Silent Hill f loves combat so much, it feels like it’s fighting itself

A concerning few hours with Konami’s parry-happy horror story

Image credit:Konami

Prior to getting a big, fat, four-hour demo with it at Gamescom , I was worried that banging on about Silent Hill f ’s newfound enthusiasm for monster fighting – with all its parries, zippy dodges, and slow-mo focus meters – would be doing a disservice to its bolder, more ‘interesting’ series departures, like the new 1960s setting or its deep embrace of homegrown Japanese culture and myths. A certain missing of the point, like setting out for a lovely drive through the Scottish highlands then stopping to gawp at a lightly crashed Peugeot on the hard shoulder.

But no. Combat is as deeply ingrained within Silent Hill f as guilty moping was to Silent Hill 2 , and from what I’ve played, doesn’t work nearly as well.

To be clear, I don’t believe that thonking wretches with metal pipes is antithetical to good survival horror. Almost every mainline Silent Hill (save 2024’s experimental The Short Message ) has had its share of fighting back, and it’s not like SHf’s leading survivor Hinako is busting out the backflipping weapon arts. Her offensive moves are still mostly sluggish, unskilled swings or slashes, and even the more advanced techniques (parrying included) are presented through competent animation work as the desperate, often lucky hits of a struggling teenager.

There are problems, though. The biggest lies in Hinako’s more defensive skillset, which includes a dodge-dash that already seems weirdly generous even before it adds in a whooshing slow motion effect on particularly well-timed evasions. This is no modest, SH2 Remake-style sidestep – the girl damn near flies off the screen, easily swooping out of most monsters’ attack ranges unless you completely bung the timing.

Image credit:Konami

The effect on the horror aspect is… unfortunate. When everything short of a scripted boss can be sprinted past or danced around, the fact that your isolated hometown is infested with murderbeasts suddenly becomes a lot less intimidating. And the dodge undermines some of the heavier-handed moments of tension, too. Late in the demo, I was forced to flee a spooky Shinto shrine as a lethal red mist nibbled away at my health and sanity bars. Enemies spawned on narrow walkways to block the path, and sporadic bursts of pain limited my ability to sprint – but my dodging prowess was left completely unaffected, allowing me to casually breeze past dangers and reach the exit with plenty of life to spare.

Trading scares for battle drama isn’t necessarily a bad deal, and I personally don’t mind an actionised sequel as long as the action is done well. Unfortunately, Silent Hill f’s aggressive play also needs significant tightening-up. Even the simplest melee swings are frustratingly inconsistent: sometimes it’s like Hinato lunges halfway across the prefecture to land a strike, other times she’ll swipe at a baddie that’s right up in her face and hit air. I’m not even sure it’s a hit detection problem, as there were numerous occasions where I’d lock on to a foe, move into eyelash-tickling range, and could only watch as Hinako slashed two feet to the abomination’s side. But I was locked on! Locked! And when a blow does connect, it might produce a bizarre non-response. Too many times, my enemy-stunning heavy attacks were met by delayed stun animations, as if the enemy momentarily forgot the “fall down” stage direction.

Image credit:Konami

The impression I’m getting so far, then, is of an action-horror game where the action isn’t very compelling and the horror isn’t very scary. Uh and, indeed, oh. Though that still wouldn’t be so bad, if there weren’t also heaps of genuine qualities to Silent Hill f that I otherwise really liked. Loved, even.

Take the replacement for Silent Hill itself, the rural, past-its-prime town of Ebisugaoka. No acre-wide roads or towering apartment blocks here: it’s all narrow alleyways and creaking wood, a place of incredible density that’s somehow become a ghost town, and thus the perfect set for chases and ambushes. I’ve only fought (or dodged) a handful of creature types but these are strongly designed, too, especially the twitchy, double-jointed flesh/doll hybrids and a decaying, uncomfortably lanky shrine maiden who serves as the first major boss.

Silent Hill f isn’t anywhere near the first horror game to do so, but it does dig deep into Japanese folklore and custom. Shortly after duelling the above mad miko, there’s even a lovingly rendered scene of one character performing the full Temizuya ritual . Again, it’s not special for covering this stuff, but it does cover an awful lot, and works the culture into characters, scenery, puzzles, and mechanics extensively.

Image credit:Konami

Even if the demo was rarely capable of scariness, it was very capable of eeriness – a feeling that, in some ways, takes greater artistry to pull off. No story spoilers, but I remain intrigued by the mysteries that the game spins around Hinako and her increasingly weird friends, and for what it’s worth, there are times when the combat backs off and lets you explore or work on puzzles. The high point of my four hours was a trek through a supernaturally vast, fog-smothered farm field, your only company being clusters of school-uniformed scarecrows. This section can actually involve quite a lot of fighting if you don’t grasp its puzzle hints, as the mannequins will spring to life with murderous intent upon you interacting with the wrong ones, yet the combination of odd backdrop, sparse sound design, and lingering sense of an imminent threat makes it a memorable set-piece even if you never get the pipe out at all.

I worry, though, whether moments like this will be worth slogging through a full game’s worth of iffy brawls, assuming they’re not all immediately compromised by that superhuman dodge. As it stands, Silent Hill f’s opening hours suggest a struggle to balance its action and horror halves, and while it could theoretically polish its fighting so that it at least doesn’t feel so wonky, a September 25th launch means it has less than a month to do so. That’s a big ask – maybe too big, at this stage.

Check out our Gamescom 2025 event hub for all the PC game announcements and preview coverage from Cologne.

Silent Hill f

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Looking for more Arc Raiders Blueprints? It’s a special day when you find a Blueprint, as they’re among the most valuable items in Arc Raiders. If you find a Blueprint that you haven’t already found, then you must make sure you hold onto it at all costs, because Blueprints are the key to one of the most important and powerful systems of meta-progression in the game.

This guide aims to be the very best guide on Blueprints you can find, starting with a primer on what exactly they are and how they work in Arc Raiders, before delving into exactly where to get Blueprints and the very best farming spots for you to take in your search.

We’ll also go over how to get Blueprints from other unlikely activities, such as destroying Surveyors and completing specific quests. And you’ll also find the full list of all 75 Blueprints in Arc Raiders on this page (including the newest Blueprints added with the Cold Snap update , such as the Deadline Blueprint and Firework Box Blueprint), giving you all the information you need to expand your own crafting repertoire.

In this guide:

• What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?
• Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes
• Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders Blueprints obtained from quests Blueprints obtained from Trials Best Blueprint farming locations

What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?

Blueprints in Arc Raiders are special items which, if you manage to extract with them, you can expend to permanently unlock a new crafting recipe in your Workshop. If you manage to extract from a raid with an Anvil Blueprint, for example, you can unlock the ability to craft your very own Anvil Pistol, as many times as you like (as long as you have the crafting materials).

To use a Blueprint, simply open your Inventory while in the lobby, then right-click on the Blueprint and click “Learn And Consume” . This will permanently unlock the recipe for that item in your Workshop. As of the Stella Montis update, there are allegedly 75 different Blueprints to unlock - although only 68 are confirmed to be in the game so far. You can see all the Blueprints you’ve found and unlocked by going to the Workshop menu, and hitting “R” to bring up the Blueprint screen.

It’s possible to find duplicates of past Blueprints you’ve already unlocked. If you find these, then you can either sell them, or - if you like to play with friends - you can take it into a match and gift it to your friend so they can unlock that recipe for themselves. Another option is to keep hold of them until the time comes to donate them to the Expedition.

Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes

Below is the full list of all the Blueprints that are currently available to find in Arc Raiders, and the crafting recipe required for each item:

Note: The missing Blueprints in this list likely have not actually been added to the game at the time of writing, because none of the playerbase has managed to find any of them. As they are added to the game, I will update this page with the most relevant information so you know exactly how to get all 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints.

Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders

Below is a list of all containers, modifiers, and events which maximise your chances of finding Blueprints:

• Certain quests reward you with specific Blueprints .
• Completing Trials has a high chance of offering Blueprints as rewards.
• Surveyors have a decent chance of dropping Blueprints on death.
• High loot value areas tend to have a greater chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Night Raids and Storms may increase rare Blueprint spawn chances in containers.
• Containers with higher numbers of items may have a higher tendency to spawn Blueprints. As a result, Blue Gate (which has many “large” containers containing multiple items) may give you a higher chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Raider containers (Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, Medical Bags, Grenade Tubes) have increased Blueprint drop rates. As a result, the Uncovered Caches event gives you a high chance of finding Blueprints.
• Security Lockers have a higher than average chance of containing Blueprints.
• Certain Blueprints only seem to spawn under specific circumstances: Tempest Blueprint only spawns during Night Raid events. Vulcano Blueprint only spawns during Hidden Bunker events. Jupiter and Equaliser Blueprints only spawn during Harvester events.

Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, and other raider-oriented container types have a good chance of offering Blueprints. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints have a very low chance of spawning in any container in Arc Raiders, around 1-2% on average. However, there is a higher chance of finding Blueprints in particular container types. Specifically, you can find more Blueprints in Raider containers and security lockers.

Beyond this, if you’re looking for Blueprints you should focus on regions of the map which are marked as having particularly high-value loot. Areas such as the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds, the Arrival and Departure Buildings in Spaceport, and Pilgrim’s Peak in Blue Gate all have a better-than-average chance of spawning Blueprints somewhere amongst all their containers. Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storm events also increase the drop chances of certain Blueprints .

In addition to these containers, you can often loot Blueprints from destroyed Surveyors - the largest of the rolling ball ARC. Surveyors are more commonly found on the later maps - Spaceport and Blue Gate - and if one spawns in your match, you’ll likely see it by the blue laser beam that it casts into the sky while “surveying”.

Surveyors are quite well-armoured and will very speedily run away from you once it notices you, but if you can take one down then make sure you loot all its parts for a chance of obtaining certain unusual Blueprints.

Blueprints obtained from quests

One way in which you can get Blueprints is by completing certain quests for the vendors in Speranza. Some quests will reward you with a specific item Blueprint upon completion, so as long as you work through all the quests in Arc Raiders, you are guaranteed those Blueprints.

Here is the full list of all Blueprints you can get from quest rewards:

• Trigger Nade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Sparks Fly”.
• Lure Grenade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Greasing Her Palms”.
• Burletta Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Industrial Espionage”.
• Hullcracker Blueprint (and Launcher Ammo Blueprint): Rewarded after completing “The Major’s Footlocker”.

Alas, that’s only 4 Blueprints out of a total of 75 to unlock, so for the vast majority you will need to find them yourself during a raid. If you’re intent on farming Blueprints, then it’s best to equip yourself with cheap gear in case you lose it, but don’t use a free loadout because then you won’t get a safe pocket to stash any new Blueprint you find. No pain in Arc Raiders is sharper than failing to extract with a new Blueprint you’ve been after for a dozen hours already.

One of the best ways to get Blueprints is by hitting three stars on all five Trials every week. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints obtained from Trials

One of the very best ways to get Blueprints is as rewards for completing Trials in Arc Raiders. Trials are unlocked from Level 15 onwards, and allow you to earn rewards by focusing on certain tasks over the course of several raids. For example, one Trial might task you with dealing damage to Hornets, while another might challenge you to loot Supply Drops.

Trials refresh on a weekly basis, with a new week bringing five new Trials. Each Trial can offer up to three rewards after passing certain score milestones, and it’s possible to receive very high level loot from these reward crates - including Blueprints. So if you want to unlock as many Blueprints as possible, you should make a point of completing as many Trials as possible each week.

Best Blueprint farming locations

The very best way to get Blueprints is to frequent specific areas of the maps which combine high-tier loot pools with the right types of containers to search. Here are my recommendations for where to find Blueprints on every map, so you can always keep the search going for new crafting recipes to unlock.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Dam Battlegrounds

The best places to farm Blueprints on Dam Battlegrounds are the Control Tower, Power Generation Complex, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments . The first two regions, despite only being marked on the map as mid-tier loot, contain a phenomenal number of containers to loot. The Control Tower can also contain a couple of high-tier Security Lockers - though of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Security Breach skill at the end of the Survival tree.

There’s also a lot of reporting amongst the playerbase that the Residential areas in the top-left of the map - Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence - give you a comparatively strong chance of finding Blueprints. Considering their size, there’s a high density of containers to loot in both locations, and they also have the benefit of being fairly out of the way. So you’re more likely to have all the containers to yourself.

Buried City

The best Blueprint farming locations on Buried City are the Santa Maria Houses, Grandioso Apartments, Town Hall, and the various buildings of the New District . Grandioso Apartments has a lower number of containers than the rest, but a high chance of spawning weapon cases - which have good Blueprint drop rates. The others are high-tier loot areas, with plenty of lootable containers - including Security Lockers.

Spaceport

The best places to find Blueprints on Spaceport are the Arrival and Departure Buildings, as well as Control Tower A6 and the Launch Towers . All these areas are labelled as high-value loot regions, and many of them are also very handily connected to one another by the Spaceport wall, which you can use to quickly run from one area to the next. At the tops of most of these buildings you’ll find at least one Security Locker, so this is an excellent farming route for players looking to find Blueprints.

The downside to looting Blueprints on Spaceport is that all these areas are hotly contested, particularly in Duos and Squads. You’ll need to be very focused and fast in order to complete the full farming route.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blue Gate

Blue Gate tends to have a good chance of dropping Blueprints, potentially because it generally has a high number of containers which can hold lots of items; so there’s a higher chance of a Blueprint spawning in each container. In my experience, the best Blueprint farming spots on Blue Gate are Pilgrim’s Peak, Raider’s Refuge, the Ancient Fort, and the Underground Complex beneath the Warehouse .

All of these areas contain a wealth of containers to loot. Raider’s Refuge has less to loot, but the majority of the containers in and around the Refuge are raider containers, which have a high chance of containing Blueprints - particularly during major events.

Stella Montis

On the whole, Stella Montis seems to have a very low drop rate for Blueprints (though a high chance of dropping other high-tier loot). If you do want to try farming Blueprints on this map, the best places to find Blueprints in Stella Montis are Medical Research, Assembly Workshop, and the Business Center . These areas have the highest density of containers to loot on the map.

In addition to this, the Western Tunnel has a few different Security Lockers to loot, so while there’s very little to loot elsewhere in this area of the map, it’s worth hitting those Security Lockers if you spawn there at the start of a match.

That wraps up this primer on how to get all the Blueprints in Arc Raiders as quickly as possible. With the Expedition system constantly resetting a large number of players’ Blueprints, it’s more important than ever to have the most up-to-date information on where to find all these Blueprints.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our Arc Raiders best guns tier list , as well as our primers on the best skills to unlock and all the different Field Depot locations on every map.

ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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