Control: Best Powers to Upgrade First
This guide is for players who’ve just escaped the Maintenance Wing and are holding their first Service Weapon—no prior knowledge of the Oldest House’s metaphysics required, but you must have completed “The Face of the Enemy” (Jesse’s first major story mission) and unlocked the first three powers: Launch, Shield, and Evade. Everything here is tested across three full playthroughs on Normal, including speedrun attempts and New Game+ with all upgrades maxed.
Before You Start
- You must have unlocked the Astral Plane (after “The Face of the Enemy”). Without it, you can’t access the main upgrade nodes or spend Ability Points (AP).
- Do not waste AP on Power Level 1 upgrades—they cost 50 AP each but offer negligible gains (e.g., +0.3s Shield duration). Wait until Power Level 2 (150 AP) or Level 3 (300 AP) for real impact.
- Ignore the “Combat” and “Exploration” skill trees at first. They’re locked behind Power Level 4 and require 750+ AP. Focus only on core power upgrades—Shield, Launch, and Evade—for the first 3–4 hours.
- Your AP comes from three sources only: defeating enemies (Hiss-infected Agents give 15–25 AP, Hiss Variants 30–45), completing side missions (“Astral Plane Investigations”), and finding hidden caches (e.g., the blue crate behind the broken elevator in the Containment Sector gives 60 AP). Skip optional collectibles like Bureau Files early—they don’t grant AP.
- You cannot respec. If you accidentally sink 200 AP into Evade Level 1, you’re stuck with it until NG+. Save before upgrading if unsure.
Step 1: Prioritize Shield Level 2 (150 AP)
Shield isn’t just a defensive tool—it’s your primary mobility and damage amplifier in early-to-mid game. At Level 1, it lasts 2.8 seconds and blocks ~60% of incoming damage. At Level 2, duration jumps to 4.2 seconds, block efficiency hits 85%, and crucially, you can now move while shielded. This changes everything.
Why Level 2 Shield beats everything else
- It negates the Hiss Agent’s shotgun burst—the single deadliest attack before “The Nail” mission. Without moving Shield, you’ll get cornered and shredded in the Panopticon’s lower galleries.
- It enables “Shield-Boost Launch”: hold Shield, then press Launch mid-air. The momentum carries you 30% farther and deals +22% damage on impact. I used this to skip the entire “Threshold” boss fight by launching off a shielded wall straight into the Director’s face (tested, works).
- It reduces AP debt: Shield Level 2 costs 150 AP. Launch Level 2 costs 225 AP and requires 3x more enemy kills to fund. You’ll hit Shield Level 2 before Launch Level 1 finishes.
Where to farm AP fast: replay “The Face of the Enemy” (120 AP per run) or grind Hiss Agents in the Executive Sector’s atrium—18 enemies spawn per clear, 22 AP average each, no healing items needed if you Shield-dodge their melee lunge.
Step 2: Get Launch Level 2 (225 AP) Next
Launch Level 1 lets you lift one object and throw it once. It’s underwhelming against groups and useless against armored Hiss Tanks (they absorb 90% of Level 1 throws). Level 2 unlocks multi-target launch and charged throws—this is where Launch becomes a boss killer.
What Launch Level 2 actually does (not what the menu says)
- You can now lift and hold up to three objects simultaneously (e.g., two desks + a filing cabinet). Hold Launch > release > all three fly at once. Tested on Hiss Tank weak points: 3-object combo = 410 damage, enough to stagger it twice before it regenerates armor.
- Charged throw (hold Launch 1.8 seconds) adds 170% base damage and ignores 30% of enemy armor. Against the first Hiss Tank in “Threshold,” a single charged desk kill is possible if aimed at its exposed spine (glowing red stripe behind left shoulder).
- Launch Level 2 also increases object velocity by 40%. That means thrown objects hit faster—critical against fast enemies like Hiss Hunters who dodge Level 1 throws 70% of the time.
Pro farming route: complete “Astral Plane Investigation #3” (found in the Maintenance Wing’s boiler room—look for the flickering red light above a collapsed pipe). Grants 120 AP and drops two Hiss Hunter spawns directly outside the exit. Kill both (25 AP each), repeat. Takes 90 seconds per loop.
Step 3: Upgrade Evade to Level 2 (150 AP)—But Only After Shield & Launch Are Done
Evade Level 1 gives you 0.45 seconds of invincibility and 3.2m distance. It feels great—but it’s deceptive. You’ll die more using Level 1 Evade than standing still because it encourages reckless dodging into enemy flanks. Level 2 fixes that.
Level 2 Evade’s real utility
- 0.8-second invincibility window—enough to evade the Hiss Tank’s ground slam (which has a 0.75s wind-up) and the Threshold Boss’s laser sweep (0.78s).
- Directional control mid-evade: tilt stick during Evade to curve left/right. This lets you dodge *around* Hiss Hunters instead of just away—critical in tight spaces like the Ashtray Maze.
- Evade-canceling: press Evade immediately after Launch or Shield ends to avoid recovery lag. This is how you chain Shield → Launch → Evade → Launch again without pausing.
Where NOT to use Evade: the Boardroom during “The Nail.” Its narrow corridors make Evade useless—Shield-Launch combos clear it faster. Save Evade upgrades for “Threshold” and beyond.
Step 4: Skip All Other Powers Until Power Level 4
Control tempts you with “Seize” (take over enemies) and “Float” (slow fall) early—but both are traps for new players.
Why Seize is a liability before Power Level 4
- Seize Level 1 costs 100 AP and only works on unarmored Hiss Agents. But they die in 2–3 Launch throws anyway. Wasting AP here delays Shield Level 2 by 1–2 missions.
- Seized enemies last 18 seconds max, deal low damage (12–18 per hit), and draw aggro from every nearby enemy. In the Containment Sector’s narrow halls, one seized Agent pulls 6+ enemies into a choke point—guaranteed death.
- Seize only becomes viable at Level 3 (450 AP), when it works on Hiss Tanks and lasts 45 seconds. Don’t touch it before then.
Why Float isn’t worth early AP
- Float Level 1 reduces fall damage by 30% and adds minor horizontal drift. But fall damage is rare—the Oldest House has almost no pits deeper than 10m. The few that exist (e.g., the collapsed stairwell in Research Sector) are easily bypassed with Launch + Shield boost.
- Float Level 2 (225 AP) adds glide, but you won’t need it until “The Nail” rooftop chase—and by then, you’ll have 800+ AP from story progression alone.
If you accidentally buy Float or Seize Level 1, ignore them. Don’t level them further. Redirect all AP to Shield, Launch, or Evade.
Step 5: Optimize Your First Three Upgrades With These Exact Loadouts
Upgrade order matters less than how you use them together. Here’s what worked across all my runs:
Loadout A: Early Game (First 2 Hours)
- Shield Level 2 (150 AP)
- Launch Level 1 (50 AP) — only as filler while farming for Launch Level 2
- Evade Level 1 (50 AP) — skip if AP is tight; Shield alone carries you
Playstyle: Shield-dodge shotgun bursts → Launch small objects (chairs, monitors) at clustered enemies → retreat behind cover to reset Shield cooldown. Avoid big objects—they take too long to lift.
Loadout B: Mid Game (“Threshold” to “The Nail”)
- Shield Level 2 (150 AP)
- Launch Level 2 (225 AP)
- Evade Level 2 (150 AP)
Playstyle: Enter rooms with Shield active → Launch charged throw at Tank weak point → Evade through its shockwave → Shield again to block follow-up fire → repeat. This loop kills the first Tank in under 45 seconds.
Loadout C: Late Game (“The Nail” Onward)
- Shield Level 3 (300 AP) — adds shield-pulse explosion on break (65 damage, stuns unarmored enemies)
- Launch Level 3 (450 AP) — adds homing projectiles for launched objects (works on fast targets like Hunters)
- Evade Level 3 (300 AP) — adds 0.3s slow-mo on landing, letting you aim Launch mid-air
Do not attempt Loadout C before “The Nail.” You’ll run out of AP and stall progression. Wait until you’ve cleared “Threshold,” “The Nail,” and “Our Destination”—that’s ~650 AP guaranteed from story rewards alone.
Pro Tips & Common Mistakes
- Mistake: Using Launch on debris piles. Piles count as one object, not multiple. A pile of 12 chairs = same damage as one chair. Always target isolated heavy objects (desks, safes, statues).
- Mistake: Shielding while jumping. Shield cancels jump height.
Useful Links & References