Fans of Fallout, the Metro series, and the Stalker series will feel right at home with Chernobylite. In this game, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster not only irradiated the area but damaged the fabric of space and time surrounding it. Players take on the role of a former physicist, returning to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. They want to discover the area's secrets, travel back in time, and rescue their lost fiancee.
The developers, The Farm 51, describe the game as a survival-horror RPG. In between exploring dilapidated buildings, facing both soldiers and monsters, players will gather resources, build up their base, recruit allies, and make branching story decisions.
Like many RPGs, Chernobylite has a lockpicking system. Equipment and supplies will be hidden behind lock doors and safes, but they will require spending a lockpick to open. So how does a player get lockpicks?
Where To Find Lockpicks in Chernobylite
There are three ways to find lockpicks. The first is to find them strewn about the area during missions. While there's no cost to this method, it's the least reliable, since lockpicks are relatively rare.
The second method is to buy them from NPC traders. The one most likely to have them is a figure called The Locksmith, but he isn't helpful until you complete his quest. Traders move around, can be hard to find, and have unpredictable inventories. Players should not rely too heavily on them.
The last and most reliable method is to make lockpicks from scratch using the crafting system.
Crafting Lockpicks
In order to craft lockpicks, players need to build an industrial grinder in their base. The ingredients for the grinder are four mechanical parts, four flammable parts, and eight electronic parts.
Once a player has the industrial grinder, they can make a lockpick with one unit of chemicals and two mechanical parts.
Once players have the grinder, they should stock up on lockpicks and always have a few in their inventory before each mission. The world of Chernobylite is dangerous, and it's best if a player can clear an area of its resources in one go, instead of risking return trips.
Helpful Companions
In Chernobylite, companion characters can teach the player skills, which function like passive buffs. Some of these will be helpful to players who want to stockpile equipment like lockpicks. Olga's "Organization" and Mikhail's "Capacity" increase inventory slots. Mikhail's "Gathering" increases resource drop rate. Tarakan's "Saving" lowers crafting costs.
Players should be careful, however. It's possible to miss companions, or to make decisions that lead to betrayal. Once they gain a companion, players should learn their skills as quickly as possible.
Chernobylite is now available for PC, with PS4 and Xbox One versions available September 7th, 2021.