Nothing is really over in Returnal even if we think it is. The game has secrets hidden in every corner of every biome. A keen eye and some grind will reward you with a piece of the game that gives you closure and clarity. When the credits roll and you think the game is over, it really isn’t. The game has another secret hiding after the credits that it wants players to find. This secret ending of Returnal has a piece hidden away in every part of the game. There is a chance that you would have come across the pieces of this puzzle throughout your gameplay but did not know the true use of them. Even if you haven’t, with this guide we shall help you unlock act 3 in Returnal. Warning, Spoilers ahead.
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How to Unlock Act 3 in Returnal?
To get the secret ending in Returnal known as act 3, follow the below-mentioned steps:
Step 1 – Complete 5 House Sequences
Complete the 5 available house sequences. The house sequences only appear in the Overgrown Ruins which is the first biome and the Echoing Ruins i.e the fourth biome. You will get to unlock 3 of these house sequences in the first biome and the rest two in the 2nd biome.
Step 2 – Defeat the Boss in the Final Part and Finish Act 2
Stating the obvious, complete Act 2 of Returnal and defeat the final boss Ophion in the depths of the abyss. Once this is done, jump into the hole, and then the final cut scene will be shown. But the game still feels incomplete and there is no clarity. This was where the ending 3 will actually start.
Step 3 – Collect All the Six Sunface Fragments
There are 6 Sunface Fragments, one for each biome which the players need to search and collect for the secret ending of Act 3. These are permanent items that will be with you through each cycle. Once the final boss is defeated, you can easily set out to explore each biome and find these Fragments. They are denoted with a sign that looks like a quarter part of the sun. Now the spawning of these is completely random so each player will have to explore the biomes themselves and get them. If in case you do not get the Sunface Fragment in a particular biome, just kill your character and restart that biome. This will reset the biome environment and you can explore again.
Step 4 – Go Back to the House in Echoing Ruins
Once Step 3 is over, go back to the house in the Overgrown Ruins and play the final house scene where you get a key that will be used in Act 3 ending scene. You will need to have all of the 6 Sunface Fragments and cannot be missing any. Only after collecting the items, you will be able to unlock and play the 6th final house scene. You will get car keys that will be added to your inventory.
Step 5 – Defeat the Final Boss Again to Unlock Act 3
Once you have the Sunface Fragments and the Keys from the 6th final house sequence, go back into the abyss and defeat the final boss Ophion again. This time after defeating the and juping into that hole that it is covering. You will be able to unlock the car that you see in the final cut scene. You will then be able to see a different ending with different cut scenes which is Act 3.
Players can either complete all the House sequences and collect the Sunface side by side while playing the main gameplay and collect the key to defeat the final boss or you can just defeat the final boss first and then explore around for them in the biomes freely to get the Act 3 in Returnal.
We will not give you any further spoilers about what the Act 3 ending plays out as. You will however do receive a gold PlayStation trophy as a reward and some closure. So that is all for our guide on how to get the secret ending of Act 3 in Returnal. If you would like to know what would happen if you die in Returnal, do check out our guide on that too.