallow waters and alien guts more than she’d probably like, but hey, that’s life on Atropos, sadly. But it does give us another tiny detail in Returnal that we’re always big fans of.

As Selene’s walking around in these shallows, you’ll notice realistic ripples in the water from each of her feet. You can see one just a bit behind her in the screenshot above.

There’s nothing more immersion-breaking than watching your character’s feet clipping through the terrain, or not reacting realistically to water, snow, or sand, and Housemarque took this into account.

It won’t be long until you’re feeling the water sloshing around inside your controller with some haptic wizardry next!

The Overgrown Ruins’ Starry Night Sky

Incredible, Tiny Details in Returnal

You’d be forgiven for not having found the time to gawk up into the night sky in Returnal. You know, all the aliens trying to eat your face and send you back to Helios can be a little distracting. The next time you do have a quiet moment in-game, just take a look up and appreciate just how beautiful it is.

The way the moonlight filters through the twisted, twirling branches of the trees, the subtle twinkles of stars illuminating the night sky, and seriously, how do clouds look that good?

Not every biome will have a night sky, but the one looming over the Overgrown Ruins is one that we couldn’t help but sit back and soak up. It’s not only beautifully detailed and realistic, but it also lends an err of loneliness and mystery to Atropos.

Selene’s out here on an alien planet, all on her own, incapable of escaping, and yet the night sky is so similar to that of Earth’s. A homesick-inducing sight, but one we love all the same.

Settled Dust Falling to the Ground When Doors Open

Incredible, Tiny Details in Returnal

As I pointed out in the aforementioned feature highlighting the way Returnal makes use of PS5’s features, I’m rather fascinated by the way the doors spin and whir into life as Selene approaches. It’s just a really neat animation, okay?!

But what makes them even more fascinating is the way in which dust and debris that has settled on these unused relics of alien technology disperses into the air and falls to the ground as the doors slide open.

It adds to the sense of Selene exploring a long-abandoned planet and the mystery that comes as part of that. You never know what’s lurking through the next door… and there’s nobody else to ask. You’ve just got to press on in the hope a lockdown with some unfriendly aliens is abound.

The Intricate Texture Detail of Selene’s Suit

Incredible, Tiny Details in Returnal

Selene’s suit is a thing of beauty. Not just because of the various different components that make it up, but because of the intricate level of detail in the fabric of the suit, too.

While more noticeable in cutscenes, you can actually make out the stitching and the mesh-like texture of the fabric itself, even in gameplay. You have to look closely and angle the camera up close, but it’s there.

To make it even more impressive, there are some solid lighting effects here, too, with crinkles in the fabric providing realistic shadowing in the surrounding areas. Very nice!

The Way Light Realistically Filters Through Stone Gates & Other Objects

Incredible, Tiny Details in Returnal

I can’t quite get over how good the lighting effects look in Returnal, and while it’s not a full fat ray-tracing experience, it does use RT accelerated tech in order to provide more realism to these effects.

Similar to the way the moonlight filtered through the branches of the trees, so too does the light impressively and realistically penetrate through gaps in objects, such as the stone gate seen above. All of these lighting effects and details really add to the unnerving and mysterious atmosphere, especially in darker areas like the Overgrown Ruins.

The Markings on the Atropian Blade

Incredible, Tiny Details in Returnal

Last and certainly by no means least is the Atropian blade — Selene’s melee weapon she finds early on during her eerie excursion.

While it’s less visible during gameplay with the blade slicing through enemies at a blistering pace, the first time Selene picks it up, we get a look at the intricate details and design on the blade itself.

There are indentations down the blade, a circle cut out towards the bottom, and even more cryptic alien markings can be seen on the hilt itself. It’s a real thing of beauty, and makes picking it up for the first time all the more impressive-looking.