Parasites

**Parasites** are smaller creatures found on Atropos which attach to Selene's body, able to first be found early in the Overgrown Ruins. In game, Parasites are described as having, quote, "both beneficial and detrimental effects on your suit." The Status section in the Suit Computer shows all attached Parasites and their effects on Selene. Returnal also offers a video tutorial in game on this topic.

Selene can have a maximum of five Parasites attached at one time, which will also give the player the Trophy "Irreversibly Contaminated".

According to Housemarque, in Returnal's Ascension DLC, there is a new type of Parasite that can be found in the Tower of Sisyphus, but it is unknown what exactly it is. It is possible, though unconfirmed, that is either the Fleshstinger suffix, which increases damage dealt to weak points by 30%, or the Sagehusk suffix, which increases Proficiency Rate by 25% until 3 hits are taken.

## Attaching and Detaching Parasites

After finding a Parasite, viewing both its positive and negative effects, and attaching it, that Parasite's effects will immediately start to take effect and can only be detached by using certain Consumables or Devices. Continuing to attach Parasites will add their positive and negative effects.

After having five Parasites attached, Selene cannot attach any more Parasites without detaching one of the Parasites currently attached to her. Detaching a Parasite will kill it and prevent from being reattached again, though similar Parasites can be found later. The following are various means of detaching Parasites:

* The Extermination Sphere is a consumable that detaches all currently attached Parasites.
* The Parasite Harvester is a consumable that recycles a random attached Parasite into either Obolites or an item. This both detaches the Parasite and consumes the Harvester in the process.
* The Parasite Extractor is a device that, upon using, detaches a random Parasite and gives Obolites in return.

## Parasite Effects

Parasites can have randomized mix-and-match effects. The name of the Parasite indicates these effects, with its prefix indicating the negative effect and its suffix indicating the positive effect.

A Parasite's prefixes and suffixes can be either active or passive. Passive affixes apply their effects through an entire run or until they are detached. Active affixes, on the other hand, have a trigger that, when activated, gives an instantaneous or temporary effect. Active prefixes all have their triggers set off when the Parasite is detached through any means, while active suffixes each have individual triggers that, when set off, cause the Parasite to detach.

Most Parasites have either two passive affixes or two active affixes. The only active affix that can pair with passive affixes is the *Wireseeker* active suffix, which can appear with passive prefixes.

Certain Parasites whose effects would completely or partially cancel out, such as a *Sedating Nervestinger* (both 1 less kill and 1 more kill required to gain Adrenaline levels) or an *Impairing Needletooth* (reducing Repair Efficiency by 30% while increasing Repair Efficiency by 20%), do not seem to drop at all in game. On the other hand, *Slimy Wireseeker* (more severe future Malfunctions, but the Parasite fixes or prevents a Malfunction before detaching), counterintuitively, does in fact drop.

### Passive Affixes

The following tables list all Parasite passive prefixes (negative effects) and suffixes (positive effects) in Returnal.

### Active Affixes

The following tables list all Parasite active prefixes (negative effects) and suffixes (positive effects) in Returnal.

#### Active Prefixes (negative effects)

 Festering
 Jolting
 Rupturing
 Shocking
 Sparking

## Parasite-Related Artifacts

* Murmuring Cocoon boosts the positive effects of upcoming Parasites.
* Pulsating Mass will boost Maximum Integrity upon attaching or detaching a Parasite.
	+ Because swapping out one Parasite for another gives two Maximum Integrity boosts, this makes it an excellent choice for Parasite-focused builds.
* Unfed Pod adds 20% stagger power for each Parasite attached.
* Progenitor Egg repairs Integrity upon attaching or detaching a Parasite.

## Databank Entries

### Research Level 1

Dangerous specimen, highly advised [CORRUPTED TEXT] accordance with Scout Regulations. Binds with biological systems, causing potential benefits and/or detriments.

### Research Level 2

Projected long-term use liable to [CORRUPTED TEXT] and other neurological disorders. **//Contact member of AstraMed if experiencing any of the following symptoms: unusually cold or bluish skin, inflammation of [DATA ERROR], blurred visions, trouble breathing, fluid in lungs, or loss of consciousness.**

### Research Level 3

/;.{[^=could feel it parasitically injecting something into her spine, numbing away the agony of necrotic flesh. She sobbed in relief. "Will this last?" "No, and frankly you wouldn't want it to. The risks are... completely unknown." Their first trial run and already she knew this was going to be an even worse addiction than\*'[-}#

## Related

* Parasite Extractor
* Parasite Harvester
* Extermination Sphere
* Murmuring Cocoon
* Pulsating Mass
* Unfed Pod
* Progenitor Egg