How does combat work in CONTROL Resonant? It is a momentum-driven, melee-first action system. Hits with the Aberrant build a resource that fuels your abilities, and the more pressure you keep up, the more tools you gain. Built around the shapeshifting Aberrant and a deep progression system, it lets you shape how Dylan fights through several supported playstyles.
What is the combat loop?
The combat follows a three-part momentum loop. Each part feeds the next, so the game rewards constant pressure and flow.
- Melee hits restore your Combat Ability resource
- Abilities stun enemies, opening them up for executions
- Executions temporarily boost melee damage
The more you commit to close-range pressure, the more ways you have to stay in control of a fight. Remedy’s combat designers describe this as a loop built to reward decisiveness and flow, and hands-on previews describe the overall style as fast, physical, and position-based, with an emphasis on aerial combos.
What abilities does Dylan have?
The full set of Dylan’s supernatural abilities is not yet public, but two confirmed ones are Reach and Shift.
- Reach lets Dylan navigate spaces that no longer obey normal physics, such as tracking paths along surfaces altered by gravity.
- Shift lets him adapt on the fly, redirecting momentum and movement to pass through Gravity Anomalies.
Alongside these, a ‘dash / double-dash, double-jump, and a hover’ traversal kit is confirmed by hands-on previews, and these double as movement tools for aerial combos. Special abilities are used from a small set of equipable slots, with a handful of examples confirmed: a telekinetic rock throw, a ground pound that shocks nearby enemies, a rock shield, and ranged summons.
How does the build system work?
Building your character centers on the Gap, a dreamlike space tied to Dylan’s psyche, entered by pressing down on the DualSense D-pad. This is where you swap Aberrant forms, abilities, and Talents, and test moves in a training area, letting you experiment and re-spec freely.
The setup revolves around three core pillars:
- Supernatural Combat Abilities, earned by defeating powerful boss enemies called Resonants
- Weapon Forms for the Aberrant
- Talents, which amplify synergy between abilities and melee attacks
Each area is backed by a skill tree. Each Aberrant form has its own dedicated tree. You unlock new forms, abilities, and combos over time, then power up favorites through upgrade systems. Before combat you equip a loadout, either on the ground or in the air, which includes your weapon forms and equipped abilities.
What are the primary and secondary forms?
The Aberrant is Dylan’s shapeshifting melee weapon. Confirmed forms include Hammer, Blades, Scythe, and Fists, and previews also reference a whip-like variant and a drill sub-weapon. It shifts between distinct Primary Forms and Secondary Forms, along with Combo Enders, letting you tailor speed, range, and combat role within a single build.
A combat Combo Ender is a powerful finisher move, adding another layer of build choice. Together with abilities and Talents, these let you define an air-ground, speed-versus-damage playstylees.
How do debuffs and gear work?
Different combat options apply different effects to enemies. Some attacks stagger, others have a chance to critical hit. You can also assign a small number of trinket items that grant buffs, some with significant trade-offs (for example trading more damage for taking more damage). Resources and rare items are found from scavenging around the world or by beating boss encounters.
For players who like optimizing, the progression shows detailed stat breakdowns, so build performance is readable and transparent.
How does it control?
Hands-on previews describe movement and combat as a single flow. Combat leans into melee and supernatural synergy, chaining aerial combos and traversing runable surfaces like walls and ceilings where gravity has shifted. It is a deliberate departure from the gun-centric combat of the first Control, trading ranged shooting for the faster, physical, close-range style built around the Aberrant. For the shape-shifting weapon itself, see the Aberrant weapon form guide in the combat section of this wiki.
Sources: official Remedy PlayStation blog (Dec 2025, Feb 2026, Mar 2026), fandom wiki synopsis and fandom notes, IGN / Eurogamer previews, and Steam Community. Unconfirmed numbers and final-lock systems are left out of or marked [TBD] where the source is not public.
Last updated Sept 2026.