Video games that have stories that are mysterious and convoluted are craved and embraced by so many players. Returnal is one of those games. This rogue-like title not only has incredibly intense action and gameplay, but it also surprised its players with its story and a puzzling ending which left many players scratching their heads as soon as the credits rolled.
This PlayStation 5 exclusive by Housemarque Games is not a run-of-the-mill video game. It is very skill-demanding and thought-provoking. Those who managed to see the game through to the end most likely have more questions rather than answers in regard to what the story of the game is as a whole. Whether they are plot holes or overlying mysteries, these are some of the most common questions a player may have about the game and its ending.
10 Hyperion's Ties To Selene
Hyperion is a boss fight in Returnal who seems to have a much bigger role in the story than meets the eye. In Greek myth, which this game borrows heavy inspiration from, Hyperion is the wife of Theia and the father of Selene. In the game, Theia is also the name of Selene's mother.
When the player meets Hyperion, he is playing a darker variation of the same song that's played on the radio during the car crash scene. Selene also claims to know this song and plays snippets of it on the piano. Is Hyperion a representation of Selene's father, who once taught her how to play the piano?
9 The Rejection Letter
There is a rejection letter for the astronaut program that can be found during one of the scenes in the 20th-century house. This is supposed to be a rejection letter from ASTRA Corporation, the same company Selene works for throughout the game.
If Selene is with ASTRA, who is this letter for? Selene claims to have no recollection of this letter despite it being placed in her house. Was her mother an aspiring astronaut who got rejected from the program? Or is there more to Selene's story?
8 The Fascination With Greek Mythology
This game is heavily influenced by Greek mythology. The names of the characters, bosses, and even the planet the game is set in definitely support it. There are also Greek mythology books and passages littered around the house. Everyone in Selene's family has names taken right out of the Greek myths.
The most obvious source of this fascination would be Theia, Selene's mother. However, given Selene's relationship with her mother, it wouldn't make much sense for her to adopt her mother's fascination with Greek mythology.
7 The Scout Logs
There are Scout Logs scattered throughout the game the player can come across. The interesting part is that Selene herself seems to be the person responsible for these logs. However, the current Selene has no recollection of ever recording these logs.
At the base of the story, what is the purpose of this mysterious revelation? How was Selene been here before, yet the present-day Selene has no memory of them, even though she remembers everything that happens during each cycle moving forward?
6 The Scene Where She Goes Home And Grows Old
Around the end of the game's first act, Selene manages to contact ASTRA, escape Atropos, and live a full life on Earth. The day she's buried she gets sent back to Atropos.
The validity of this scene even being an actual event is already up for debate. It's even more baffling that Selene gets sent back to Atropos after her burial, not after she was pronounced dead. Regardless of that, did Selene actually get the chance to live a full life? What's the true meaning behind that scene?
5 How Are Parasites Beneficial To Selene
Every single creature in Atropos is hostile towards Selene. Every single one, except for a handful of parasites. Some parasites are actually beneficial, like raising the integrity of Selene's suit or allow her to pick up more Obolites.
These parasites are by far the only creatures in Atropos that don't actively hurt Selene, despite them being sentient lifeforms as well. Whether there is a concrete reason for this or it's just supposed to be a game mechanic that's not to be overthought is unknown, but it's baffling all the same.
4 Who Are The Pills For?
Bottles of pills can found on the countertop and on the floor of the 20th-century house. Selene also claims that the house is exactly the same one as hers on Earth. It only stands to reason that the pills belong to her.
There is, however, one other character that is as likely as Selene to be the owner of the pills - Selene's mother. Theia, like her daughter, also seems to have had issues throughout her life, which caused the troubling and somewhat abusive relationship she had with her daughter. Those pills likely belonged to her, if not both of them.
3 Theia And Selene
The story of Theia and Selene seems to overlap a lot. During a news clip seen on the TV at the house, the reports say that the car crash was between a mother and a daughter and only the daughter survived. Selene's visions at the end of the game, however, contradict this. The car crash from the news and the one from the end of the game both happened in the same location.
Did Selene's mother also die from a car crash and she was the only survivor, only for her to repeat the event which caused her to lose her son? If not, what was the point of the news clip? Was it simply a red herring? Or something more?
2 The Significance Of The Burning House
At certain moments in the game, the players are shown an image of a burning house, which seems to be Selene's childhood home. There's nothing else in the game that directly references this event, nor is it ever explained in detail. Then again, nothing in this game is entirely explained in detail.
This may be an actual event that happened some time in Selene's life, but exactly when and the repercussions of it are not exactly known.
1 Is It All In Selene's Head?
If this is considered, it would make everything else about the game make so much more sense. Perhaps, everything in the game is nothing more than a manifestation of Selene's guilt, grief, and trauma.
It is known that Selene's child died during the car crash, while she herself survived. The event in the game may just be her mind's way of dealing with the traumatic event, and everything else in her life associated with trauma, fear, and neglect simply got sucked in as well.