8 Awesome Video Game Plot Twists NOBODY Talks About
3. Returnal - The Third Biome's Ending
After a crash landing on a mysterious alien planet, protagonist Selene is met with a haunting truth. While exploring the ruins of an old alien civilization, she learns she's stuck in a time loop. Specifically, every time she dies, she returns to the moment she crashed her ship.
Returnal centers around the idea of acknowledging one's trauma yet being unable to accept what happened. Hence, the reasoning for the loop itself. Selene's soul can only achieve salvation once she understands the importance of the child she abandoned. No matter how much time separates her from the traumatic event involving her son, if she is unable to come to terms with it, she will never move on. The most powerful example of this comes during the conclusion of the third biome.
After defeating the nemesis boss, Selene successfully broadcasts a signal for help and she escapes Atropos. She returns to earth and we see small snippets of how she lives out her life. Players watch as Selene gradually grows older until she finally passes.
The moment she is lowered into her grave, the screen fades to black and then, Selene gasps and awakens on Atropos yet again. Meaning, Selene successfully escaped the planet, lived on Earth for several more decades until she passed, and was still stuck in the time loop.