Walking in the shoes of Jesse Faden carries its toll – and the absence of ways to lower the overall difficulty of the game, only adds to the pressure. While certainly not the toughest game out there, Control nevertheless achieves a healthy level of difficulty all throughout, with imposing enemy variations originating from smartly located spawning points.

The steady romp in the game’s hardships should go hand in hand with the player’s gradual understanding of the various combat systems. This is predominantly done by correctly utilizing the ability tree: not wasting those hard-earned ability points on ineffective choices.

To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of the 10 best abilities in Control, for each subsequent part of the story (early, mid and late game).

10. Melee Upgrade 1 (early game)

Smash!

Control shouldn’t be played as a melee-only game, no arguments there. However, the fact that Jesse’s telekinetic blast is usually faster than reloading or waiting for the energy to recharge, it can prove of great value when all other options are unavailable.

Even better if this extremely short-ranged attack finishes an enemy on low health. In that way, we’ve successfully defeated one foe exactly in that time period required for the better options in our arsenal to refresh. 

Why this upgrade is great:

• Available basically from the start of the game
• Allows us to finish an enemy that would’ve escaped otherwise
• Melee strikes don’t consume any form of energy but have an inherent cooldown of only 2-3 seconds

Melee upgrade 1 details:

• Requires 2 ability points to unlock
• Raises all melee damage by 10%

9. Health Upgrade 1 (early game)

Can't touch me

Opting for a larger health pool is never a bad choice, especially when we’re still familiarizing ourselves with a video game. No matter how good of a sharpshooter we claim to be, Control will find a way to spice things up and catch us off guard.

This is all the more relevant in games that feature cyclical timers for when new enemies appear, so it is entirely possible for a group to spawn right after a skirmish, when we’re just looking to heal. In those moments, we’d be grateful for this early-game upgrade.  

Why this upgrade is great:

• Available basically from the start of the game
• Helps us power through the challenge that comes with this game even from the beginning

Health Upgrade 1 details:

• Requires 2 ability points to unlock
• Raises Jesse’s maximum health by 10%

8. Launch Upgrade 1 (early game)

Catch!

Without a doubt, Jesse’s ability to telepathically lift and hurl objects with her mind is one of the most exciting things to do in this game. Incidentally, it’s super-fun to use and can be quite effective as well. It starts slow, however...

An immediately noticeable caveat about this move is that it requires a lot of energy to perform. It’s also somewhat cumbersome because selected objects must travel to Jesse’s location before they can be aimed and thrown elsewhere – initiating yet another travel time.

To make this process reliable and more worthwhile, upgrading the damage of this skill is a must. 

Why this upgrade is great:

• Available basically from the start of the game
• Provides us with sort of a “hidden ace” ability
• Spending points on this upgrade serves as an incentive to train ourselves to find more effective uses for Launch 

Launch Upgrade 1 details:

• Requires 3 ability points to unlock
• Raises the damage from Launch by 25%

7. Shield Upgrade 1 (mid game)

Everyone get down!

Shield is one of those abilities that can be easily missed if one doesn’t pay enough attention to the various environmental puzzles littered around the Oldest House. That would be a shame though because it broadens the spectrum of tactical opportunities quite nicely.

With a press of a button, Jesse forms an encapsulating shield of debris around her person, preventing malicious projectiles from reaching her. She can move while keeping this barrier up, and safely collect those healing elements even when on really low health. 

Enemies can deplete the Shield, however; that’s why we should invest some points for sturdier protection.

Why this upgrade is great:

• Shield is the best defensive tool in the game
• If we move fast - which we absolutely should – this upgrade is all we need to finish the game

Shield upgrade 1 details:

• Requires 3 ability points to unlock
• Increases Shield’s strength by 10%

6. Launch Explosives (mid game)

Ooops... sorry (NOT)

As the game progresses, more resilient baddies will be introduced at a steady pace. However, we shouldn’t ever allow ourselves to be “a seating duck”, and should always try to look for new ways to remain on top. Such a search will lead us to this handy upgrade.

Being unique in its mixture of offense and defense, this enhancement for the Launch skill makes it capable of returning enemy grenades and rockets back to its original owner. Given how often enemies will appear wielding such weaponry, it’s not hard to see the usefulness of this upgrade.

Why this upgrade is great:

• The perfect solution when being bombarded
• It should be noted that grenades launched back deal more damage than those left to explode on their own

Launch explosives upgrade details:

• Requires 3 ability points to unlock
• Allows for both grenades and rockets to be launched back at enemies

5. Energy Upgrade 1 (mid game)

Let's do this

Playing this game correctly means knowing how to juggle between the Service Weapon and the different supernatural abilities. The guns use ammo that should be reloaded, while all abilities drain a certain amount of energy. Even the evade maneuver is tied to the energy pool, which means that when empty, we won’t be able to zip away from danger.

Obviously, we should never recklessly spend all the energy and thus drive ourselves into a corner. That would be a self-imposed death sentence. But we shouldn’t shy away from playing creatively, either. So where’s the middle ground?

Why of course, in upgrading the basic energy pool.

Why this upgrade is great:

• Allows us to experiment with less worrying about not being able to dodge at the right moment
• Spamming Launch is somewhat doable with upgrades such as this

Energy 1 upgrade details:

• Requires 2 ability points to unlock
• Increases Energy by 10%

4. Shield Barrage (mid game)

How about this then?

This enhancement for the Shield ability basically serves as a “get out of jail free card”. With it, after we raise our shield we can press the button again, prompting the floating debris to disperse in all directions, damaging and stunning nearby foes.

Control provides ample opportunities for tactical play, and Shied Barrage it’s a natural fit for any playstyle. It can be used as a last resort escape, or as a potent opener when we have a properly modded shotgun, able to one-shot stunned enemies from point-blank.

Why this upgrade is great:

• A fun way to make even better use of the Shield ability
• It can be a real life-saver when all other paths are closed

Shield Barrage upgrade details:

• Requires 3 ability points to unlock
• The blast doesn’t require additional energy 

3. Levitate Upgrade 1 (late game)

Is it a bird?

More advanced stages of the game usually come in “the floor is lava”-like flavor, when even a split second of remaining stationary can spell doom. Thankfully, Jesse has learned how to levitate by then and can find safety in the empty space above her as well. Also, she can finally get closer to those pesky floating mini-bosses.

The inherent limitations of Levitate make its usage a puzzle in and of itself, but mastering it is basically a necessity to beat Control. It’s super-important outside of combat as well, with many hidden areas that reward us with ability points upon uncovering, are reachable only after prolonged “flying”. That’s why is prudent to allow ourselves longer periods to rest Jesse’s legs.

Why this upgrade is great:

• This upgrade is both useful and kind of necessary, at the same time
• It urges us to master air-to-ground combat, which is more chaotic but many times safer than the alternative

Levitate 1 upgrade details:

• Requires 2 ability points to unlock
• Prolongs Levitation periods by 10%

2. Seize Additional Enemy Upgrade (late game)

Join me to fight the power

It’s no secret that Control can make you feel overwhelmed (but never outgunned), with legions of enemies spawning left and right and immediately moving into cover. Some of them can even land a few precise shots while moving, just before disappearing behind some pillar or a flipped-over table. And the REALLY annoying ones manage to do so while being on 5% health.

Jesse has a way to deal with lucky foes that survive miraculous odds: she can seize them (i.e. mind control them), which turns them on our side for a limited period of time. Possessed enemies draw a large amount of fire though, which means they’ll die rather too quickly. 

Yet, things change if we seize two of them at once – then, adversaries have trouble focusing on one target, a complication that frees a lot of space for Jesse to do her thing.

Why this upgrade is great:

• Being a commander of a small squad suits Jesse’s character
• One of the best defense-oriented upgrades in the game 

Seize Additional Enemy upgrade details:

• Requires 4 ability points to unlock
• Allows us to mind control two enemies at once

1. Multi-Launch (late game)

Catch all this (if you can)

The final iteration of Jesse’s most destructive ability is a literal blast – x3! After unlocking it, players will be able to attract three separate objects, and each of them will tumble everything along their paths towards us. Then they will line up nicely around Jesse, waiting for the perfect moment.

Such force comes at a cost though, since it is the most expensive ability in the game, demanding a serious amount of points to be amassed before one can wield it. Luckily, it doesn’t disappoint one bit after all that, providing the right kind of firepower in the final stages of the game.

Why this upgrade is great:

• It feels empowering while not being overpowered, gameplay-wise
• It resembles a natural “tallest point” in Jesse’s ability tree

Multi-Launch upgrade details:

• Requires 8 ability points to unlock
• Allows us to launch up to three objects at once
• Energy recovers while we are priming the projectiles

Do you agree with this list? Which abilities did you found to be most effective in Control?

You may also be interested in:

• Control Best Weapons (And How to Get Them)
• Control Best Settings for a Great Experience
• Control Best Abilities from Early to Late Game