Secret Ending – Returnal
As straightforward as Returnal’s plot can seem at times, moments hint at all of this happening in the protagonist Selene’s head. Her house pops up at random moments, and there are flashbacks to an accident where her mother avoids an astronaut on the road, leading to her being wheelchair-bound. It’s all cryptic, and even after defeating the final boss, you might not get all the answers.
By collecting six Sunface Fragments in the game and obtaining the Car Keys, you can unlock the ruined car in the last region. What seems to be Selene’s mother then attacks, and upon her defeat, Selene goes to the bridge from her memory. This time she’s the astronaut, viewing the accident from a new perspective. Selene then ventures from underwater to the surface and cries for Helios upon breaking through.
There are many theories, from Selene feeling guilt over the accident to Helios being her son, who she neglected and seemingly wants to return to. Either way, it will take some runs to piece everything together.
