Returnal: Crafting - Fabricators Returnal guide, walkthrough
Last update: 29 April 2021
This page of the Returnal guide explains the rules of crafting. We explain the requirements you need to meet to craft items, where you can do it and what interesting equipment can be produced with the help of Fabricators.
Crafting - key information
Crafting in Returnal is not available at all times. We can't just open the inventory and start crafting items we're interested in. We have to find devices called Fabricators. They allow you to obtain items created by crafting - either for free or by spending Obolite (the main resource in the game).
The distribution of fabricators is of course random, but this is where you can possibly find them:
- Public locations - some of them will be found by following the primary mission objective and some by swerving and exploring optional areas.
- Closed locations - here, before you reach the fabricator, you must first use the key to unlock the passage or acquire the ability (e.g. use the gripper) to access an optional location.
Main types of fabricators
There are three main varieties of fabricators.
The first variety is large Fabricators, which allow you to choose between various items to buy. They typically offer a few consumables and a few artifacts / stat augments.
The second variant is defective Fabricators. We can spend Obolite in them and get random, increasingly expensive items in return. Using these fabricators is a good idea only if we have excess Obolite and nothing to use it for.
The third variety is Fabricators with free items. Take all the items they offer because there are no curses ones among them.
What's worth crafting?
Thanks to the fabricators, we can acquire consumables, artifacts and stat augments. Since having a lot of Obolite is a rather rare thing to happen, it is recommended to think over every potential purchase.
Here are some ideas:
- If Selene has an underdeveloped health bar, it's a good idea to buy an upgrade that will permanently lengthen it.
- If you are preparing to fight a boss, you can buy a first aid kit or an artifact that guarantees a protection bonus.
- If we want to find better weapons, then let's look for an artifact that will offer a large bonus of proficiency points.
Additional hint - we can easily return to most locations with fabricators thanks to teleports. Even if you can't afford to buy some valuable item, remember its price and return to the fabricator after collecting more Obolite.