The Oldest House, the shifting headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Control, is a vast and complex environment filled with secrets. Understanding its distinct regions and diligently seeking out collectibles is key to mastering the game and uncovering its deepest lore.
Regions of The Oldest House
The Oldest House is divided into several distinct sectors, each with its own unique aesthetic, challenges, and inhabitants. Key regions include:
- The Foundation: The initial area Jesse explores, characterized by its raw, unfinished architecture and early Hiss incursions.
- The Executive Sector: The bureaucratic heart of the FBC, featuring offices, labs, and more structured environments, heavily corrupted by the Hiss.
- The Maintenance Sector: A more industrial and utilitarian area, often featuring machinery, pipes, and darker, more confined spaces.
- The Containment Sector: Home to the FBC's most dangerous objects and entities, often presenting unique environmental hazards and powerful enemies.
- The Research Sector: Where scientific endeavors and experiments took place, featuring laboratories and specialized equipment.
- The Geothermal Plant: A unique area focused on energy generation and complex machinery.
Types of Collectibles
Control is packed with collectibles that flesh out its world and provide valuable rewards. These include:
- Lore Documents: Files, memos, reports, and research notes that detail the FBC's history, the nature of the Hiss, and the Objects of Power.
- Audio Logs: Recorded messages and personal accounts that offer intimate glimpses into the lives of FBC employees and the unfolding crisis.
- Case Files: Specific documents related to Objects of Power and paranormal phenomena.
- Research & Development: Collectibles related to the FBC's scientific endeavors.
- Personal Items: Objects belonging to former employees, offering personal stories.
- Objects of Power: While not strictly collectibles in the same sense, finding and cleansing these is crucial for progression and grants new abilities.
Strategies for Finding Collectibles
To maximize your collectible finds:
- Explore Thoroughly: Leave no stone unturned. Check every room, every corner, and every accessible ledge.
- Use Your Abilities: Levitate is essential for reaching high places, and Launch can be used to break weak walls or trigger distant mechanisms that reveal hidden areas.
- Read Everything: Lore documents often contain hints about other secrets or provide context for the world.
- Listen to Audio Logs: They can offer narrative depth and sometimes clues.
- Check Your Map: The map can help identify unexplored areas.
- Complete Side Quests: Many side quests lead to areas rich with collectibles.
Rewards for Collecting
Collecting items isn't just for lore enthusiasts. It directly benefits Jesse by providing:
- Ability Points: Used to unlock and upgrade Jesse's supernatural powers.
- Crafting Materials: Essential for upgrading Personal and Service Weapon mods.
- New Mods: Personal and Service Weapon mods that enhance Jesse's combat and utility.
The Oldest House is a character in itself, and its secrets are best uncovered through diligent exploration and a keen eye for detail.