Control Resonant combat, builds and progression explained

Direct answer

Build around one repeatable loop: land melee hits to restore the Combat Ability resource, use abilities to stun, execute stunned enemies for a temporary melee boost, then keep pressure on with the Aberrant form that matches the encounter.

Evidence boundary: Official launch material establishes systems and relationships, not a universal best build, exact damage values, every secret or a finished walkthrough.

Do this first

1. 01
   Choose Primary and Secondary Aberrant forms for speed, range and role.
2. 02
   Use melee to refill the resource that powers supernatural combat abilities.
3. 03
   Stun with abilities, execute safely, then spend the temporary melee bonus.
4. 04
   Spend Talent points and weapon-form upgrades on one repeatable loop before widening the build.
5. 05
   Clear fights, secrets and quests to level the current zone, but expect its danger to rise after a Resonant Entity boss falls.

The confirmed combat loop

The Aberrant is a transforming melee weapon with Primary and Secondary Forms plus Combo Enders. Remedy has shown Hammer, Blades, Scythe and Fists, while saying other forms are not yet revealed.

Melee hits restore the Combat Ability resource. Abilities can stun enemies, and executions temporarily increase melee damage. That creates an aggression loop rather than a ranged cover loop.

• Match form range to the encounter instead of chasing a universal best weapon.
• Treat executions as a timed damage opening, not a guaranteed safe action.
• Use visible stat breakdowns to compare a change before committing to it.

Abilities, talents and artifacts

Defeating major Resonant bosses grants supernatural combat abilities. Weapon forms and talents then change how those abilities work with melee attacks. Artifacts add passive modifiers that can affect survival, combat, exploration or resources, sometimes with conditions or trade-offs.

The first playthrough allows up to three artifacts. New Game Plus unlocks a fourth slot and permits combinations that are not available on the first run.

Zone progression, traversal and New Game Plus

Remedy's September 23 launch breakdown says fights, secrets and quests level up Manhattan zones and grant bonuses. Defeating a zone's Resonant Entity boss then makes that area more dangerous. It also confirms a broad traversal kit: jumping, gliding, dashing and running can combine with gravity shifts that put Dylan on walls or ceilings.

Aberrant upgrades, health and combat-resource improvements, unlocked combat abilities, talents and artifacts carry into New Game Plus. Traversal abilities do not, because Remedy ties them to story progression. New Game Plus adds talent nodes, more ability combinations, harder evolving encounters and possible boss behavior changes; the sources still do not establish a universal optimal build.

Official sources