Control Resonant Weapon Guide How to Unlock and Switch All Dynamic Forms

You get one Control Resonant Weapon Guide in Control Resonant. That is the whole point. Dylan Faden carries no Service Weapon, no firearms, and no secondary gun slot. just the Aberrant, a shapeshifting metal rod that becomes whatever the fight demands. Understanding Control Resonant dynamic weapon forms is not an optional side system. It is the entire combat game.

This guide covers every Aberrant form confirmed so far, how the starting choice works, how form switching functions, and how the talent and Combo Ender layers stack on top.

Pre-launch guide, accurate as of September 9, 2026. Control Resonant releases September 24, 2026. Remedy has not published the full form roster or unlock order — this guide is built from confirmed hands-on previews and official developer material, and will be updated with verified unlock requirements at launch.

What The Aberrant Actually Is

The Aberrant is an Object of Power, the same classification as Jesse Faden’s Service Weapon in the original Control. Where the Service Weapon shifted between gun configurations, the Aberrant shifts between melee forms.

Its origin is part of the opening scene. Jesse visits her sedated brother in his cell inside the Oldest House and drives a vibrating dark metal rod into his chest. Dylan wakes up impaled by his own weapon, with the Board addressing him directly in their usual fourth-wall-breaking rumble. Pulling it out is your first real input in the game.

Remedy has confirmed on the official Control Resonant page that the sequel launches September 24, 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, and GeForce NOW, with Mac following later in 2026.

The shapeshifting concept is older than this game. Remedy has said it was originally conceptualised during development of the first Control, when the team considered letting Jesse’s gun turn into a sword. It did not fit her kit. It fits Dylan’s completely.

Core Strategy: How Dynamic Form Switching Works

Three things separate this system from a normal weapon wheel.

The Control Resonant Weapon Guide Starting Choice Is A Real Choice

The first decision in the game is which Aberrant form you pull out of your chest. Hands-on previews confirm three starting options:

• Flurry — fast-attacking twin daggers at close range, with boosted critical chance.
• Slash — a wide-swiping scythe built for hitting multiple targets.
• Slice — a one-handed axe with medium speed, robust combos, and bonus damage from behind.

You are not locked out permanently. Previewers were told the remaining forms unlock later, and you switch freely between them once acquired. But your opening hours are shaped by this pick, so choose the one that matches how you actually play rather than the one that looks coolest in the animation.

Pick Flurry if you crowd into faces and want crit scaling. Pick Slash if you want to handle groups from the first fight. Pick Slice if you want the highest single-target ceiling and you can be bothered to work behind enemies.

Forms Are Swapped In The Menu, Not Mid-Swing

Switching is a loadout decision, not a combo input. Once unlocked, forms are changed from the menu, and upgrades and specialised variants are handled at a hub location previews refer to as the Gap.

This matters for how you approach each zone. Remedy has built Manhattan as a set of connected zones rather than one continuous open world, and you can reconfigure Dylan’s entire ability loadout between them to match what the next section demands. The intent is closer to a roguelike build system than to anything in the original Control.

Read the zone. Rebuild for it. Then commit.

Sidearms And Combo Enders Layer On Top

The Aberrant does not stop at your primary form. Previews describe two additional layers.

Sidearms are secondary forms woven into your combos — a whip-like configuration for striking distant targets, or a slower, heavier hammer for stopping power. These let a single build cover multiple ranges without a full loadout swap.

Combo Enders are forms the Aberrant morphs into for the final hit of a combo string. Confirmed examples include gauntlets that trigger rapid-fire punches and a glaive-like projectile that rotates around Dylan to strike multiple threats at once.

Your build is therefore three decisions, not one: primary form, sidearm, and finisher. That combination is where the actual build variety lives.

Build Layers: Talents, Artifacts, And New Game Plus

Each form carries its own talent tree with upgrades and specialised variants, and artifacts layer additional modifiers over the top. Remedy has also confirmed paranatural combat abilities that unlock by defeating Resonant bosses.

The critical planning detail: you cannot unlock everything in a single run. Remedy has said outright that New Game Plus exists specifically because of this. Do not spread points thinly across every form hoping to sample all of them — you will finish the game with several mediocre builds instead of one that works.

Pick a primary. Feed it. Sample the rest on a second run.

Remedy is self-publishing this one and has confirmed Xbox Play Anywhere support, so builds and saves carry across Xbox console, PC, and supported handhelds at no extra cost. If you plan to experiment across two devices, that removes the friction entirely.

Control Resonant Aberrant Forms Table

The following forms have appeared in official hands-on preview coverage. Unlock requirements are not yet confirmed by Remedy.

Form	Type	Speed	Range	Confirmed Strength	Availability
Flurry	Twin daggers	Fast	Close	Boosted critical chance, rapid pressure	Starting choice
Slash	Scythe	Medium	Wide arc	Sweeping crowd control	Starting choice
Slice	One-handed axe	Medium	Close	High single-target, bonus damage from behind	Starting choice
Hammer	Heavy blunt	Slow	Close	Heavy impact, stagger pressure	Unlocked (sidearm)
Whip / Extend	Reach weapon	Medium	Mid to long	Hits distant targets, weaves into combos	Unlocked (sidearm)
Drill	Sustained melee	Medium	Close	Builds a damage gauge, aids Falter	Seen in previews
Gauntlets	Combo Ender	Fast	Close	Rapid-fire punch finisher	Combo Ender
Rotating Glaive	Combo Ender	—	Surrounding	Spinning projectile hits multiple threats	Combo Ender
Barrage	Combat ability	—	Ranged	Telekinetically launches rubble	Ability slot
Seekers	Combat ability	—	Ranged	Summons auto-firing turret, throwable	Ability slot
Rubble Shield	Combat ability	—	Self	Defensive rubble barrier	Ability slot

Combat abilities draw from a rechargeable meter, so they are burst tools rather than a second weapon.

Step-By-Step: How To Unlock And Switch Dynamic Forms

1. Complete the opening cell sequence in the Oldest House.
2. Reach for the Aberrant when the prompt appears.
3. Choose your starting form — Flurry, Slash, or Slice.
4. Learn that form’s full combo string before experimenting.
5. Push into Manhattan and clear the first zone.
6. Unlock additional forms through progression and exploration.
7. Return to the Gap to access upgrades and variants.
8. Open the loadout menu to switch your active form.
9. Assign a sidearm to cover the range your primary lacks.
10. Slot a Combo Ender that matches your target count.
11. Defeat Resonant bosses to unlock paranatural combat abilities.
12. Spend talent points down your chosen form’s tree.
13. Equip artifacts that reinforce the build, not fight it.
14. Reconfigure your loadout between zones as enemy types shift.
15. Save unspent unlocks for New Game Plus.

Movement Is Part Of The Weapon System

Do not treat traversal as separate from form choice.

Remedy deliberately made Dylan considerably faster than Jesse. He jumps higher, moves through the environment more freely, and can dash between multiple distant targets to manage large crowds. The team has said the movement work was driven by the melee focus — you have to be able to close distance instantly for melee combat to stay fun.

That changes how forms function in practice. A close-range form like Flurry is only weak at range if you ignore the dash. A long-reach whip sidearm is redundant if you are already closing gaps every two seconds.

Air juggles are in. Enemies pop skyward, you follow, you keep the string going. Build around whether you fight on the ground or above it.

The Hiss-infected enemies punish static play, which means dodge timing and form selection are the same problem viewed from two angles. Boss encounters reportedly carry bullet-hell elements, so ranged combat abilities earn their slot in those fights specifically.

Advanced Optimization Tips

• Match Your Sidearm To Your Primary’s Blind Spot: The whole point of the sidearm layer is coverage, not damage. If you run Flurry, take the whip to punish ranged enemies without disengaging. If you run Slash, take the hammer for the armored targets your sweeping arcs bounce off. Doubling up on two close-range options wastes the slot entirely.
• Choose Combo Enders By Enemy Count, Not Damage Number: The gauntlet finisher pours everything into one target. The rotating glaive spreads damage around Dylan. Against a boss with adds, the glaive clears the adds while you pressure the boss; against a lone elite, the gauntlets end the fight faster. Swap the ender per zone rather than committing to one for the whole run.
• Reconfigure At Every Zone Transition: Because Manhattan is built as connected zones with fixed weather and no day/night cycle, each area presents a consistent, readable set of threats. That predictability is a build advantage. Check what the next zone throws at you, then rebuild before you enter rather than fighting through with a loadout designed for the previous area.
• Bank Unlocks For New Game Plus Deliberately: Since the game blocks full unlock completion in one playthrough, decide early which forms you are sacrificing. Track them so your second run has a clear plan instead of a random remainder. Players who spread investment evenly across the roster tend to hit the late-game bosses underpowered in every direction at once.
• Treat The Ability Meter As A Fourth Weapon: Barrage, Seekers, and the rubble shield all pull from one rechargeable pool. Firing them on cooldown is not optimal play. Hold the meter for boss bullet-hell phases and crowd spikes, where a thrown turret buys you the repositioning window your melee build needs.

Where Resonant Sits In The Remedy Connected Universe

This is a sequel, but Remedy has positioned it as an entry point. Dylan is a Parautilitarian. the same classification as Alan Wake. and the story follows him searching for Jesse while the threats once contained in the Oldest House reshape Manhattan.

You do not need to have finished the 2019 game to follow it, though the original and its expansions remain available through the official Control site if you want the background on the Bureau, the Board, and Objects of Power.

Platform and edition details, including accessibility options and control customisation, are listed on the PlayStation Store product page. For a neutral overview of the game’s development history, including Remedy’s acquisition of the Control IP from 505 Games, the Control Resonant entry on Wikipedia is a reasonable starting reference.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many weapon forms does the Aberrant have in Control Resonant?

Remedy has not published a final count. Hands-on previews have confirmed three starting forms, additional unlockable forms including hammer and whip configurations, and separate Combo Ender transformations. The complete roster will be verified at launch on September 24, 2026.

Can you switch Aberrant forms during combat?

No. Form switching is handled through the loadout menu once a form is unlocked, and upgrades and specialised variants are managed at the Gap. Sidearms and Combo Enders, however, are woven directly into combos during a fight.

Which starting form should I pick in Control Resonant?

Flurry for fast close-range pressure and critical hits, Slash for crowd control, Slice for the highest single-target damage with a bonus from behind. You unlock the others later, so pick for your first few hours rather than for the whole run.

Do I need to play the first Control before Resonant?

No. Remedy has positioned Resonant as an entry point to the Remedy Connected Universe. Playing the 2019 original adds context for Jesse, the Board, and Objects of Power, but the sequel introduces Dylan as a fresh protagonist in a new setting.