Getting to the first boss in Returnal will likely take quite a bit of time. Players will need to familiarize themselves with what certain items do, how to get various powerups, and find a way to get the Anathema Key. Once they do finally reach Phrike, however, the fight will be an assessment of skill that puts everything the player has learned thus far to the test. In order to beat Phrike, players will want to have a solid understanding of what all of his moves are and how to dodge them. There's also a good bit of prep work that can really help make this fight easier.
If at all possible, Returnal players will want to enter the fight with Phrike while at full health. What's more, if they can manage to purchase or find a Silphium Vial and have that in stock as well, it will make things much easier. Pick up the best weapon that the player has found on the way here and grab any parasites whose drawbacks don't directly affect combat.
Players must deplete Phrike's HP bar three times, and each time he will enter the next phase of the fight and gain access to new attacks. In the first phase, Phrike has four main attacks. First, he will shoot out a barrage of blue bullets. These are small and easy to dodge despite their numbers, players simply need to strafe to the left or right. They can even keep firing during this attack. His second technique sees him shoot purple balls up into the sky that then rain down. In the center of these there's a safe spot, so run for that. He also will shoot red balls directly at the player, these can be a bit more difficult to dodge, so keep some distance. Finally, Phrike will fire a laser beam from his face at the player. Using dodge is the only reliable way to avoid this attack.
After reaching stage two, Phrike's techniques remain mostly the same. That said, he will now begin using a melee attack against the player. This move comes out quick and can be difficult to predict, but pay attention to his hands and the move can be avoided. This is also a good time to get in a quick melee attack with the Atropian Blade right after dodging his own melee attack. In the third phase, Phrike will begin firing his laser beam at the ground, creating a shockwave effect. He will also fire purple balls in a pattern on the ground, but it's easy enough to stay between them.
If players can manage to keep all of these various techniques straight in their head, it will be only a matter of time before Phrike falls. The important thing is to play defensively and only take shots when there's an opening. Taking precautions ahead of time can make this much easier, but it will ultimately come down to the player's ability to avoid his attacks. Now it's on to the next biome in Returnal.
Returnal is available now on PS5.