Control Resonant Orientation Walkthrough: Prologue Guide
The Orientation prologue begins in the Panopticon sub-levels of the Oldest House. Escape containment alongside FBC Agent Zoe de Vera, claim the shapeshifting Aberrant weapon from the ritual vault, and defeat the prologue boss, The Artist. Once through the threshold into warped Manhattan, immediately locate your first paranatural anchor inside the Mister Softee truck to establish a safe zone and unlock fast travel.
Executive Overview: Breaking Containment in the Oldest House
Control Resonant expands the Remedy Connected Universe into a full-scale paranatural action RPG. Players step into the boots of Dylan Faden, brother of Director Jesse Faden. Awaking in the high-security Panopticon sub-levels during a catastrophic reality collapse that shatters the protective wards of the Oldest House, Dylan must escape containment, bond with a terrifying sentient Astral weapon known as the Aberrant, and step out into the twisted streets of an inverted New York City.
Quick Answer: Navigate through Sector 4 to rescue FBC Agent Zoe de Vera from Security Sub-Station B. Claim the Aberrant from the central ritual pedestal to gain access to the high-speed Strike and wide-arc Glaive forms. Defeat The Artist in the transit vestibule by dodging his linear chromatic waves and punishing his recovery frames. Finally, pass through the dimensional rupture onto 34th Street and bind with the Mister Softee resonance anchor to establish your primary base of operations.
Phase 1: Escaping Panopticon Sector 4
The opening mission, Orientation, begins immediately following an explosive structural breach. Non-Euclidean architecture shifts in real-time, twisting hallways into impossible vertical geometry.
Orientation Prologue Progression Path:
[ Cell 7 Breach ] ──> [ Maintenance Catwalks ] ──> [ Security Sub-Station B (Zoe) ]
│
▼
[ Ritual Chamber: Aberrant Communion ] ──> [ Transit Vestibule: The Artist Duel ]
│
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[ Manhattan Threshold Rupture ] ──> [ Mister Softee Anchor Synchronize ]
Critical Path Step-by-Step
- Escaping Cell 7: Regaining control of Dylan, sprint forward through the shattered reinforced door. At this initial stage, Dylan lacks weapons and psychic powers. Sprint-slide through the collapsed office partitions to avoid the erratic gunfire of corrupted Bureau security guards.
- Maintenance Catwalk Navigation: Follow the flashing red emergency strobe lights. Leap across the severed metal gantry. When confronted by two corrupted guards on the bridge, execute a sprint-slide kick into the first guard to knock him over the railing, then dash past the second.
- Rescuing Agent Zoe de Vera: Zoe is trapped inside Security Sub-Station B behind blast-resistant glass. Access the external control panel to your right. Solve the bypass sequence by aligning the three rotating Bureau dials until all three frequency waveforms align into a steady horizontal beam. The blast door lifts, triggering a narrative dialogue where Zoe hands Dylan the Ritual Keycard.
Phase 2: Communion with The Aberrant
Zoe directs Dylan down into the sub-basement ritual vault directly underneath the Panopticon core. This chamber houses an uncontained Object of Power: a living entity composed of obsidian dark matter and shifting geometric crystal.
The Binding Sequence
- Step onto the ritual platform and interact with the central altar.
- The entity surges outward, permanently latching onto Dylan's right forearm in a symbiotic bond.
- Weapon Unlock: You immediately gain access to two distinct weapon forms:
- Strike Form: Twin energy daggers with lightning-fast 0.18s attack intervals, perfect for rapid single-target shredding.
- Glaive Form: An extended 270-degree energy halberd designed for sweeping multi-target crowd control.
- Four basic Hiss remnants manifest in the chamber. Use this encounter as a tutorial: execute three light attacks with Glaive to stagger the swarm, then swap to Strike to execute the survivors.
Phase 3: Boss Encounter — The Artist (Prologue Arena)
To exit the Oldest House transit hub, Dylan must defeat The Artist—a high-level corrupted artisan wielding dual scythes forged from liquid paranatural pigment.
| Boss Phase | Primary Telegraph & Attack | Dodge Timing | Counter-Attack Punish Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 (100% - 60% HP) | Triple Chromatic Wave (Linear Projectiles) | Dodge diagonally forward-right at 45 degrees as the scythe swings | Dash into melee range with Strike; land 4 light attacks to build 35 Power. |
| Phase 1 (Melee Trigger) | Overhead Canvas Cleave | Red flash above boss's head; dodge backward 0.2s before impact | The scythe embeds in the floor for 1.8 seconds. Unleash a full Glaive combo. |
| Phase 2 (60% - 0% HP) | Inky Doppelgängers (2 Clones Summoned) | Clones have 1 HP each; sweep immediately with Glaive | One Glaive sweep eliminates both clones simultaneously, refunding full stamina. |
| Phase 2 (Enrage) | Spinning Pigment Vortex | Boss spins continuously across the arena floor for 4 seconds | Maintain maximum distance; do not engage until the vortex dissipates. |
- Execution Stagger: When The Artist's yellow Falter bar caps out at 100%, sprint forward and press [Interact] to execute a cinematic takedown that deals 30% total health damage and ends the battle.
For advanced boss battle mechanics and phase telegraph breakdowns, read our dedicated The Artist Boss Fight Strategy Guide.
Phase 4: Entering Warped Manhattan & Securing the First Anchor
Passing through the transit fissure triggers a breathtaking cutscene where Dylan steps out of an underground subway terminal onto 34th Street in Manhattan. However, reality has been catastrophically altered: skyscrapers hang inverted in the sky, yellow resonance tears pulse between buildings, and altered gravity pockets distort street level.
Establishing the Mister Softee Safe Anchor
- Descend from the subway steps and navigate through the abandoned vehicle graveyard.
- Corrupted resonance snipers are perched on top of overturned yellow taxi cabs. Use the Extend chain whip (unlocked after The Artist) to pull them down into street level.
- Locate the glowing pink neon Mister Softee Ice Cream Truck parked in front of the Empire State Building plaza.
- Interact with the truck's distorted loudspeaker to banish the local Hiss corruption.
- This truck serves as your Primary Manhattan Base Anchor, unlocking:
- Safe zone resting and health restoration.
- Access to The Gap (Remedy's astral upgrade dimension).
- Fast-travel waypoint connectivity across the Manhattan districts.
Prologue Hidden Collectibles & Research Files
| Collectible Name | Type | Exact Location in Orientation | Strategic Narrative Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| FBC Incident Log: Cell 7 | Audio Recording | On the security desk opposite Zoe's blast door in Sub-Station B | Details Dylan's prolonged sedative regime and psychic resistance. |
| Altered Item Case #44 (The Paintbrush) | Case File Dossier | Underneath the central altar in the Aberrant ritual vault | Unlocks the lore and origins of The Artist boss entity. |
| Living Shard Cache #01 (5x Shards) | Upgrade Material | Behind the collapsed subway ticket turnstile before reaching Manhattan | Provides the initial currency needed to upgrade Strike Form in The Gap. |
Walkthrough Anti-Patterns & Common Blunders
- Attempting to Fight Unarmed Guards in Cell 7: Novices often attempt to punch the first two armed guards in the hallway. Dylan takes full ballistic damage during unarmed animations. Sprint past them until you acquire the Aberrant.
- Ignoring Clone Spawns During The Artist: The Artist's clones deal identical damage to the real boss. Leaving them alive results in unavoidable crossfire. Always eliminate clones immediately with a single wide Glaive swipe.
- Skipping the Mister Softee Anchor: Forgetting to interact with the ice cream truck anchor upon entering Manhattan means any subsequent death in the open world respawns Dylan all the way back in the Panopticon transit vestibule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I return to the Oldest House after stepping out into Manhattan?
Yes. Once you synchronize with the Mister Softee resonance anchor, the transit fissure remains open as a two-way portal, allowing you to return to Panopticon Sector 4 to collect any missed research documents or audio logs.
Which Aberrant form should I prioritize upgrading first?
Invest your first Living Shards into the Strike Form. Its high attack velocity allows you to harvest Power quickly from basic street-level enemies, which fuels the psychic abilities required to survive large ambushes.
What are the yellow resonance tears floating in the Manhattan sky?
Those are Fault Rifts. Later in the campaign, acquiring the Paranatural Grapple and Levitation abilities will allow Dylan to latch onto these rifts to traverse between inverted rooftops and access hidden Astral chests.
To master all six shapeshifting weapon profiles of the Aberrant, consult our Aberrant Weapons Guide. To optimize your character talent tree early, read the Combat Abilities & Build Guide.