Ophion is the final boss in the game and is the final challenge players must face in order to test their skills before the end of Act 2 (the “regular” end of the game) game). It can be frustrating to come all the way just to fall on top of the final boss and go all the way back to Biome 4. So if you have a good strategy before going in, you can help the boss and increase your chances of survival. Here’s how to beat Ophion in Returnal.
How to Beat Ophion in Return
Like the other bosses in Returnal, Ophion has three phases; When you have used up the health bar, the next more difficult phase of the fight will be reached. A good weapon for this fight is the Hollowseeker, which allows you to dodge projectiles without really thinking about aiming too much. The fully automatic Thermogenic Launcher is also a good plan as it does a lot of damage, but you need to aim carefully. The same applies to the Tachyomatic Carbine, a good all-rounder in every boss fight.
Phase 1 – Ophion has some large bullets around him that you need to shoot to find some red weak spots on his body that will allow you to cause damage. Keep this in mind throughout the fight – you need to continuously shoot these bullets and weak spots in order to damage the boss. Ophion will rain down on you with green balls that you should avoid now, but we are wary of the purple shock waves that are coming your way and that you cannot race through. You have to jump over these while avoiding the other projectiles. Red bullets are also fired at you in a large pattern that you can dodge or dodge. However, watch out for the green homing missiles that are fired at you. You’ll have to dodge these at the last second to avoid damage. Some purple lasers will also come down on you which you can find a gap between.
Phase 2 – This stage has essentially the exact same attacks as Stage 1, but they are more random and frequent, so you will need to be on your guard for a number of all of the attacks described earlier. Remember, you need to jump over or avoid the purple rays. You can’t avoid them. Ophion occasionally slaps the hand, narrowing your battlefield, and sporadically shoots purple lasers at you that can be dodged if you keep moving.
Phase 3 – The boss will now open portals that fire purple lasers which are sure to surprise you if you are not prepared and do a lot of damage. You need to avoid these as you cannot avoid them. The previous attacks are still effective, along with a barrage of green and blue bullets that you’ll need to maneuver. However, watch out for these homing attacks as they can very easily reset your adrenaline if you are not careful. Continue this and Ophion will be defeated, which marks the end of Act 2 and will reward you with a cutscene for following Ophion down the pit.
For more really useful general tips to help you out with all the bosses in Returnal, check out our first boss guide.
return is now available for PS5.
