| Ability | Effect | Power cost |
|---|---|---|
| Ignite | Melee, Barrage, Shield and Volatile Anomaly attacks deal 16–31 bonus Fire and Falter 4, applying Burn | 150, plus 45 per second |
| Inferno | Generates increasingly intense Fire waves for 126 Fire and Falter 11, applying Burn | 200 |
Ignite is a toggle mapped to L1 and drains Power over time, coating your attacks in fire rather than firing a discrete blast. Burn deals Falter to enemies over time and explodes when combined with the Infected status. When a Resonant reaches Severe Falter, it takes significantly more damage for a short window, which is where fire attacks earn their keep. You can test the pick on the shadow enemies in the Astral Void before moving on.
Closing the quest with the monolith and D-pad
The quest remains unfinished after you defeat the Resonant. A tall stone monolith with glowing white cracks stands beside the battle site; pass through it to complete the objective.
A Quest Completed banner for The Central Resonant confirms success, then the Resonant Cycle and A World Changed tutorial cards appear. Select Continue to dismiss each card. Dylan then radios Zoe from the factory core to tell her what the person concealed in the tunnels had become. You can skip the cards and reopen them later in the Archives’ Tutorials tab.
Rewards and the Resonant Cycle
Completing the quest pays out in two chunks, because discovering the CENTRAL 5 zone triggers alongside the quest completion. The fire ability you chose is permanent for this Resonant.
| Reward | Amount or detail |
|---|---|
| Source (quest completion) | +3,000 |
| Source (CENTRAL 5 discovery) | +500 |
| Untapped Lighter | ×1 |
| Reset Item | +1 |
| Thermal Termination | Trophy earned |
Since the Untapped Lighter is an Untapped Artifact, take it to the Gap to create the finished Artifact. Defeating The Deserter moves Manhattan into a new Resonant Cycle. Most encounters repopulate with tougher enemy variants and new enemy types, and World Feats refresh in every zone. Resource drops improve in quality and quantity, while some activities offer larger rewards to match the increased challenge. Story progression is blocked by two Resonants: The Deserter and the Dancer, located in the West Incursion Zone’s theater. Defeating both advances Enemy of My Enemy.
The Central Resonant is an early boss quest in Control Resonant. Its arena is deep beneath a factory filled with steam, combat rooms, and a furnace. The on-screen objective says Kill the Resonant in the Factory, but you must clear the heat sources, descend into the substructure, and survive The Deserter to reach it. Even after the kill, the quest stays open until you enter a hidden controller command.
Quick answer: Enter the Patterned Factory in Central, destroy the heat sources on the pipes, and kill The Deserter in the furnace. Step through the monolith, activate the pedestal, return to the void, then press Left on the D-pad to trigger the ending cutscene.
What you need before The Central Resonant starts
Your log picks up the quest during Welcome to Manhattan, immediately after you talk to Zoe at the Watchtower. The marker leads to the Patterned Factory in Central, but its entrance remains closed on a new save. Complete a few earlier steps to gain access.
- Speak with Zoe at the Watchtower while working through Welcome to Manhattan.
- Complete Evacuation Procedures to obtain the Level 2 Keycard.
- Complete Power Lines to gain access to the factory.
- Bring an upgraded weapon form, since The Deserter is a full boss, not a mini-encounter.
Wrap up this quest before spending much time in The Park. The fire ability you unlock makes dealing with the Mold there much easier.
Reaching the furnace inside the Patterned Factory
Dylan’s first objective is to investigate the steam escaping from the factory. Follow the scorch marks to find the actual task: destroy the heat sources growing on the pipes below. The route passes through several combat rooms and a looping stretch of sewer.
How to beat The Deserter
The cutscene places you before The Deserter, a towering fire Resonant with 26,600 HP. Its opening attack sprays lava over the arena. Stay directly beneath the boss—the safest spot in this encounter—and close in immediately, circling around its legs.
| Attack | What to do |
|---|---|
| Lava spit | Sprint to the legs and stay close |
| Spin to catch you | Back off a short distance |
| Full-body slam | Dodge, then attack during recovery |
| Arena fire | Stay off the grates, hug the edge |
The boss’s slam creates your best chance to deal damage: after it hits the ground, you have several seconds to attack without interruption. Otherwise, keep working on its legs; there is no other weak point to target. Continue hitting the red-glowing Resonant until it disappears, allowing you to use the monolith.
Ignite or Inferno: the fire ability choice
Entering the boss’s core pulls Dylan into the Astral Plane, where the Combat Ability Selection screen offers one of two permanent fire abilities. Both apply the Burn status, and either one gives Dylan the fire damage The Park’s Mold reacts badly to, so pick based on how you fight.
| Ability | Effect | Power cost |
|---|---|---|
| Ignite | Melee, Barrage, Shield and Volatile Anomaly attacks deal 16–31 bonus Fire and Falter 4, applying Burn | 150, plus 45 per second |
| Inferno | Generates increasingly intense Fire waves for 126 Fire and Falter 11, applying Burn | 200 |
Ignite is a toggle mapped to L1 and drains Power over time, coating your attacks in fire rather than firing a discrete blast. Burn deals Falter to enemies over time and explodes when combined with the Infected status. When a Resonant reaches Severe Falter, it takes significantly more damage for a short window, which is where fire attacks earn their keep. You can test the pick on the shadow enemies in the Astral Void before moving on.
Closing the quest with the monolith and D-pad
The quest remains unfinished after you defeat the Resonant. A tall stone monolith with glowing white cracks stands beside the battle site; pass through it to complete the objective.
A Quest Completed banner for The Central Resonant confirms success, then the Resonant Cycle and A World Changed tutorial cards appear. Select Continue to dismiss each card. Dylan then radios Zoe from the factory core to tell her what the person concealed in the tunnels had become. You can skip the cards and reopen them later in the Archives’ Tutorials tab.
Rewards and the Resonant Cycle
Completing the quest pays out in two chunks, because discovering the CENTRAL 5 zone triggers alongside the quest completion. The fire ability you chose is permanent for this Resonant.
| Reward | Amount or detail |
|---|---|
| Source (quest completion) | +3,000 |
| Source (CENTRAL 5 discovery) | +500 |
| Untapped Lighter | ×1 |
| Reset Item | +1 |
| Thermal Termination | Trophy earned |
Since the Untapped Lighter is an Untapped Artifact, take it to the Gap to create the finished Artifact. Defeating The Deserter moves Manhattan into a new Resonant Cycle. Most encounters repopulate with tougher enemy variants and new enemy types, and World Feats refresh in every zone. Resource drops improve in quality and quantity, while some activities offer larger rewards to match the increased challenge. Story progression is blocked by two Resonants: The Deserter and the Dancer, located in the West Incursion Zone’s theater. Defeating both advances Enemy of My Enemy.
