Aberrant Strength is the single number that decides how much damage Dylan deals in Control Resonant. It sets the raw output of every weapon form and combo finisher, and it is the stat that determines whether you can realistically kill a given enemy. If fights feel unwinnable, your Aberrant Strength is almost always too low for the zone you are in.
Quick answer: The only way to raise Aberrant Strength is to unlock upgrades for your Primary Form, Secondary Form, and Combo Finishers, paid for with materials that drop from enemies and chests plus the Source currency.
What raising Aberrant Strength changes
Inspecting a weapon form or combo finisher in The Gap displays Aberrant Strength. Raising the value boosts damage for the entire arsenal at once, rather than only the weapon currently in hand.
The stat also feeds Falter, the yellow stagger bar beneath an enemy’s health. As Aberrant Strength climbs, your attacks build Falter faster. When that bar fills, a standard enemy becomes open to an instant Execution, while a boss is stunned for several seconds. An Execution then briefly boosts Dylan’s damage, so a higher Aberrant Strength makes the whole loop snowball in your favor.
How to increase Aberrant Strength
Every point of Aberrant Strength comes from weapon upgrades. Unlocking new nodes for any form or finisher adds to Dylan’s overall total, even if you never plan to use that weapon.
Skills do not raise Aberrant Strength. They grant conditional passive buffs, such as extra damage when hitting an enemy from behind or with a status effect active, and sit on a separate system. Aberrant Strength is your unconditional base damage.
Materials and Source you need for upgrades
Each weapon upgrade costs both crafting materials and Source. Materials are tied to specific enemy factions, so killing the right foes is your main supply line. Mold-type enemies, for example, can drop Edible Globs. If you are cash-rich, vendors across the zones also sell these materials.
| Resource | How to get it |
|---|---|
| Crafting materials | Drops from enemies and chests; buyable from vendors |
| Source (currency) | Missions, chests, battles, and side objectives |
Source is the primary currency for buying materials, unlocking artifacts, and paying for upgrades. It stacks up quickly if you clear map icons and side content rather than rushing the main path, and completing every activity in a region is generally enough to reach the top of the Aberrant Strength curve by the end of the game.
Read enemy levels against your Aberrant Strength
Enemies use a single-digit level shown next to their name, which can look mismatched against a three-digit Aberrant Strength. Read the enemy level in tens to compare them. A level 5 Hiss should be treated as Aberrant Strength 50, so you need at least 50 to match it.
- Aim for at least 10 points above the enemy’s level equivalent for a comfortable fight.
- A skull icon replaces the level number when the enemy heavily outranks you.
- Skull-marked enemies can still be killed, but they will deal massive damage.
Defeating Resonant bosses raises world difficulty
Beating a Resonant, one of the game’s key bosses, permanently raises the Aberrant Strength of enemies across every zone and introduces new enemy types to areas you already cleared. This scaling is one-way, so a region you found easy becomes tougher afterward.
Finish the side activities and collectibles you want in an area before you take on its Resonant. Doing so lets you gather materials and Source against weaker foes, then bank the resulting upgrades before the world levels up around you.
