Returnal Guide | How to Destroy Vine Walls

Here's a guide to destroying Vine Walls in Returnal.

Game Guide by Ragib Rawnak on Nov 29, 2025

When you begin Returnal, the game introduces enemies, weapons, items, and environmental elements as you move through the Overgrown Ruins. Early in this biome, you encounter two types of barriers that block paths or prevent item collection.

One is an energy wall, and the other is a wall of black vines marked with orange light. These vine barriers do not break when you shoot or dash into them. As you search for health pickups shown on the minimap, you often find them placed behind these blocked sections.

Returnal, Guide, How to Destroy Vine Walls

Overgrown Ruins Vines

The vine-covered walls appear throughout the Overgrown Ruins and often hide green integrity pickups. Trying to clear them with any weapon or movement does not work. When you follow minimap markers during combat, you may reach a location where a health pickup sits behind one of these blocked walls in Returnal.

Requirement for Breaking

To clear these barriers, you must obtain the Atropian Blade, which serves as your melee tool. Once you pick it up, it remains with you for the rest of the game.

You cannot move from the Overgrown Ruins to the next biome without collecting the Atropian Blade, so you acquire it as part of normal progress. After you have it, you can return to earlier rooms and remove any vine walls you previously passed.

Returnal, Guide, How to Destroy Vine Walls

Using the Atropian Blade

Stand in front of a vine wall and press Square to use the Atropian Blade. Selene performs a horizontal strike that breaks the vines and opens the area behind the barrier. From that point forward, you can use the blade to clear any vine wall you find in the biome in Returnal.

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