The RPS Selection Box: Nic’s bonus games of the year 2024

Games in a box? What is this, 1997?!

Image credit:RPS

If pushed, I’d describe my 2024 gaming habits as eclectic, but that would actually be a lie. All my favourite games for the year are actually very similar: they are all the best. Unfortunately, the realities of sharing website space with several less-correctos means they didn’t all make this year’s advent calender.

“We should do Selection Boxes, too,” demanded Graham, with a mince pie in one hand and a cattle prod in the other, occasionally prodding the crust of the pie, which he says lends it an unbeatable crunchy texture. I initially balked at yet another holiday tradition, until I realised this gave me yet another chance to be both incredibly correct and light to medium entertaining.

Alan Wake 2: The Lake House

Image credit:Remedy/Epic

I’m very glad I waited as long as I did to play Alan Wake 2 , because Remedy’s surreal multimedia masterwork bakes the two expansions into the base game so well that they feel like an essential part of it. The first DLC, Night Springs, appears as three episodes that you access through television sets you’ll encounter at certain points in the story - their off-kilter, funny vignettes breaking up the gloom nicely.

But it’s The Lake House that really impressed me - a chance to explore the imposing, satirically bureaucratic architecture of Control with Alan Wake 2’s more measured - and I think, more successful - survival horror rhythms. Playing as Agent Kiran Estevez, you’ll follow a warning signal to an FBC facility near Cauldron Lake, which turns out to be full of… Remedy shit. But like, the best and most creative Remedy shit. The Lake House is funny and odd and exciting in all the ways you’d probably expect, but it’s also very powerful in its disdain for the targets it chooses to satirise. I’m being cagey here to avoid spoilers, but I wrote about this more here .

This being one of my picks for the year might be more to do with how much I enjoyed Alan Wake 2 as a whole, but what is a ‘Nic Reuben’ article if not an article in which ‘Nic Reuben’ gets to do whatever the hell he wants? Please play Alan Wake 2. It is indie on a triple A budget and it feels like something that shouldn’t be allowed to exist. If it never ends up making its money back, it’ll be because Remedy made something too interesting to sum up in marketing materials of any length.

Total War: Warhammer III Thrones Of Decay

Image credit:Creative Assembly.

Thrones Of Decay is a brilliant expansion in its own right, but it stands out to me as special because it marks the point where Total War: Warhammer 3 started feeling truly alive - when the conversation surrounding the game finally took on an air of optimism after a long rough period. The Chaos Dwarf expansion was a great one, but this one here just felt so celebratory. In the lead up to release, spirits felt high across both Creative Assembly and the community, and to top it all off, the actual expansion was a banger.

The headline rivalry of the DLC might have been Nurgle warlord Tamurkhan and dragon-riding death mage Elspeth Von Draken, but for me, mad dwarf engineer Malakai stole the show. Taking cues from the Gotrek And Felix novels, you teamed up with the pair, completing quests all over the map and getting lots of very nice bombs as rewards. It’s probably the most overtly story-heavy campaign in the trilogy so far, but that’s balanced out with so much potential for sandbox chaos that neither element feels underbaked.

Elsewhere, Tamurkhan offered crushing momentum and unique heroes, and Elspeth brought an opportunity to return to the Empire - alongside a brief respite from the first lord 76% of people play when they buy a new expansion being Karl Franz again. Oh, and Franz got himself some powerful new abilities too, making the Festus/Khazrak/Vlad/Drycha superbowl significantly more manageable.

I’m obviously so invested in the game at this point that it’ll be a rare year that passes where an expansion for it isn’t one of my favourites. But even with that, Thrones Of Decay was a fantastic release that marked a real high point for the game.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Square Enix

Something magical happened during this year’s Game Awards, in among all the skits of Geoff attempting to lampshade valid criticism of his starhumping, saccharine, layoffs-ignoring ad-mageddon through the medium of muppets. Actually, there were several good announcements, but the confirmation of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth finally coming to PC was especially timely, because it means I can write about it here. That’s good! Because it’s phenomenal.

Brilliant new combat system aside, Final Fantasy VII Remake always felt to me more of a celebratory work than one looking forward in any meaningful sense. But if it was a party, it was a reserved one. An end-of-year office social where nobody really knows each other and everyone’s standing awkwardly around the edges nodding their heads to Coldplay. But Rebirth is a complete rager. Cloud is scanning photos of his arse on the photocopier. Barret is arm wrestling Cait Sith and Cid at the same time. Yuffie is honking fat lines of ground-up materia off the beak of a chocobo. It is so expansive and stuffed with joy that it threatens to collapse under the weight of its own maximalism, and yet built on such sturdy combat, exploration, and side quest fundamentals that it stays upright throughout.

I am a mark for Final Fantasy 7 in many ways. I cannot hear even the opening notes of half the songs on the soundtrack without welling up. But Rebirth reminded me that the developers likely feel exactly the same way I do. Again: celebratory. Much like the recent Silent Hill 2 remake, the sense that everyone who worked on Rebirth never took the gravity of their task for granted is palpable and powerful. Unlike Silent Hill 2, the team here weren’t afraid to mess with the classics in ways that lends Rebirth a real sense of having its own identity. As a complete, standalone story, I’m not sure if it necessarily works: it’s very much a middle chapter. But as a complete game, it’s one of the most lavish and charming RPGs I’ve ever played. I haven’t smiled so much in years.

Alan Wake II

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC , Nintendo Switch 2

Total War: Warhammer III

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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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