How to Defeat Nemesis in Returnal

In Returnal, the fight with Nemesis is an important point in both the central narrative and the way future boss fights are set up. It’s weirder, more structured and much more theatrical. Taking place among a few different axes, you may need a little help. That’s what we’re here for. 

How to Defeat Nemesis in Returnal

Nemesis immediately transports you away and into a floating field filled with hallucinations. Fun. Luckily, their moves aren’t too bad, meaning a well timed dodge or decent strafe can make your way through it. 

The key to this fight is understanding that there’s not quite as much on screen as you think there is. Rock fly around and enemies float in the distance to intentionally put you off.

Don’t worry about them and only focus on the colour, this is what the attacks are. If something is heading your way and it isn’t bright, it won’t hurt you. 

Nemesis Fight Phase One

The main thing to watch out for here is Nemesis’ companions – small robots capable of firing golden beams. If they go close to the ground, they are sweeping the stage from left to right, Dodge through it.

If they pause above the arena, they’re going for a diagonal sweep. Outside of this, all of their attacks can be avoided by strafin except the blue sweep.

Occasionally they will start a horizontal sweep of the area with slow firing blue orbs, just dodge through them to get by. 

Nemesis Fight Phase Two

This is where you have to play around with the verticality of the arena a little more. You technically don’t have to fight nemesis from the block near them but it’s a decent way of controlling the fight a little more.

Nemesis’s shots are a little quicker and the minions can fire simultaneously this time around. One particular move to watch out for is when his minions both shoot the floor. This will unleash pulsing red waves that you have to jump over.

For the most part, try and stay to the back of the block you’re on to get the best view of the arena. Nemesis is much easier than their minions here so you can deploy a lot of the same tactics as before to get by.

Nemesis Fight Phase Three

This stage is nothing like the previous two. As they go down for the second time, they will blow up the entire arena with a laser, leaving you floating. While you are spinning out, you have to latch onto floating blocks whilst avoiding their attacks.

Nemesis will often fire rings of bullets that can be a little bit of a pain to get through as you’re rushing toward them. Try to move to one end of the battlefield entirely, then switch as the spiral bullets come in. 

Outside of this, it’s all about making sure you don’t stay on one block for too long and don’t get greedy. It’s worth wasting a little bit of time to get to a good position rather than wasting it on a bad one.

In this fight, they will likely send you back to the start a few times, just don’t lose your patience and keep shooting. 

Related: How to Defeat Ixion in Returnal