Returnal is difficult, but Artifacts may ease the path. Players will find a variety of artifacts with significant boosts as they explore Atropos’s alien planet. Some endure for a run, while others are single-use. The Astronaut Figurine in the Overgrown Ruins lets players revive in the same position, while the Resinous Shield Artifact absorbs a single damage hit.
Returnal has 31 positive Artifacts crucial for battling Atropos’ creatures.
- The Resin Enhancer minimizes Resin usage for upgrades.
- The Any and All Calibrators Artifact significantly boosts skills across biomes.
- Progenitor Egg Artifact restores integrity through parasite attachment/removal.
- Repair Circuit is vital for countering Malfunctions when using Malignant items.
- Golden Coil boosts damage by 5% for every 200 obolites, maxing at 20%.
- Blade Balancer optimizes sword strength for uniform melee damage against shields.
- Resinous Shield counters a single hit, preserving player Integrity.
- Astronaut Figurine doubles player health, a crucial aid in the game.
Here is a brief look at all of the Best Artifacts in Returnal:
Name | Primary Use | Function | Benefit/Utility |
---|---|---|---|
Resin Enhancer Artifact | Resource Optimisation | Enhances natural properties of Resin for efficient use | Integrity Increases only require two Resin slots |
Any and All Calibrators | - | Enhances player proficiency by the use of Calibrators in all biomes | Raises player proficiency for better weapons |
Progenitor Egg Artifact | Embracing Symbiosis | Attaching or Detaching Parasites repairs Integrity | - |
Repair Circuit Artifact | - | Repairs Integrity by gaining or fixing Malfunctions | Rewards player for taking risks with Malignant Items |
Music Box Artifact | - | Indicates a secret room with undiscovered items | Discovering secret rooms can lead to money |
Golden Coil Artifact | Increasing Damage | Grants 5% extra damage for every 200 obolites held, up to 20% | Allows spending obolites without losing the damage buff |
Phantom Limb Artifact | Repairing Death | Recovers a set amount of integrity per enemy killed | Mitigates damage and allows players to recover quickly |
Unfed Pod Artifact | Embracing Symbiosis | Grants +20% staggering power per attached parasite | Provides a valuable tool for mini-boss fights |
Spaceship Model Artifact | - | - | Increases dash speed, turns dash ability into an attack |
Blade Balancer Artifact | Melee Enhancement | Powers up the sword; shatters yellow-orange shields | Opens orange gates with valuable boons |
Visceral Knot Artifact | Spreading Death | Causes enemies to explode on death | Powerful tool for clearing out enemies |
Wound Seekers Artifact | Increasing Damage | Increases damage dealt to enemies under 30% health | Helps players to quickly end an enemy’s life |
Murmuring Cocoon Artifact | Embracing Symbiosis | Increases positive effects of parasites | Outweigh disadvantages of attaching parasite to suit |
Resinous Shield Artifact | Damagr Negation | Pick up resin to gain a shield against the next hit | Provides constant supply of shields & blocks all damage |
Astronaut Figurine Artifact | - | Revives player to 50% Integrity after fatal damage | Grants player essentially two full health bars |
Resin Enhancer

Function | Enhances the natural properties of Resin for more efficient use |
Material | Normally, a full Max Integrity upgrade requires three regular Resins, but this artifact lowers the requirement to two. |
Benefit | With the Artifact, Integrity Increases only require two Resin slots instead of three. |
Worth | This Artifact is always worth picking up as it reduces the requirement to increase max Health and is really good. |
Early Advantage | Obtaining the Artifact early in the game provides a stronger advantage as it reduces the required resources. |
The versatility and effectiveness of Resin may be substantially increased by using the powerful artifact known as the Resin Enhancer. This item is crucial to optimizing Integrity since it may reduce the quantity of Resin needed for a complete upgrade.
Overall, the Resin Enhancer is a priceless relic that provides a novel perspective on using Resin to improve equipment Integrity. It’s a great pick-up since it lowers the need for resources, which may significantly influence the game’s growth.
Any And All Calibrators
Function | Enhances player proficiency by allowing the use of Calibrators in all biomes. |
Availability | Calibrators are available in all biomes. |
Purpose | Raises player proficiency for better weapons and runs. |
Effectiveness | Worn Calibrators offer slight proficiency increases, while higher levels offer greater benefits. |
Caution | Players should skip small Calibrators in areas with disproportionate danger. |
Worth Investigate | Pursuing higher-level Calibrators is a worthwhile endeavor. |
In-game, the Any and All Calibrators artifact is crucial and may be used to increase one’s skill greatly. All biomes have a caliper that may be used to get a certain level of proficiency. Even if the gain in effectiveness from upgrading Worn Calibrators is negligible, there is still value in doing so.
Caution should be used while searching for Calibrators in places with high risk relative to the reward. If the Calibrator only gives a marginal improvement, it may be best to forego it in such cases.
Progenitor Egg

Artifact Function | Attaching or Detaching Parasites repairs Integrity |
Advantage | Can offset forced damage from Malfunctions or Parasite prefixes |
Inside Returnal, the Progenitor Egg Artifact’s special capacity to restore integrity by attaching or removing parasites sets it apart. If obtained at the beginning of a run, it may cancel out the harm that malfunctions or parasitic prefixes would otherwise do. Nonetheless, its use is fairly limited since it is sometimes preferable just to avoid harm rather than attempt to recover from it.
Repair Circuit

Effect | Repairs Integrity by gaining or fixing Malfunctions |
Benefit | Rewards the player for taking risks with Malignant Items or chests |
Usefulness | Worth taking since Malignant chests tend to have better items |
Repair Circuit Artifact restores Integrity whenever the player acquires or cures Malfunctions. With it, the player is rewarded for taking chances on Malignant Items or chests, making it an important artifact. It is especially helpful since Malignant chests often have nicer things than other types of chests.
The player may safely experiment with Malignant objects while wearing the Repair Circuit Artifact. This is particularly helpful as the game progresses and the player faces increasingly tough foes and situations.
Music Box

Function | The Music Box indicates a secret room with undiscovered items. |
Signal Criteria | Signal is generated if undiscovered items are present in the room. |
Effectiveness | The usefulness of the artifact is debatable. |
Limitations | The artifact relies on sound and may not be effective for all players. |
Benefits | Discovering secret rooms can lead to money, additional artifacts, and consumables. |
Utility | The Music Box serves a singular purpose and offers no additional benefits. |
The Music Box is an in-game artifact that sounds an alarm if the player enters a room containing an undetected secret nearby. The Music Box is useful since it plays music to reveal the location of a hidden chamber, which may be stocked with currency, supplementary items, and consumables.
The artifact’s efficacy is in question, however, since it depends on sound and hence may not work for players who listen to music while playing, play without loudness, or play without vibration. The Music Box serves just one function and provides no other advantages, severely limiting its usefulness.
Golden Coil

Function | The Golden Coil grants 5% extra damage for every 200 obolites held, up to 20%. |
Utility | Allows spending obolites without losing the damage buff. |
Flexibility | Provides flexibility in managing wealth and health. |
Penalty | Spending obolites to recover health results in the loss of the damage buff. |
Advantage | Helps balance wealth and power in Returnal. |
Each and every artifact and item a player acquires in Returnal comes with some kind of cost. For the Golden Coil, players must strike a delicate balance between financial security and strategic might. This artifact increases damage by 5% for every 200 obolites in possession, up to a maximum of 20%.
Phantom Limb

Function | The Phantom Limb recovers a set amount of integrity per enemy killed. |
Healing Chance | The artifact has a 10% chance of occurrence. |
Usage | The Phantom Limb is useful in situations with numerous small enemies that die quickly. |
Utility | It mitigates damage and allows players to recover quickly. |
In Returnal, players of all skill levels will inevitably suffer damage. Artifacts such as the Phantom Limb are intended to lessen the severity of such injuries or speed up the healing process.
Although the Phantom Limb’s healing effect is minimal and inconsistent, it may be helpful in the tower and places with numerous little opponents who perish rapidly. Using this artifact demands players to defeat many enemies, so they will need a well-thought-out plan and some patience.
Unfed Pod

Function | Unfed Pod grants +20% staggering power per attached parasite. |
Acquisition | Contained within Unfed Pod datacube. |
Unlocking | Bring datacube to datacube processor in hub area or after beating a boss. |
Benefit | Provides a valuable tool for mini-boss fights. |
Strategy | Requires players to engage in a parasite-heavy run. |
Anyone willing to take parasites will benefit greatly from the Unfed Pod artifact. Twenty percent of the player’s already massive strength is added with each parasite they have attached, making mini-boss battles significantly simpler. Nevertheless, this calls for a run particularly high in parasites, which might have its own challenges.
The Unfed Pod isn’t the most potent artifact in Returnal, but it’s still useful to have on hand in case you ever need to stun an opponent. Because of the game’s focus on clever transactions for power, players can tip the scales in their favor.
Spaceship Model

Artifact Name | Spaceship Model |
Effects | Increases dash speed, turns dash ability into an attack, and can be used in combos. |
Drawback | Not permanent equipment and doesn’t provide a second life |
Obtaining Method | Found in chests, obtained from fabricators, and can be obtained from public/closed locations |
Usage Tips | Hold dash button to deal damage, combo dash with melee for great damage, spend ether to obtain |
The Spaceship Model in Returnal boosts dash speed and turns the dash into a deadly strike, allowing players to charge at foes for massive damage. Combining it with melee strikes creates a devastating one-shot combo against lesser foes. Unlike other artifacts, it can’t be upgraded or provide an extra life.
To unleash the Spaceship Model’s assault, dash into foes and hold the button until the attack finishes. Obtain it from random chest drops in Atropos’s biomes or fabricators, or purchase it for ether. It’s a crucial artifact for optimizing combat potential, offering flexibility in damage delivery.
Blade Balancer

Availability | Usually found at the same station as the Obolite Repository |
Cost | Pricey; exchange ether for obolites |
Function | Powers up the sword; shatters yellow-orange shields |
Recurring artifact | Purchase for 250 obolites |
Benefits | Opens orange gates with valuable boons |
Caution | Not permanent; you must find it again if the player dies and restarts the game |
The Blade Balancer artifact is essential for overcoming orange obstacles and gaining advantages in new zones. To get it, use fabricators at the Obolite Repository station, trading ether for obolites if needed. Once equipped, the Blade Balancer strengthens your sword, ensuring consistent melee damage against yellow-orange and red shields.
Priced at 250 obolites, it’s a reusable item in the first in-game store. While fair, players can choose greater integrity or different artifacts. Beyond melee damage, the Blade Balancer unlocks orange gates in later levels, offering diverse bonuses, in my opinion.
Visceral Knot

Function | Causes enemies to explode on death |
Chance | 20% chance of triggering explosion |
Bonus damage | Provides a small area of effect damage |
Effectiveness | Works best on large groups of enemies |
Limitations | Not a permanent artifact; it will be lost upon death and restart |
Advantages | Can be a powerful tool for clearing out enemies |
The Visceral Spores shine in scenarios when the player must deal with crowd control, according to their effectiveness against big groupings. The Visceral Spores artifact is a great addition to your arsenal in Returnal if you’re trying to increase your damage output and acquire a tactical edge in the fight.
Wound Seekers

Function | Increases damage dealt to enemies under 30% health |
Usefulness | Always worth taking |
Effectiveness | Highly useful in boss fights and against tougher enemies |
Ability | It grants players a 30% buff in damage against low-health targets |
Benefits | It helps players quickly end an enemy’s life |
The Wound Seekers are most powerful when used in tandem with other damage enhancements. The Wound Seekers are useful in boss battles since they may help reduce the monster’s health bar and end the battle faster. When a boss is down to their final few health bars, they may be risky to take on without the Wound Seekers to speed them through.
In Returnal, artifacts like the Wound Seekers aren’t permanent; if a player dies and starts a new run, they’ll have to find a new way to get their hands on one. Yet, the Wound Seekers are an excellent weapon due to the advantages they provide.
Murmuring Cocoon

Function | Increases positive effects of parasites |
Usefulness | Almost always a good artifact to grab |
Ideal Parasites | Wiretail and Sagetooth |
Collection | Worth collecting all parasites with decent positive characteristics |
Advantages | Significantly outweigh the disadvantages of attaching parasite to suit |
When you have the Murmuring Cocoon artifact, gathering all parasites with good attributes, such as those that increase the integrity bar, is in your best interest. There are potential drawbacks to affixing a parasite to your suit, but the benefits of amplifying them may sometimes be worth it.
With the correct parasites, though, the Murmuring Cocoon may give you a major edge in the fight and increase your chances of survival. The Murmuring Cocoon artifact is helpful if you want to boost your odds of surviving in Returnal.
Resinous Shield

Function | Pick up resin to gain a shield against the next hit. |
Silphium Resin | Found in all areas, grants a point towards max health upgrades. |
Importance | Must-have if player wants to keep integrity full. |
Benefits | Provides a constant supply of shields and blocks all damage from the next hit. |
Combinations | Can be used with other artifacts for improved survivability. |
In Returnal, the Resinous Shield Artifact is useful for reducing injury. The player is able to pick up resin, which acts as protection from harm. As Silphium is fully repaired, it turns into resin and provides the player with endless protection. As a result, the artifact is crucial for players who value maintaining their Integrity.
You may find silphium resin everywhere in the game, serving as a currency for purchasing health enhancements. The Resinous Shield artifact elevates resin usage to a new level, rendering a single strike harmless. So, the item is quite useful in prolonging the player’s life.
Astronaut Figurine

Function | Revives player to 50% Integrity after fatal damage |
Location | Found in 20th Century House, locked at first |
Advantage | Extends life of run, useful for new biomes and boss fights |
Benefit | Grants player essentially two full health bars |
Usefulness | Especially helpful for novice or intermediate players |
Players of Returnal will find the Astronaut Figurine Artifact an indispensable aid. It is essential for exploring new biomes or taking on difficult enemies since it may restore the player to 50% integrity after they have taken fatal damage.
To sum up, the Astronaut Figurine Artifact is a powerful and irreplaceable resource for players of Returnal. Each player who wants to advance in the game and get more out of their runs should have this item since it may restore the player to 50% health and provide them an important edge in boss battles.
This brings us to the end of your Returnal Best Artifacts guide. Do you have any other artifact recommendations that should be in the top 15 list? Let us know about it in the comments section below.
Next:
- Returnal: How To Suspend A Cycle
- Returnal: How To Open Anathema Vault
- Returnal Third Boss: Nemesis
- Returnal Hookshot
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