CONTROL Resonant Abilities and How to Unlock Them

The choice offered after a boss gives you one ability immediately. A Reset Item can revise choices, while the Resonant Token earned from Pope's Research in the Unknown can unlock an additional previously offered Combat Ability in The Gap. That later token is a limited progression reward, so it is better to choose for the current stretch of the game rather than assume every skipped branch will be free soon.

Source image: NoobFeed's ability guide.

Ability unlock index

All five traversal abilities and twelve named Combat Abilities are indexed here. A boss-choice row identifies an option, not an automatic grant of every option.

QUICK INDEX

Ability routes

17 entries

Filter by type AllTraversalCombat

Traversal

Double-Jump

Downtown Fault during Orientation · Second airborne jump

Traversal

Elevate

Downtown Fault · Glide and slow descent

Traversal

Rush

Downtown Fault · Fast movement; cleansing requires the relevant Talent

Traversal

Shift

The Incursion Fault, West Incursion · Walk along altered-gravity surfaces

Traversal

Reach

The Subway Fault, Evacuation · Pull toward spherical grapple points

Combat

Barrage

Artist choice · Ranged projectiles

Combat

Volatile Anomaly

Artist choice · Throwable entity

Combat

Shield

Artist choice · Protection and Shield Bash

Combat

Ignite

Deserter choice · Burn on weapon attacks

Combat

Inferno

Deserter choice · Fire waves

Combat

Push

Dancer choice · Displace enemies

Combat

Ground Slam

Dancer choice · Aerial impact and rooftop barriers

Combat

Spore Burst

Collective choice · Mold projectiles; Infected

Combat

Growth

Collective choice · Summoned Mold allies

Combat

Spike

Physicist choice · Persistent Astralized pressure

Combat

Astral Rebuke

Physicist choice · Launch enemies; Astralized

Combat

Command

Unknown Resonant · Temporary ally; requires purple charges

Traversal abilities: open the route first

These are progression tools, not optional damage upgrades. Shift opens the path to the Dancer and several inverted areas. Reach is taught through the Subway Fault and appears later in camera, dog, and story routes. If a collectible is visible but unreachable, it often belongs to a later cleanup pass after a Fault rather than a secret early jump.

Combat Abilities by encounter

These descriptions summarize what the abilities do, not a universal ranking. Shield is a forgiving Artist choice for players learning bosses, while Barrage and Volatile Anomaly support more active offense. Ignite versus Inferno has a dedicated decision guide because that choice changes the rhythm of Fire use. Ground Slam is also relevant outside combat: some Freeze Frame paths use it to break rooftop ability barriers.

Command differs from the two-way rewards: it unlocks after the Unknown Resonant and uses purple Command Charges. The boss index lists the route gates for each fight.

Six slots and status combinations

Loadout uses two sets of three Combat Ability slots. Unlocking a reward and placing it in a slot are separate steps: interact with the Mural in The Gap, assign each available ability, then switch sets to check all six. Pope’s Research supplies the Resonant Token for an additional previously offered choice. A Reset Item changes a choice; it does not permanently add every alternative.

Burn and Infected can combine into an explosion, while Astralized helps Burn and Infected build up. Apply these to durable enemies rather than spending multiple casts on a weak foe. Your Artist, Dancer and other boss choices still constrain which abilities you can equip on a first playthrough.

Plan a loadout around Power

A powerful ability that empties Power at the wrong time can make a build less safe. Decide which action is your usual offense, which is your emergency defense or control, and how your weapon forms create time to use both. For a melee-focused player, Ignite can add Burn without replacing the regular combo; for an ability-focused player, Inferno can justify more Power generation. The build guide connects those choices to Talents, Artifacts, and Build Power.

If you missed an ability you now want, check The Gap for Reset Items or, after Pope's Research, the Resonant Token. Read the current in-game description before spending scarce resources, particularly after balance updates. Return to the guide hub for the rest of the movement and combat routes.