CONTROL Resonant What to Do First — Zone Order & Jesse Sightings
Quick answer: After you beat The Artist and reach Zoe’s Watchtower, don’t wander randomly. Grab the Field Office clearance, unlock Shift via the West Incursion Parking Garage Jesse Sighting, fight The Dancer, unlock Reach in Evacuation Zone, push the Evac story beat, then clear The Deserter and The Collective. That order unlocks the best traversal tools before harder Mold fights. Unofficial companion — order adapted from launch “what to do first” guides.
Still installing? Grab the game on Steam, then pair this route with the beginner build and early Power Core puzzle so you are not stuck at the Central Checkpoint.
Best order after The Artist
- Welcome to Manhattan / Clearance Keycard — follow the marker into Central, unlock the main FBC Field Office hub and its Fast Travel Door.
- Central World Feats — knock out a few local Feats so you aren’t under-leveled (red enemy levels = Build Power lagging).
- Jesse Sighting: Incursion Fault (West Incursion) — Parking Garage west of House of Mirrors. Rewards Shift (gravity / wall walking). Do this before most West Incursion exploration.
- West Incursion Resonant — The Dancer — Patterned Theater / Theater Hall (needs Shift). Ability pick: Ground Slam or Push.
- Jesse Sighting: Evacuation Zone (Subway / Dense Patterning Fault) — unlocks Reach (grapple points).
- Main story: Evacuation Procedures — Evac Building / Arish beat while you’re already in-zone.
- Central Resonant — The Deserter — Patterned Factory (power cores / steam route). Ability: Ignite or Inferno (fire helps vs Park Mold).
- The Park Resonant — The Collective — eat Mold strains, open the central Mold Gate. Ability: Spore Burst or Growth.
Side activities (Mysterious Dog, Last Taxi, Freeze Frame) are fine between steps — just don’t skip Shift/Reach for long.
Jesse Sightings — what they unlock
Search for Jesse quests are how Dylan learns traversal. Missing them soft-locks later rooftops and Resonant routes.
| Jesse Sighting | Where | Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| The Incursion Fault | West Incursion Parking Garage (key / laundromat lead) | Shift — gravity anomalies, walls, upside-down paths |
| The Subway Fault / Evacuation Dense Patterning | North Evacuation Zone patterning | Reach — grapple / pull points |
| Underpass | Underpass Jesse Sighting (story-gated) | Further traversal / story progress for deeper Underpass |
Suggested zone order (big picture)
Downtown → Central → West Incursion (Shift) → Evacuation (Reach) → Underpass → Unknown, with The Park after you have Shift (and ideally fire from The Deserter). PowerPyx notes Park can be optional for a pure story rush but it’s strongly recommended for abilities and leveling.
Common sticking points
- Story feels stuck: check Deserter (Central) and Dancer (West Incursion) — many soft locks sit there.
- Can’t reach a rooftop: missing Shift or Reach.
- Enemies “red”: do World Feats, Aberrant upgrades, and Zone Level activities before forcing a Resonant. Hotfix 1.3.3 also eased early tankiness — see Updates.
- Build confusion: start with Strike + Crush.
Where to go next
Beginner build · Resonant bosses · Missions list · Before you play