Whenever you're defeated in a certain biome of Returnal, you have to start all over again at the crashed ship. Much like other Roguelite games, you'll lose most of your progress and currencies. Thankfully, you don't lose everything since you can unlock different artifacts throughout your run.

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These artifacts are added to your general pool and you can encounter them in Containers or Fabricators. You have to choose between different artifacts, and it's better to know the ones that are more helpful depending on your playstyle since they can be the deciding factor in your run.

9 Progenitor Egg / Pulsating Mass

Returnal Projenitor Egg With Description

Progenitor Egg and Pulsating Mass are special artifacts that increase your integrity whenever you attach or detach a Parasite. Parasites are quite risky in the game since they have positive and negative effects. These artifacts give you more of an advantage for using Parasites, especially the Pulsating Mass since it increases your max integrity.

Moreover, you can stack these with Murmuring Cocoon if you get lucky enough to get them both during a run. This artifact increases the positive effects of your Parasites. With this entire build, you can put on almost every Parasite in the game.

8 Blade Balancer

Returnal Blade Balancer With Description

After playing Returnal for a couple of hours, you'll likely get your hands on the Atropian Sword. This is a permanent unlock that lets you break barriers and attack enemies when you're close to them. While the sword is great by itself, this artifact makes it even better by increasing the damage.

Though you might not find much use for it until one of the final biomes. Most enemies in early regions aren't that tanky, and you'll be able to defeat them with one melee anyway. This can still be great for mini-bosses like Kerberonyx or Severed.

7 Recharging Overload

Returnal Selene Overloading A Pistol

Overload is one of the most dynamic mechanics in Returnal as it triggers when you run out of bullets. If you press the attack button when the bar is yellow, you'll trigger overload, which will instantly reload the weapon. This artifact reduces your alt-fire's cooldown when you trigger a successful overload.

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It can also be great with Overload Bolts, which is another artifact that shoots two bolts on successful overload. Since you're relying on the overload mechanic for these artifacts, it's important to be careful of malfunctions because some of them deal damage to you when you trigger overload.

6 Resin Enhancer

Returnal Resin Enhancer With Description

There are quite a few ways to increase your maximum integrity in the game, and one of them is by collecting three resins. These resins are marked as a green plus on the map, just like other healing items. Resin Enhancer reduces the number of resins required to increase your max integrity by one.

With this artifact, you have to check every healing item on the map even if you have full health. It might not sound like much, but reducing the required resin can significantly increase your max integrity after a couple of biomes.

5 Music Box

Returnal Music Box With Description

Music Box is a special artifact that can only be unlocked after doing the house sequence for the second time. You'll unlock this sequence after defeating Phrike for the first time. Once you've defeated the boss, you can start your run at Overgrown Ruins and find the house again.

The Music Box plays a cute melody whenever you're near a secret. This artifact is especially good for beginners who don't know what the secret places look like in the game.

4 Phantom Limb

Returnal Phantom Limb With Description

You have to be quite lucky to find enough healing items to negate the damage taken through your run. You'll suffer from a lack of healing in most runs, which will increase the pressure and might lead you to make mistakes. Phantom Limb solves this issue to some extent.

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Whenever you defeat an enemy in Returnal, this artifact has a 10 percent chance to regenerate your integrity. This isn't a huge chance but given the number of enemies you have to face in the game, you'll see yourself healing up quite often.

3 Spaceship Model

Returnal Spaceship Model With Description

Once again, Spaceship Model is a special artifact that can only be unlocked from the fourth house sequence. This sequence shows you some things from a different perspective, and it will drop this artifact that buffs your dash by giving it a special punch.

Whenever you dash through enemies with this artifact, it will deal damage to them. This is not only an easy way to deal damage, but it's also quite lethal. You'll probably not find yourself losing a close-range battle with this one.

2 Damaged Robot

Returnal Selene Defeated In Battle

You'll be fighting against waves of over ten enemies at times in Returnal, and it gets hard to not take damage in these instances. Once you take damage, you get a state of invulnerability for a few seconds. Imagine how nice it'd be if an artifact could increase the length of this state.

Damaged Robot does just that, and it can single-handedly decide your victory in a fight. Selene has enough integrity to tank multiple hits before being defeated, and it gets much better when you can deal more damage to the enemies while you can't take damage.

1 Astronaut Figurine / Child's Watch

Returnal Astronaut Figurine With Description

Finally, there can be nothing better in Returnal than getting a second chance after you're defeated. Both Astronaut Figurine and Child's Watch are unlocked through the first and fifth house sequence respectively, and they also have the same effect that resurrects you upon death.

Unfortunately, you won't be able to have both of these artifacts in your inventory at the same time. If you have one of them and find another, it will say that you already have a similar item. Though other mechanics can stack with these artifacts like Reconstructors.

NEXT: Returnal: Tips For Beginners