Returnal: How to Beat Red-Shielded Enemies

You'll come across all manner of enemies in Returnal, from powerful flying creatures to hard-hitting stationary turrets. Some enemies can have a red shield, protecting them from all damage with your guns. To help you dispatch these shielded hostiles, we've detailed how to take down the red shields in Returnal.

Read More: Proficiency Explained

How to Defeat Red Shield Enemies

At the beginning of Returnal you will have little more than a handgun to fight off enemies. Occasionally, you'll run into enemies with red shields. You'll need to dodge past them to the room behind, where you'll find an alien weapon. This will temporarily allow you to take out the shields.

For a more permanent solution you will need to follow the main objective until you get to the 'destroy the xeno-tech barrier' objective. As part of this you will receive a sword that can cut through red shields, and you'll have it permanently. For more info on this visit our Returnal Melee guide.

How to Destroy Red Shields

Once you have unlocked the sword, you will just need to get close to an enemy with a red shield and press square. This will trigger a melee attack. If this connects then the shield will be destroyed, allowing you to follow up with other attacks. For enemies like turrets, the initial sword strike will take out the shield and the enemy. Others will require extra attacks to take down.

That's all you need to know about taking down red shield enemies in Returnal. For more help with the game be sure to check out our Saving guide. Once you're done there, head over to our explanation on how to get into the house.