Welcome to the Trophy guide for Returnal: Ascension! Ascension is the free update out now for Returnal that adds a couple of new game modes to the game. In addition to the new game modes, the update also added seven new Trophies to the game.
This update adds co-op for the main story and a wave survival mode called The Tower of Sisyphus.
You can start The Tower of Sisyphus by using the grapple hook to get up to a ledge where Selene’s crashed ship is.
There are no new Trophies for co-op. All of the seven new Trophies revolve around The Tower of Sisyphus. Trophy hunters will also be happy to hear that there are no new Trophies tied to RNG collectibles like there was in the main game.
There are no new missable Trophies either. You can breathe a sigh of relief there as well.
While this update added co-op, co-op cannot be used in the tower. That is a mode only playable for the main story. The tower is single player only.
Main Game Progress Required
You’re going to need to have progressed through the main campaign until you have acquired the grapple hook in order to access the Tower Sisyphus.
While this is an add on endless mode, there is a little more to it than that, There are actually some new story cutscenes sprinkled in to the new mode.
The Trophy “Find Release” will add on the story a little bit. So before you can earn that, you will need to have already completed the six different House sequences from the main campaign. If you have the Trophy “Sins of the Mother” from the main Trophy list, you’re good to go.
Eternal Ascent
Die and return in the Tower
All you have to do is die and this will pop when you respawn.
The Watcher
Defeat Algos’ first form
See “Eyes Closed” below for more details.
Eyes Closed
Defeat Algos’ final form
You will face Algos in the 20th room of each phase. Each phase consists of 20 rooms, so you’ll be fighting Algos in the last room of every phase.
Algos’ final form is found in phase three. So, you’re going to have to clear 60 rooms in order to reach the final form. That sounds like a lot, but these rooms go by pretty quickly.
Algos will gain an additional health bar in each phase. When you fight Algos in the first phase, it will only have one health bar, second phase will have two health bars and the third phase will have three.
Algos will also gain new attacks in each phase. Despite the different attacks and increasing health, Algos is not as tough as some of the bosses from the main story, in my opinion. The room is bigger with more room to maneuver and the attacks do not hit as hard as some of the others from the main game as well.
If you’re having trouble with the boss, save up Disgorgers and use them against Algos. These are very effective in draining its health bar.
Destroyer
Kill 100 Hostiles with Disgorgers
Disgorgers are a new one time use special weapon added to Returnal.
You will not find these on your first run through the tower. You’ll be introduced to them on your second run after dying your first time through.
These are picked up and used just like other consumable items and there are various versions of them. When you have one, it’ll be found in the bottom left corner of the screen with your other consumables. Select it with the D-Pad and then press 
. It’ll activate changing your weapon’s fire to deal a lot of damage for a short period of time.
You can carry more than one of these with you as well. So, feel free to stack them up and use them against Algos if you’re struggling there.
Disgorgers are always found behind locked doors and locked chests. There are also two other ways to find them. Sometimes a mini boss will drop one. The other way is to find them in the loot rooms that will lay out a bunch of loot, but quickly change forcing you to make a decision on what you want to pick up before locking out the rest.
As previously mentioned, the quickest and most reliable way to find these are by using a key to unlock a door or chest.
Keys are acquired by shooting the red terminals that will sometimes appear in safe rooms. Shoot glowing red sphere above these terminals to get the key to appear.
Fortunately, this Trophy is tracked by the PlayStation 5’s Trophy Tracker, so you know exactly how many kills you have with it.
Broken, Restored, Empty
Complete the first Hospital sequence
See the “Empty Embrace” Trophy below for more details.
Empty Embrace
Open the Locked Door
The Locked Door is a door found in the Hospital. You’ll be able to complete the first Hospital sequence after your first death in the Tower.
When you die for the first time in the Tower, you’ll respawn in a room that has a hospital bed in it. In order to view the first Hospital sequence, you need to go over to the bed and interact with it by holding 
. You’ll then be transported to a Hospital where you can walk around and interact with objects in the environment. This works just like it did in the main game with the house.
After dying once and being introduced to the Hospital mechanic, it’ll work a little differently in your following runs.
In order to view other sequences, you will need to find a White Poppy. You can only find one White Poppy per tower run and they are found in the safe rooms where there is no combat. They are not hidden. They will be highlighted in blue and easily visible.
You won’t start finding poppies until you’ve died at least once. So, don’t expect to find one on your very first run.
So each time you find a poppy, you’ll be able to view a new Hospital sequence on your next death by interacting with the bed.
There will be a flower vase in front of the door that this Trophy is referring to. Each time you visit with a new poppy, there will be a poppy added to the vase. You will need six poppies in order to open the door.
Return to the door after you have collected six poppies and you’ll be able to open it.
Find Release
Gain a moment of peace
There are a few things you will need to do here in order to unlock this Trophy.
This Trophy is tied to getting the second ending in the tower. However, progress is also needed in the main game before you can get this.
First, you’re going to need to have completed all of the different sequences in the House during the main story. If you already have the “Sins of the Mother” Trophy unlocked from the main list, then this step is completed.
Second, you’re going to need to have collected all six poppies and completed all of the Hospital sequences.
Third, you will need to beat Algos’ third and final form.
After all of those conditions have been met, return to the Hospital. Go through the door you opened to unlock “Empty Embrace” and interact with the bed to trigger the cutscene.
The mode will continue on after defeating Algos’ final form, but for story and Trophy purposes, this is as far as you need to go.
