Power Lines is the fourth Main Story mission of Control Resonant in the Contain the Crisis chapter. Dylan Faden sets off to assist the FBC and its Co-Director Arish in building a weapon that can kill the Hiss at the Evac Building. His goal is to reroute power in several subway stations and investigate the disappearance of the team that went down there. This walkthrough for Power Lines explains how to get to the stations, solve their puzzles, and rescue Tap to Reveal.
Control Resonant Power Lines Guide
Use these links to jump to the section you need:
There are three subway stations in which you must reroute the city power:
- Perimeter Station
- Factory Station
- East Park Station
Opening the map, these stations are labeled numerically from one to three. This guide follows that order, beginning with the Perimeter Station at Quest Area 1.
Reroute Perimeter Station
Perimeter Station is the one closest to the FBC Field Office, to the southeast. When you're ready, open the map to find the search area for it at Quest Area 1.
Unfortunately, the entrance to the area via the southeastern street is blocked if you're heading there for the first time. You can find a way through by following the signs to the Park.
Look for a blue sign outside of the Field Office with an arrow pointing in the direction of the Park.
Follow the signs until they take you right, toward a set of double doors on a brick building. The door requires a Level 1 security key, which you have. Unlock the door and head through.
Inside is an Arena Encounter. Take out the Heavy enemies alongside the FBC rangers to clear it.
Leave the building and progress until you reach an intersection with an Orientation Point. Here, you're at the intersection just north of the objective.
Head south down the street, following the sign on the cement barricade pointing to a PATTERNED AREA.
Resource Crate Location
On the left side of the street is a store called Urban Fresh Mart.
Go inside and explore near the back corner for a Resource Crate.
You'll find two entrances for the Perimeter Station near the end of the street. Look for subway entrances highlighted with two green lamps.
An Arena Encounter breaks out as you approach! Taking out the Heavies will clear it, but you should focus on the healing Hiss Clusters. The station will remain closed until you complete the encounter.
When you're done, descend the stairs leading to Perimeter Station.
As you move through the station, you can stop and report the gigantic mass of blue mold blocking a hallway. Zoe replies that the teams have been trying to burn the nasty stuff away, but it's been a tough battle. She asks Dylan to not eat any of the mold, which confuses him. But things will become clear enough.
Continue past the next Orientation Point and pause when you enter a spot with vending machines and an activated Power Core Station. Here, you can look for some loot.
Resource Crate Location
There's a resource crate you can open in the Perimeter Station in the area above the subway platform, but it's behind a locked door. To access it, look for the active Power Core near the open door leading to a store.
Hit the Power Core and take the charge across the way to an unpowered door next to an inactive Power Core. Charge the core to open the door to see what's in store: the Resource Crate.
Follow the yellow line down the stairs to the Perimeter Station subway platform. At the center of the platform is a strange device, clearly important but completely unpowered.
How to Solve the Perimeter Station Puzzle
To reroute the power and complete the Story Mission, you must solve a calibration puzzle in each station. Look for an instruction sheet near the desk by the first station's Tuning Device.
| |
- To calibrate the device, you must place three portable Calibration Units on the correct leyline convergence points, indicated by yellow squares
- Activate the Tuning Device
The challenge is knowing which convergence points to place the Calibration Units. Luckily, every station also includes a clue.
What Happened to the Missing Crew: Maintenance Recordings
Throughout the mission, you can learn what happened to the missing crew by locating and listening to a series of Maintenance Recordings you can find in each station. The first one, Maintenance Recording #1, can be found on the waiting bench in the Perimeter Station subway platform.
The recording introduces agents Sandra Ryder and Clarke. Sandra records her thoughts during their attempt to reroute power as a way to leave a record, possibly for a movie deal later on. Clarke is less than enthusiastic. These recordings aren't required for mission completion, but they do offer more context to what happened to the agents. Look around each station for more!
Across from the instruction page is a foldable chair with the letter: Notes on Calibration, likely written by the excitable Sandra.
According to the note, the FBC agent got a "good response" from "the spot closest to the Tuning Device." They report the same response with "a couple of spots farthest away from it." Those are your two clues, gang.
To start, you should locate the three Calibration Units. The first one is up the stairs opposite the ones you used to enter the platform. You'll find the unit at the top next to a convergence point near a hallway blocked by mold. A hint: you should leave it there.
| |
The second one is down the mold-covered tunnel. Look for it on the platform next to another Maintenance Recording. Pick it up and place it down next to the Tuning Device.
| |
Maintenance Recording #2 Location
Maintenance Recording #2 can be found down the moss-covered tunnel after arriving at the Perimeter Station subway platform.
The third one is hidden behind a locked door down the tunnel opposite of the second unit. You can only unlock the door by activating a Power Core Station. Return to the stores upstairs from the platform and grab the charge from the active station. Quickly dash down the tunnel and pass the charge to the inactive Power Core, turning it on.
| |
This opens the door. Head inside to find the third Calibration Unit. Pick it up and return it to the subway platform.
| |
Now, to solve the puzzle! Remember the clue:
- The Tuning Device responded best when the Calibration Units were placed close as well as far away
To solve the puzzle, Tap to RevealTap to RevealTap to Reveal
Place the second one on the convergence point Tap to RevealTap to RevealTap to Reveal
Return power Tap to RevealTap to RevealTap to RevealTap to RevealTap to Reveal
Pull the lever on the Tuning Device to activate it. If you completed the puzzle, the red screen will turn green. With that, the Perimeter Station is online, and you can leave to complete the next on the list.
Help the Survivors: Speak with Dr. Florez 1
You'll hear a call for help from a person named Dr. Florez as you ascend the stairs to leave.
Look on the wall for a speaker box. Interact with it, and Dylan attempts to get a reply, only to hear static.
This interaction will make more sense as you progress in the mission. Keep an ear out for more chances to speak with Dr. Florez. Note: you may not need to speak with her during the mission, but you will run into Dr. Florez eventually. You won't be able to complete the mission without doing so. Interacting with the intercoms adds a bit more flavor to the mission and helps fill in the pieces behind the mystery of the missing people in the stations.
Reroute East Park Station
Your next task is to reroute the East Park Station. When you're ready, open the map to view the quest area, which is to the east of the Perimeter Station.
Travel east down the street until you reach the East Park Station entrance next to a gas station. Unfortunately, you're not the first to arrive. The entrance is blocked by resonance, which means you need to kill the Hiss Heavies guarding it.
Once that's done, descend the stairs to the station.
Progress downward, passing by clumps of blue Mold creating blockades. You'll eventually pass through a security gate to enter an open area.
Turn right after entering to spot a store with a Calibration Unit inside. Lucky find! Grab it and take it with you.
On the opposite side is another store, this one blocked by a shutter. Inside is the second Calibration Unit. You'll have to find a way to get inside, but that's for a little later.
Take the Calibration Unit downstairs to the subway platform. Here, you'll find the Tuning Device and several convergence points covered in writhing clumps of mold. Ew. The third Calibration Unit is on the platform past the device.
Look on the table near the Tuning Device for another sheet of instructions and Notes on Calibration. Interact with the note and read it for any clues.
According to the note, clearly written by Clarke, using the Tuning Device has been causing some odd phenomena. The agents found it causes teleportation, or "physical transposition," with Sandra reappearing in a different part of the station. But something changed after she teleported, which doesn't sound good.
Maintenance Recording #5 Location
You can find Maintenance Recording #5 on the subway platform bench. It contains a recording by Sandra reporting on the "transposition" issue, before she gets whisked away. Clarke desperately attempts to bring her back, and does, but not without something terrible happening to Sandra's leg. They redo the teleportation to bring her back together, but something sounds off with her.
Maintenance Recording #6 Location
Maintenance Recording #6 can be found to the left of the bottom of the staircase, further from the platform entrance. In this recording, Clarke can be heard speaking, attempting to continue the logs Sandra began. Except in this recording she seems uninterested and distracted.
How to Solve the East Park Station Puzzle
The clue suggested by the note is that you will get teleported if the Tuning Device is not properly set up. There are only three convergence points, and one of the units is locked behind a gate.
To begin, destroy all the clumps of Mold covering the convergence points. They should only take one hit.
Solving the puzzle requires you to Tap to Reveal. If you place them on the incorrect squares, Tap to Reveal
Place the Calibration Unit you rescued Tap to Reveal
Now, place the third Calibration Unit, which is near the Tuning Device, Tap to Reveal
Activate the Tuning Device to Tap to RevealTap to RevealTap to Reveal
Return to the Tuning Device and throw the lever to activate it. Done! Now for the third and final station.
Help the Survivors: Speak with Dr. Florez 2
As you ascend the stairs, you'll once more hear Dr. Florez. Interact with the intercom against the wall on top of the stairs to connect.
The call goes through. Dylan speaks with Dr. Florez for a moment before the call gets taken over by none other than Burt Clarke, who reports that his partner "didn't make it." What happened to Sandra?
You're given a chance to reply. As before, what you pick as a response won't change the quest. You can ask about Sandra, but he brushes the question off.
Finishing the conversation unlocks a new subobjective for the quest: Help the Survivors. To complete it, you must locate and rescue the trapped civilians in the subway tunnels. Dylan reports the development to Zoe. You can check the notes in your Quest Log.
Reroute Factory Station
Your last stop is the Factory Station, located north of the East Park Station. You can check the map for the route before continuing.
If you travel directly north, watch out for the mines along the road!
Travel north down the street until you reach an intersection right where the street gets swallowed by a mass of blue Mold.
Resource Crate and Arcade Cabinet Location
Check the Urban Fresh Mart at the southern corner of the intersection. Inside is an Arcade Cabinet and a Resource Crate.
Travel west from the intersection until you reach the next intersection, where the entrance to the Factory Station can be found. But once again, you're not the first to arrive.
A group of Hiss Heavies is in a battle with Mold enemies. These sentient blobs of Mold aren't to be taken lightly. The large Mold Scrapper enemy can spit mold spores that deal damage over time after filling a gauge. They're also armored and hit like a truck.
To beat them, you must break through their armor before dealing damage. Mold enemies are also weak to fire and crumple against fire-based Combat Abilities. If you don't have one, you may find yourself at a disadvantage from this point. If so, check out the suggestion box below:
How to Dominate Mold Enemies - Suggestion
If you're feeling under-leveled and weak against Mold enemies, you should consider pausing at this point to seek out the nearby Central Resonant.
Mold enemies are weak to fire, and defeating the Central Resonant rewards you with a choice between two fire-based Combat Abilities. This power will give you the edge against Mold enemies and can mean the difference between frustration and relative ease. You can find the Resonant at the Patterned Factory just to the south of the Factory Station.
Check out IGN's video walkthrough of the Central Resonant below:
Defeat the Mold Heavy waves to remove the mold barricade blocking you from entering the station. Once you do, descend the stairs.
After passing by the security gate, stop and look for a store to the right to spot a Calibration Unit. Grab it and continue into the station until you reach the platform.
Now that you've reached the next Tuning Device, you can spend a bit of time looking around for collectibles and clues.
Maintenance Recording #3 Location
You can find Maintenance Recording #3 on the waiting bench closest to the stairs you used to arrive at the platform. Sandra reports that things during the time of recording seem to be going well, despite objects teleporting around.
Walk closer to the Tuning Device near the back section of the platform and stop at the bench. Near the end of it is the letter: Notes on Calibration. Once again, you can glean clues on what to do from the sheet. Let's get back to that later.
Near the back wall, you'll find the calibration instructions near the floodlights. Past that, on the wooden pallet, is another recording.
Maintenance Recording #4 Location
The fourth Maintenance Recording is in the Factory Station subway platform next to the Tuning Device. Look for it on a wooden platform near the back wall. Here, Sandra reports good progress, but she and Clarke are clearly becoming a bit alarmed about the mold.
With that done, it's time to locate the remaining two Calibration Units. You should already have the one taken from the store upstairs. The next unit can be found on top of the subway car on the western side of the platform.
You can find the third down the tunnel leading behind the staircase. Follow the tunnel a short way and look just behind the staircase for Calibration Unit number three.
How to Solve the Factory Station Puzzle
With all three units accounted for, it's time to begin solving the Factory Station Tuning Device puzzle. The platform is covered in leyline convergence points, but never fear! According to the Notes on Calibration, Sandra and Clarke believe that you must line up "the machinery in front of you, viewed from the correct operative angle."
By that, it's suggested that, to solve the puzzle, Tap to Reveal
When that's complete, throw the switch on the Tuning Device and hope it doesn't send Dylan to the moon or something.
If you're successful, it won't send him to the moon, but somewhere else far away. Far enough away that the device embedded in his skull tries to kill him for going AWOL. He begs Zoe to turn it off, which she does, against regulations. She reports that Dylan somehow left Manhattan, which is why it activated.
You can reply to her in any way you choose. Based on what gets said, it becomes clear that Dylan was moved by the Tuning Device, and he didn't go alone; the subway tunnels came along.
Head upstairs to crash into a wall with no exit. Report the finding to Zoe, who tells him every subway entrance in Manhattan got sealed off. There's no clear way back, and leaving is impossible.
But that doesn't mean you're trapped in the subway. Look for a subway tunnel on the eastern side of the platform and make your way down. Earlier, if you investigated the tunnel, you'll find it came to a stop. Now, it continues.
Help the Survivors: Clarke's End
Clarke's voice cries out as you follow the tunnel, clearly suggesting that he just met his end. Dr. Florez reaches out to tell Dylan that the agent left the survivors, who are trapped in a room with something outside their door. Things are sounding desperate.
Follow the tunnel until you enter a room covered in Mold. Mold enemies appear and the entrances get blocked. Clear the Heavy enemies to finish the Arena Encounter and clear the exit.
Leave the room and stop when you see a body on the side of the tracks. Inspecting it reveals that it's the remains of Clarke, as you scoop up his FBC ID badge, splattered in blood.
Continue following the track until you enter another platform with a Tuning Device and an inactive Power Core Station.
Maintenance Recording #8 Location
After teleporting with the station, look on the bench near the next Tuning Device for Maintenance Recording #8. In it, Clarke reports that Sandra has lost it, using the device to jump around. She's also removed her injector, which FBC agents use to stave off the Hiss.
Head up the stairs and follow the path until you reach a large security grille. Just past it is a Calibration Unit. But how do you get back there?
The other staircase doesn't help, either. It also leads to a security grille, and behind it you can spot two Power Cores.
Return to the Tuning Device on the platform. As you should know by now, using the device can teleport people and objects. You're trapped, and there's no other option: flip the switch!
You reappear on another subway platform with another Tuning Device. Wires lie broken on the ground, sparking.
Turn around and look for the Notes on Mold and Electricity on the wooden pallet. The note, clearly written by Clarke, mentions that the mold is "attracted to electricity" and "ate through power cables." That explains the damaged cables. There's not much else to glean from the note, as the rest is just Clarke complaining.
Looking around the platform, you can see multiple floodlights and convergence points, as well as damaged wires. Head upstairs for now.
Maintenance Recording #7 Location
You'll find Maintenance Recording #7 up the stairs from the Tuning Device near the broken cables. Clarke is again reporting the strange issues with Sandra, who's becoming more intrigued by the mold.
Walk into the open area, where you'll hear Dr. Florez. Look for the intercom to the left of the vending machines near the corner.
The survivors are trapped in the room to the right, locked by a shutter. A large hunk of Mold is keeping them blocked in as a floodlight shines light on it. Investigate the paper on the ground to acquire Notes on Mold and floodlights.
The note reads that light can alter the Mold's growth, suggesting that the nasty stuff loves the floodlights. It grows large in the light, which means that taking down the light can make it vulnerable. Indeed, if you destroy the mass of Mold, it'll grow right back so long as it can feed off of the floodlight.
Turn around and follow the cable from the floodlight to an active Power Core. There's an inactive Power Core nearby against the wall. Use the Aberrant to move the charge from the active core to the inactive one.
With that done, return to the door, destroy the mold, and head inside. There, you'll find Dr. Florez tending to a hurt civilian. Two Calibration Units are sitting nearby.
Speak with Dr. Florez. You get chances for replies during the conversation, during which you can get information about how they got trapped, while explaining to her why they're trapped in the first place. Dr. Florez has Clarke's notes in hand and says she'll provide any help she can over the intercom. Knowing Clarke, these notes gotta be top tier.
Move the two Calibration Units to the open room with the Power Cores. Next, enter the room across from the room with the survivors to find a third Power Core next to another recording.
Maintenance Recording #9 Location
The ninth Maintenance Recording is in the room across from the room with the survivors. Here, Clarke is speaking but stops when he hears cries from the civilians. The distraction doesn't last long, as he then begins to plead with Sandra to stop eating the Mold. Yikes.
Large Resource Crate Location
There's a Large Resource Crate you can find in the store with Maintenance Recording #9. When inside, look for an open shutter that leads to another room. At the end of the room is the crate. Open it to acquire x1 Health Upgrade Point.
Before you begin, you can head down the hallway toward the closed security grille to open it. Destroy the fuse box on the wall with the blinking red light to raise the grille.
| |
When you're ready, take all three Calibration Units into the subway platform below.
How to Solve the Factory Station Mold Wire Puzzle
There are two rooms with a Tuning Device in each. To solve the puzzle and return to Manhattan, you will need to have both activated at once. This will take some teleportation tricks, Mold growth, and some legwork. Let's get to it!
The first room you can tackle contains the broken wires, large Mold, and floodlights. To activate the Tuning Device in this part of the station, you're going to have to place three Calibration Units on the Convergence Points while using the Mold to power the Tuning Device. The Mold Tap to RevealTap to Reveal
First, Tap to RevealTap to RevealTap to Reveal
Tap to RevealTap to RevealTap to Reveal
Leave the large Mold growth near the Tuning Device alone. It's providing power to the device. If you destroy it, you can regrow it by moving the charge back to the inactive Power Core near the Tuning Device.
Next, Tap to RevealTap to RevealTap to Reveal
Tap to RevealTap to RevealTap to Reveal
That leaves one Calibration Unit left, but there are no more convergence points. At least, not here. Tap to RevealTap to RevealTap to Reveal
Tap to RevealTap to RevealTap to Reveal
Now, there is only one other convergence point, but no Calibration Unit in sight. If you go up the opposing stairs and hang a right, you'll find it locked behind a security grille.
Go back downstairs. There's a wire leading from an inactive Power Core to the grille. You'll need to power it up. To do so, Tap to RevealTap to RevealTap to RevealTap to RevealTap to RevealTap to RevealTap to Reveal
Charging the Power Core opens the grille and turns on a nearby floodlight, causing a giant Mold growth to appear over a convergence point. You can deal with that in a bit.
First, go upstairs and grab the Calibration Unit and bring it back down. Next, do the reverse: Tap to Reveal
Place the Calibration Unit you got from upstairs onto the convergence point.
Activate that Tuning Device. If everything is good, screen will turn from red to green.
Finally, turn around and run all the way back to that first room and activate the Tuning Device. If you completed the steps, its screen will also turn green and Dr. Florez will reach out telling you that the exit has returned. You and the civilians can escape.
But just as Zoe reaches out to tell Dylan she reads him in Manhattan, the room is suddenly attacked by Mold enemies. And one of them has a name.
Sandra clearly got too close to the Mold, and has now become one with it. She appears as an armored Mold Heavy enemy. Avoid the geysers of Mold that appear on the ground while you fight her. She's a tough foe, but, like other Mold, is weak to fire.
Once she's gone, you'll get a note on the Mold Blight Apex. and earn the reward of Source and x1 Thriving Spore.
Talk to Dr. Florez
When you're ready to leave, return to the room with the survivors and speak with Dr. Florez. Dylan tells her that an FBC rescue team is coming. During their conversation, you get the chance to reply.
After they finish speaking, Power Lines comes to an end, and you're rewarded with x1 Living Shard. If you haven't completed Into the Sinkhole yet, that'll be your next mission. Otherwise, you'll have to hunt down more Resonant Entities to help complete the CFD, or head to Enemy of My Enemy.
