Control Resonant Beginner Tips – 30 Things to Know Before You Start Playing

TL;DR

• Control Resonant is a melee-focused action RPG — not a shooter like the original Control.
• The biggest mistake is playing Dylan Faden like Jesse Faden.
• Stay aggressive, spend your Power, and use the Falter system to create openings.
• Movement is a core part of combat — standing still will get you killed.
• Do side content early to avoid hitting a difficulty wall on the main story.
• There is no traditional parry — dodge and reposition instead.

Control Resonant Beginner Tips – Start Here

Control Resonant changes almost everything compared to the original game. New combat system. New protagonist. New structure. If you jump in expecting more of what Jesse Faden did, you are going to have a rough time.

These tips cover what you actually need to know in your first several hours — combat, builds, traversal, and how to avoid the most common beginner mistakes.

If you want a full breakdown of the game first, check out our Control Resonant review.

Combat Tips for Control Resonant Beginners

1. Don’t Play Dylan Like Jesse

This is the number one tip for anyone coming from the original Control.

Jesse Faden was primarily a ranged fighter. You could hang back with the Service Weapon and throw objects from a distance. That approach does not work here.

Dylan is a melee fighter. The game expects you to stay close, stay aggressive, and keep moving. The basic loop is:

• Attack to build Power
• Use abilities to create pressure
• Stagger enemies
• Execute them
• Reposition and repeat

If the early hours feel harder than expected, you are probably using Jesse’s old habits. Adjust your approach before you start changing your build.

2. Learn the Falter System as Soon as Possible

Falter is one of the most important mechanics in the game and one that beginners often ignore.

Rather than just hammering an enemy’s health bar down, you want to build pressure until they enter a vulnerable state. Then you exploit the opening with a combo or execution.

A typical encounter should look like this: apply pressure with the Aberrant, use abilities to push toward a Falter state, create the opening, and then execute. Do not tunnel-vision one enemy while others are attacking you from behind. Create the opening, take it, and move on.

3. There Is No Parry — Stop Waiting for One

If you come from Sekiro, Lies of P, or Wo Long, this is important.

Control Resonant does not use a parry system. There is no parry window to time. No perfect block mechanic.

Dylan’s defense works through dodging, repositioning, and movement abilities. When an enemy attacks, move. Do not stand still waiting for a block opportunity that is not coming.

Control Resonant Featured

4. Movement Is Part of Combat

Dylan’s traversal abilities are not just for getting around Manhattan. They are a direct part of fighting.

You can use movement to escape groups, close distance fast, dodge incoming attacks, reach elevated enemies, and reposition mid-fight. If you are standing still during a combat encounter, you are making things harder than they need to be.

Good beginner mindset: if you are getting hit a lot, move more before changing anything else.

5. Learn the Basic Movement Chain Early

Do not use each movement ability in isolation. Chain them together.

A basic chain looks like this: Run → Jump → Double Jump → Air Dash. Once you are comfortable with that, start using the same idea during fights to close gaps, escape, and reposition quickly.

Manhattan is very vertical. This chain will save you constantly.

6. Spend Your Power — Do Not Hoard It

New players almost always make the same mistake: they save their supernatural abilities for a “really tough enemy” and finish most fights with a completely full meter.

That is backwards. Melee attacks help replenish Power. The system is designed for a cycle:

• Attack to generate Power
• Spend Power on abilities
• Attack to generate more
• Repeat

If your meter is constantly full, you are wasting potential resource generation. Use your abilities.

7. Use Abilities to Create Openings, Not Just Deal Damage

Think of Dylan’s supernatural abilities as tools for setting up melee attacks, not just for raw damage output.

Ability → enemy vulnerable → Aberrant combo → execution is often far more effective than swinging constantly and hoping the health bar runs out. This matters especially against tougher enemies where blind aggression will leave you exposed.

8. Learn Executions Early and Use Them

Executions are not just cool finishing animations. They are a core part of the combat loop.

Once an enemy is vulnerable, an execution pays off the pressure you built and keeps your momentum going. The routine to build: apply pressure → Falter the enemy → execute → immediately reposition to the next target.

Do not stand and watch the animation while another enemy lines up an attack on your back.

Build and Progression Tips

9. Experiment With Aberrant Forms

The Aberrant shapeshifts into different weapon forms. Different forms suit different playstyles — some are faster, some hit harder, some work better at different ranges.

Do not pick one form in the first hour and treat it as permanent. Try different configurations and pay attention to which one fits how you naturally want to play.

That said, some early build choices can be costly to undo at first, so spend your initial upgrade points with some intention.

10. Pick a Weapon Pair That Works Together

Rather than trying to collect every form immediately, focus on one primary and one secondary that complement each other.

A fast form for maintaining pressure combined with a heavier form for when you have a safe opening is a solid starting point. The specific pairing matters less than understanding why you are using each one.

11. Pay Attention to Build Power

Build Power combines your weapon upgrades, talents, ability strength, and health into an overall level. Enemies also have levels.

If an enemy feels completely impossible, check your Build Power before assuming you just need to play better. Sometimes the correct answer is to go do some side content and come back stronger.

Not every encounter is meant to be beaten immediately.

12. Match Your Abilities to Your Weapon

Do not pick abilities based purely on which one has the biggest number. Pick abilities that make your current weapon and playstyle stronger.

If your build is built around aggressive melee, abilities that help you control groups and create openings are more valuable than abilities that require you to stay at a distance. Build synergy beats raw stats almost every time.

13. Do Not Ignore Artifacts

Artifacts are another progression layer that beginners often overlook. Do not just equip the artifact with the highest visible stat.

Think about what your build actually needs. Struggling to stay alive? Look for defensive bonuses. Trouble finishing enemies? Offensive bonuses. Relying heavily on abilities? Look for ability support bonuses. The best artifact is the one that fills the gap in your current setup.

14. Do Not Panic About Your First Skill Choices

Staring at a talent tree for ten minutes worrying about permanently ruining your build is a very common first-hour experience.

Relax. The game allows respec opportunities so you can adjust your talent choices rather than being locked in forever. Experiment with a playstyle and actually test it before resetting. Constantly switching never gives a build time to work.

15. Visit the Gap for Upgrades and Build Experimentation

The Gap is the main hub for developing Dylan’s progression. This is where you work with talents, artifacts, and Aberrant upgrades.

Use it regularly, especially in the early game. It is the best place to experiment with your build before committing to a direction.

Exploration and Open World Tips

16. Do Side Content Before You Hit a Wall

If the main story suddenly spikes in difficulty, stop pushing forward and explore.

Complete World Feats, side quests, optional encounters, and resource locations. These activities give you progression that makes the main path much more manageable. Resonant is designed around exploration — following only the main marker will leave you underpowered.

17. Do Not Try to 100% Manhattan Immediately

Some areas and collectibles are locked until Dylan gains new traversal abilities. If somewhere looks completely unreachable, it probably is — for now.

Mark the location mentally and come back later. Forcing every collectible on your first visit creates unnecessary backtracking.

18. Pay Attention to World Feats

World Feats are not filler content. They contribute meaningfully to your overall progression and help close the gap between your Build Power and the enemies you are facing.

If you are underpowered, do not just grind random enemies. Look for World Feats and meaningful activities that give you resources and teach the game’s systems at the same time.

19. If You Are Lost, Look Up

Manhattan is not a flat open-world map. There are rooftops, elevated platforms, floating areas, and vertical routes everywhere.

If the map marker seems to be pointing you at a wall, stop walking toward the wall. Look up and around. Dylan’s traversal is built for vertical environments and the intended path is often above you, not in front of you.

20. Do Not Fight Every Enemy You See

Open-world games create a habit of fighting everything in your path. Control Resonant does not require it.

If you have done what you need to do in an area, it is completely fine to jump and dash past enemy groups. Your XP bar does not need to witness every single encounter.

21. Use the Environment in Combat

Remedy’s level design frequently expects you to use the environment rather than just fight in a flat space.

Pay attention to vertical spaces, alternate routes, gravity changes, interactive objects, and hidden paths. The best solution to a tough encounter is sometimes a different angle of attack, not a better build.

Story and Quality of Life Tips

22. Read the FBC Files

If you played the original Control, you already know this. The collectible documents are not random lore dumps — they explain the world, the FBC’s bizarre bureaucracy, and Dylan’s history in meaningful ways.

If you care about the story at all, they are worth reading.

23. New Players Do Not Need to Panic About the Lore

You do not need to have memorized every detail of the first Control before starting Resonant. The game provides enough context to follow Dylan’s story.

That said, playing the original will give you significantly more context about Jesse, the FBC, the Hiss, and the rules of this universe. There is a real difference between being able to follow Resonant and getting everything out of it.

If you want to check out what the game is all about before buying, read our full Control Resonant review for a complete breakdown.

24. Do Not Rush the Main Story

The open-world structure makes it tempting to just follow the main marker constantly. Resist that.

Side paths, NPC quests, and strange locations in the distance are often where the best content lives. Remedy games reward curiosity. The weird stuff is usually the good stuff.

25. Use Sound to Your Advantage

The audio design in Resonant is not just atmosphere. Enemy attacks and environmental events have audio cues that give you useful information during combat.

Do not play the first few hours muted. Headphones make a significant difference — reviewers have specifically praised the sound design and the physical weight it gives to melee attacks.

26. Do Not Be Afraid to Use Assist Mode

If combat stops being fun and starts being frustrating, use Assist Mode. The game has accessibility options that modify enemy aggression, damage, recovery, and Dylan’s Power regeneration.

This is especially useful if you are primarily here for the story, struggling with melee timing, or hitting a boss wall that is blocking progress. There is no reason to stop enjoying the game when a difficulty setting can fix the problem in thirty seconds.

27. Keep Your Build Simple at First

During the opening hours, do not try to construct a hyper-specific endgame build. Start simple:

• Weapon: One fast Aberrant form, one heavy Aberrant form
• Combat: Aggressive melee with ability support
• Defense: Dodge and movement
• Progression: Balance damage and survivability

Once you understand how the systems interact, start specializing. Trying to build an advanced character before you understand the basics is the fastest way to end up with 40 skill points spent and a character that somehow feels weaker.

What to Do When You Are Struggling

If an enemy or area is consistently beating you, work through this checklist before giving up:

• Check Build Power — is the enemy significantly above your level?
• Upgrade — check your weapons, talents, and artifacts for improvements you missed
• Change your weapon form — your current form may simply not suit this encounter
• Use your abilities — do not save Power for later
• Move more — jump, dash, and reposition constantly
• Look for Falter opportunities — do not just spam attacks
• Do side content — World Feats and exploration raise your Build Power
• Use Assist Mode — that is exactly what it is there for

The Best Beginner Combat Loop for Control Resonant

If you take nothing else from this guide, remember this one loop:

MOVE → ATTACK → BUILD POWER → USE ABILITY → FALTER → EXECUTE → MOVE

That is the heart of Control Resonant’s combat. Do not stand still. Do not hoard Power. Do not wait for a parry. Do not rely on one attack. And do not play Dylan like Jesse.

The game’s opening hours have a real learning curve — reviews have noted this specifically. Once the combat system clicks, everything becomes much more manageable.

Also worth knowing: if you are waiting on the physical version, check our article on the Control Resonant physical edition delay for the latest release date update.

Frequently Asked Questions – Control Resonant Beginner Tips