The best Plague Tale Requiem workbench upgrades

Plague Tale Requiem workbench upgrades parts pieces — (Image credit: Focus Entertainment)

The best Plague Tale Requiem workbench upgrades don't come cheap, as you'll need plenty of pieces and tools to get them, however this investment will pay off if you head down the "Instruments" upgrade path. While skills develop your character, the upgrades you get add improvements to your gear to get more from the weapons and resources at your disposal, but the cost can be high and this in turn leads to tough decisions about what to get that will provide the best protection for Amicia. To help make those calls, I've detailed the best upgrades to get at workbenches in Plague Tale Requiem, as well as how to obtain the tools and pieces required to construct them.

Best workbench upgrades in Plague Tale Requiem

The best workbench upgrades to get in Plague Tale Requiem are those in the Instruments path, at least by our reckoning. The purpose of those upgrades are to effectively increase the rate at which you can obtain workbench upgrades, similar to how certain RPGs have skills and items that boost XP gain. And much like those skills, you should always, ALWAYS get them early on, so as to boost your rate of progress throughout the rest of the game. There's three upgrades in the instrumental path that have to be bought in the following order.

Recycling tool: Converts jars, knives, Pyrite and bolts into pieces if you can't carry more. Excellent for thrifty players who rely on stealth and restraint.
Traveller tools: Allows you to upgrade equipment anywhere, without a workbench. Not a hugely powerful ability considering benches are fairly common, but buy it purely to reach the next step…
Unbreakable tool: Allows you to effectively negate the tool cost for all future upgrades, meaning you're solely dependent on pieces. Your upgrade rate is vastly sped up from this point on as a result, especially if you're putting the recycling tools to work.

Once you have those, you can start working on upgrades that'll help in gameplay. Here's a choice selection to aim for.

Softened Sling: The first upgrade for the sling basically quietens it down, making it more of a stealth weapon. Really good for takedowns in dangerous areas.
Double Cradle: The second sling upgrade allows you to make two attacks with every sling charge - which can be a lifesaver if multiple enemies are converging on you.
Strong Fire: The second alchemy upgrade allows Amicia to kill enemies with jars of Ignifer - horrifying, but effective.

We would suggest some of the "gear" path upgrades… but they're not especially impressive, usually focused around just carrying more of what you've got already.

How to get tools and pieces

The tools and pieces necessary for upgrades are found all over the game, but certain approaches will help more than others in finding them. Here's a few tips and tricks for raking in loot.

Obviously, get all the Instruments upgrades mentioned above. The Recycling Tool and Unbreakable Tool will make a big difference.
Look in chests off the beaten path for tools - they tend to be more ornate and harder to reach than standard chests.
Pieces can often be found in small bags and pouches individually.
Keep one intact knife on you at all times when possible. The knife lock cabinets practically always have lots of tools and pieces inside, and if you miss the chance, you'll be kicking yourself afterwards.

Looking for more help? Then here's how to solve the Plague Tale Requiem planet symbols puzzle, plus how to get through the Plague Tale Requiem construction site and reach the boat.