Returnal doesn't shy away from its identity as a punishing game. As you begin your journey exploring Atropos, you may notice some healing items in little pockets of the rooms that are unreachable because of glowing red vines.

Knowing where to find healing items is an essential skill for anyone trying to survive the brutal environments of Atropos. After some quick exploration, you may notice tons of healing items that are inaccessible due to glowing red vines. No matter how much you shoot or try to dash through them, they just won't come down.

Here's how to break the glowing red vines in Returnal.

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Returnal How to Break the Red Vines

Usually, Returnal is really clear about what areas you can and cannot access right off the bat. The red vines, however, are a little more ambiguous. There's no tutorial explaining them and it seems as if they're impenetrable when you first start the game.

However, everything changes once you find a melee weapon. The game's sword/lightsaber/katana serves the satisfying function of cutting up most enemies in a single slice, but it also functions as a vine remover. Hitting the square button after picking up the item cuts the glowing red vines to shreds and allows you to easily pick up the useful healing items inside.

More Returnal

For more on Returnal, make sure to check out our full review of the game right here. The 9 out of 10 review says, "up to this point, there certainly have been games that act as selling points for the PlayStation 5, however, Returnal isn’t just a tech demo or optimized version of a PS4 game: it’s a must-play for anyone with a PS5 who isn’t afraid to work through the frustrations of dying over and over again."

For all things Returnal, stay right here with DualShockers.