Shaping Reality: Understanding the Shape and Fracture Abilities in Control
The Shape and Fracture abilities in Control’s Foundation DLC represent a pivotal choice, introducing new dimensions to gameplay and combat. These abilities, rooted in the game’s paranormal setting, allow players to manipulate their environment in dynamic and tactical ways. They’re not just new powers; they are tools that reshape how you approach both exploration and combat within the Oldest House’s ever-shifting reality.
What are Shape and Fracture Abilities?
In the Control: Foundation DLC, the Board presents Jesse Faden, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Control, with a choice: Shape or Fracture. These abilities, while distinct, are integral to exploring and surviving the newly unveiled caverns of the Foundation. Let’s break down each power:
The Shape Ability
Shape allows Jesse to manipulate the environment by drawing crystals from the walls and floors. This isn’t simply about generating pretty formations. These crystals serve a multitude of purposes:
- Creating Platforms: One of the primary functions of Shape is to generate platforms, enabling Jesse to traverse gaps, climb heights, and reach previously inaccessible areas. This transformation of the environment becomes a key aspect of exploration within the Foundation.
- Setting Traps: Shape isn’t just for getting around; it’s also a potent offensive tool. Players can draw jagged crystals to create traps for enemies, shredding them on impact. This turns the environment into a dynamic battlefield, where terrain can be weaponized.
- Tactical Advantage: The ability to reshape the immediate surroundings allows for tactical adjustments mid-combat. Quickly creating a wall of crystals for cover, or making a sudden ramp to gain a vantage point, provides unique advantages.
The Fracture Ability
Fracture is a counterpoint to Shape. While Shape creates, Fracture destroys. This ability empowers Jesse to use her Service Weapon to shatter crystal formations throughout the Foundation. Its primary uses are:
- Destroying Crystal Barriers: Many areas in the Foundation are blocked by large crystal formations. Fracture allows you to destroy these obstacles, opening pathways and revealing secrets.
- Creating Falls: Crystal formations often span gaps and chasms. By using Fracture to destroy these bridges, you can cause enemies to fall to their deaths. This is an effective and often efficient method of enemy elimination.
- Environmental Manipulation: Beyond simple destruction, Fracture can be used to alter the environment for strategic advantage. Causing a crystal structure to collapse at a crucial moment can create new pathways or expose hidden areas.
Choosing Between Shape and Fracture: An Initial Dilemma
The initial choice between Shape and Fracture seems crucial but isn’t permanent. While you can choose only one ability first, you will eventually acquire both. The game designers deliberately designed this aspect of the Foundation DLC for players to experience both abilities fully. The initial choice is more about your early game experience.
If you opt for Shape initially, you will focus on learning to create platforms and using these constructs offensively, focusing on creating and manipulating the environment. Choosing Fracture first means focusing on understanding how to utilize the Service Weapon to destroy the environment, allowing you to manipulate the environment by taking away crystal structures. This will alter how you initially approach combat and exploration. However, the Board indicates that Fracture is initially more useful for exploring the Foundation.
Why These Abilities Matter
These new abilities are not just cosmetic changes. They represent an evolution of Control’s core mechanics:
- New Dimensions of Combat: Shape and Fracture dramatically change how combat encounters are approached. They encourage strategic environmental manipulation, moving beyond simple gunplay and psychic abilities.
- Exploration Enhanced: Navigating the Foundation is much more dynamic with these abilities. Instead of following predetermined pathways, players can creatively reshape and break down the environment to reach new areas.
- Deeper Integration: Unlike some DLC content that feels separate, Shape and Fracture are fully integrated into the gameplay, making them core to the Foundation experience.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions to further clarify these abilities and their role in the game:
1. What is the primary function of the Shape ability?
The primary function of Shape is to create platforms, build traps, and provide environmental cover using crystals drawn from the environment.
2. How does Fracture differ from Shape?
While Shape creates, Fracture destroys. Fracture uses the Service Weapon to destroy crystal formations to open paths and eliminate enemies.
3. Can you have both Shape and Fracture in the game?
Yes, although you make an initial choice, you will eventually obtain both the Shape and Fracture abilities while progressing through the Foundation DLC.
4. Which ability is better for exploration?
While both are useful, the Fracture ability is initially more beneficial for exploration, as it opens up pathways blocked by crystal formations.
5. Can you use Shape to create offensive traps?
Yes, you can create jagged crystal traps using Shape to shred enemies.
6. How does Fracture help in combat?
Fracture allows you to drop enemies to their deaths by destroying the crystal formations they are standing on and to create environmental hazards.
7. Are Shape and Fracture only available in the Foundation DLC?
Yes, these abilities are exclusive to the Control: Foundation DLC.
8. How many psychic abilities are there in Control?
There are 5 psychic abilities in total within Control, with 4 being upgradable through the Abilities menu. Shape and Fracture are additional powers given by DLC.
9. Does the use of Shape and Fracture change how you approach combat?
Yes, dramatically. These abilities encourage environmental manipulation and tactical thinking beyond just gunplay.
10. Can you miss out on any abilities in Control?
Yes, you can miss some abilities by failing to complete certain side missions.
11. Is the Control Foundation DLC worth playing?
Yes, the Control Foundation DLC is considered a worthwhile addition due to its engaging story, new enemies, and challenging encounters.
12. What is the Foundation DLC storyline about?
The Foundation DLC follows Jesse Faden as she journeys through the caverns of the Foundation to prevent the Astral Plane from consuming the Oldest House.
13. Is Alan Wake featured in Control?
Yes, Alan Wake is a supporting character in Control’s AWE DLC. He is not part of the Foundation DLC.
14. Is Control influenced by the SCP Foundation?
Yes, the fictional SCP Foundation website was a major influence on the creation of Control.
15. What are the other DLC storylines available for Control?
In addition to the Foundation, Control also has the AWE DLC storyline available.