Barrage
Pulls rocks from the ground and launches them.
Need a ranged option when closing distance is unsafe?How the game plays
CONTROL Resonant Gameplay — Make Every Move Count
Meet Dylan, learn the melee-to-power combat loop, compare Forms, abilities, Talents and Artifacts, then prepare for bosses and solve common combat problems.
On this page
Who do you play as in CONTROL Resonant?
Dylan Faden replaces Jesse as the playable lead. His story begins with an escape from the Oldest House and moves into a warped Manhattan while he searches for his missing sister.
- Playable character
- Dylan Faden
- Primary weapon
- The Aberrant
- Field contact
- Zoe De Vera
- Central objective
- Find Jesse
We're focusing on what Dylan changes mechanically here. For his history, Bureau captivity, and relationship with Jesse, we keep the deeper context in the character files.
02 / The foundation
How CONTROL Resonant combat connects melee, powers and executions
Unlike Jesse's Service Weapon-led combat in CONTROL, Dylan fights primarily at close range with the shape-shifting Aberrant. The announced loop is specific: melee hits refill the resource for Combat Abilities; those powers and weapon choices build Falter; and an execution starts Dominance, a short window of stronger offense and more reliable health recovery. That encourages a return to weapon attacks rather than treating powers as a separate, endlessly available ranged kit.
- 01Close in and land melee hitsRebuild ability power while reading enemy attacks.
- 02Spend a Combat AbilityPressure, protect or destabilize enemies with the power your build uses.
- 03Execute a faltered targetStart Dominance, push the next target and create a better chance of recovering health.
| Combat state | How it begins | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Falter | Build pressure with Forms, abilities and effects | Opens normal enemies to execution and creates a damage window against bosses |
| Execution | Use the prompt on an eligible faltered enemy | Removes a normal threat and starts the next offensive window |
| Dominance | Triggered after an execution | Temporarily strengthens Dylan and makes defeated enemies a dependable source of health |
The full-game coverage supports this loop. We have not seen one rotation that works best for every Form, difficulty, and encounter, so we would learn the rhythm before copying a fixed combo.
Six named Aberrant Forms and three loadout positions
Primary and Secondary are different attack positions, while a separate Combo Ender finishes a string. The six named early Forms below are reliable starting comparisons, but they are not the complete set of variants or upgrades.
| Form | Slot and shape | Combat role | Player decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strike | PrimaryTwin daggers | Fast, close-range attacks with a higher critical-hit chance. | Consider when you prefer repeated close hits over reach. |
| Glaive | PrimaryScythe | Wide swings aimed at groups. | Consider when several enemies pressure the same space. |
| Cleave | PrimaryAxe | Focused damage with extra damage when attacking from behind. | Consider when positioning for a focused target matters. |
| Crush | SecondaryMallet | Slow, heavy smashing attacks. | Pairs a heavier option with a faster Primary Form. |
| Drill | SecondaryDrill | Directed, sustained damage in the hands-on build. | Consider when you can hold pressure on one target. |
| Extend | SecondaryChain staff | Adds reach to a melee setup. | Pairs with a short-range Primary Form when spacing is difficult. |
The completed reviews disagree about which combinations stay fun over a full run. We would choose by reach, speed, and Falter pressure instead of treating one reviewer's preference as a universal tier list.
Read the Aberrant Forms fileWhich Combat Abilities can The Artist unlock?
The released reward choice is Barrage, Volatile Anomaly or Shield. A first run asks you to choose a branch; later progression and New Game Plus provide ways to revisit boss-earned ability decisions.
Volatile Anomaly
Summons an entity that can be thrown and detonated for an explosive hit.
Want damage or distraction while you reposition?Shield
Raises floating rocks and can turn the defense into an offensive dash.
Need a way to absorb pressure before closing in?These are the opening boss rewards, not the full Combat Ability list. Later Resonants open fire, Mold, crowd-control, Astral and Command branches. The Central Resonant is the route to Ignite or Inferno. For the complete released-game progression chain, browse the Boss directory.
How do Talents and Artifacts change a build?
Boss-earned supernatural tools. Some first-run choices are exclusive, and New Game Plus broadens the combinations available from the same boss.
Progression choices that strengthen interactions between weapon attacks and powers. New talent nodes become available in New Game Plus.
Crafted in the Gap from Untapped Artifacts found in the world. Passive effects may support survival, combat, exploration or resources, sometimes with a trade-off. Three can be equipped on a first run; New Game Plus adds a fourth slot.
Dylan's build-management space lets players upgrade the Aberrant, work on abilities, craft Artifacts and test a setup. It is distinct from the FBC field office that connects Manhattan Zones.
We start with one question: “Which gap in my setup should the next choice cover?” Full-game reviews say early Form choices and limited resets can shape the opening hours, so we would test speed and reach before spending deeply. Exact material costs and optimal damage still need a check against a known game version.
Four rules for surviving a Resonant boss fight
A reliable boss plan starts with the arena, attack cue and reason an attempt failed. Resonants are often optional, so an underprepared player can explore, improve a build and return rather than forcing every fight immediately.
- Read the arena first. Keep an exit route before committing to a long melee sequence.
- Separate health damage from Falter pressure. A longer fight does not automatically mean the chosen Form is weak.
- Return to melee deliberately. Safe weapon hits restore the resource used by Combat Abilities.
- Use the health checkpoints. Boss health markers can return health at specific damage thresholds; survival and Falter pressure are connected.
Open the known Boss encounters for the released-game fights, or read the Central Resonant file for its route and documented hazards. Match the route prerequisite before treating every failed approach as a build problem.
Completed-review coverage also reports that defeating Resonants can advance the world's escalation and strengthen later enemies. We would check that Forms, health, Power and Talents are keeping pace before clearing every optional fight; the exact escalation values still need direct versioned testing.
Fix common combat problems before changing your whole build
We start with the problem we can see, then look for a tool with the right role. Across the completed reviews, slow Falter, crowded arenas, targeting, and late-game durability keep coming up, even though the reviewers prefer different solutions.
I cannot reach a target safely
Extend gives a melee setup more reach; Barrage provides ranged pressure. They solve distance in different ways, and only the latter spends Combat Ability resource.
Compare weapon reachI run out of ability power
The announced loop restores that resource through melee hits. Check whether your Form lets you return to safe weapon attacks instead of relying on powers alone.
Plan the combat loopA group keeps breaking my attack
Glaive covers a wider area, while Volatile Anomaly adds independent pressure. If the difficulty is the speed of incoming attacks, inspect the separate Assist Mode settings below.
Compare power rolesEnemies feel too durable and I rarely recover health
Check the health bar before judging raw damage: later armored layers can prevent Falter from building normally until the armor breaks. Execute an eligible normal enemy to enter Dominance, then use its melee boost and dependable health drops against the heavier target. If the rhythm is still exhausting, adjust Outgoing Falter or Outgoing Damage separately.
Diagnose Falter and DominanceA status build is not finishing durable enemies
Completed-review coverage identifies one practical interaction: applying Mold poison and then fire can trigger an explosion. We would use that combination against a durable target or a packed group, while leaving exact damage and best-in-slot claims open until they can be tested on a known game version.
Compare ability roles08 / Moving through Zones
How do Reach and Shift change traversal?
Reach and Shift are movement tools used to navigate distorted spaces and gravity anomalies. Reach comes from the Subway Fault route, while Shift comes from the Incursion Fault, so both remain separate from a Resonant-earned Combat Ability. Manhattan is organized into distinct handcrafted Zones with story quests, World Quests, and optional activities rather than one uninterrupted map of markers.
Assist Mode targets specific difficulties
Assist Mode can be changed during play. These options address separate problems rather than forcing one global easy/hard choice.
| If this is the problem | Setting to inspect | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Attacks arrive from too many directions | Enemy Aggression | Reduce how often enemies press the player. |
| Dodge timing is difficult to read | Perfect Dodge Window | Widen the timing window without changing every other combat rule. |
| Projectiles are too fast | Enemy Projectile Speed | Slow incoming projectiles. |
| Abilities are hard to sustain | Power Recovery Speed | Increase the rate at which ability power returns. |
| Melee attacks miss at close range | Enhanced Melee Magnetizing | Make melee positioning more forgiving. |
Remedy also describes independent incoming/outgoing damage and falter controls, presets, Immortality and one-hit options. Settings can make the game harder as well as easier, and using Assist Mode does not gate trophies or achievements. We would change the setting that targets your specific problem instead of enabling everything at once.
Accessibility and first-hour guideContinue your route
Continue with a combat file or step-by-step guide
Use the Wiki for a specific system; use a guide when you need a sequence of decisions.