The latest PlayStation 5 exclusive has been making a name for itself lately. Returnal is a game that has been the source of adoration for those who particularly enjoy games that present their players with a bit of a challenge. However, what not a lot of players expected was the game's mystifying story.
The story of Returnal has left a lot of players scratching their heads. The ending is a tad confusing and the overall lore is deep. On top of that, the main character, Selene, and those that revolve around her, also have very interesting stories. There are details about these characters not many players may have caught on their first playthrough.
10 Selene's Heterochromia Iridum
Selene's irises have two completely different colors, one of them is dark brown, and the other is a shade of blue. She has a condition called complete Heterochromia Iridum. This condition is very rare for humans. It is reported that less than 1% of the human population is affected by this condition.
Referring to the Ship Log called Selene Vassos Personnel File, it seems Selene's heterochromia is a result of trauma, which means the darkening of her other eye is either a result of an injury or surgery.
9 The Characters In The Game Are Named After Greek Myth Figures
The names of all the characters in Returnal are taken right out of Greek mythology. In fact, everything in this game, including the ship, planet, bosses, even the company Selene supposedly works for, are taken right out of the Greek myths.
In Greek myths, Selene is the Goddess of the Moon. The Sun God Helios is Selene's sibling, although Helios is Selene's son in the game. Selene is the daughter of the Titans Theia and Hyperion, which are also the name of her parents in the game. The names of every single boss also come right out of the myths.
8 Selene Is Imagining The Whole Scenario
The very meat of Returnal's story is that it is about Selene's grief process, and the way she's coping with it is by creating a fictional scenario wherein she's an astronaut fighting monsters in space. All of this, everything the player experiences in the game, is all in Selene's head.
In fact, there are pieces of evidence that Selene never even made it to the Astronaut program. The story of the game is about Selene being stuck in a grieving cycle and her struggles to get out of it.
7 Selene's Suit
The game's detail on Selene's suit as the players progress through the game is an impressive thing that deserves to be noted. When the player starts a cycle, Selene's spacesuit is scot-free and pristine. As the game progresses, it will eventually get dirtier and messier.
The color of the jets on her back will also glow redder if they're used constantly in a short amount of time. Another detail is Selene's helmet will eventually show cracks when the integrity bar gets lower.
6 Selene's Son's Name Is Helios
In one instance while entering Selene's house in the first biome, the players will get the chance to play as a child, which turns out to be Selene's son. Later in the scene, it is also revealed that Selene's son is named Helios.
This makes the fact that Selene's ship is also named Helios so much more interesting as well. It symbolizes how Helios is the driver towards her grief process, and with this revelation, quite literally.
5 Haunted By 08:36
08:36 comes up every once in a while in Returnal. In the house, the clock on top of a shelf is set at 08:36. During the moment when the player is controlling Selene's son, he receives a call from Selene, telling him to heat up food for 8 minutes and 36 seconds. The radio station is also set at 836.
The significance of this time is revealed in the car crash scene. 08:36 PM is the exact time of the car crash. The time Selene's son died.
4 The Song Hyperion Is Playing Is The Same Song Playing On The Radio
Hyperion is the boss in the Echoing Ruins biome. This boss is significantly challenging and its atmosphere is haunting. One contributor of this is the music that he plays. Hyperion is tied to his organ and he plays even during the battle.
Interestingly, the song Hyperion plays here is a variation of Don't Fear the Reaper, the same song being played on the radio before the car crash happened.
3 Selene Is In Therapy
In Selene's house, there are bottles of pills on the counter and all over the floor. There are also proofs that Selene is undergoing therapy. This may be due to the fact that Selene got distraught over being rejected by the astronaut program.
This could also be a contributing factor to the car crash that occurred. Perhaps Selene was at her lowest and out of her mind, which is why the accident happened.
2 The "Figure" Haunts Her Everywhere
In certain cutscenes, it is shown the Selene is being haunted by a figure in a spacesuit. The same figures appear during the car crash. Aside from that, eagle-eyed players may also realize that this figure also stalks the player while they're exploring the game.
The figure can be spotted from afar, standing on a high ledge. This figure only appears for an instant and if the player attempts to get near it, it will simply disappear. This certainly adds a subtle horror element to this action rogue-like title.
1 The Meaning Of Selene's Ending
The ending of Returnal can be very confusing. However, once pieced together, it only speaks about one thing: Selene was solely responsible for the car crash.
In the normal ending, Selene sees a figure in a spacesuit which is why she swerves the car away, leading to the crash. In the "true" ending, it is revealed that it was Selene herself who was in the spacesuit, creating a paradox. However, what this simply means is that Selene was the only person responsible for the crash which led to the death of Helios.