Control
Control

Expeditions

Master Expeditions in Control. This roguelike mode challenges your skills with randomized combat and unique modifiers for valuable rewards.

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Expeditions

Expeditions are a challenging, roguelike-inspired game mode unlocked after completing the main story campaign. They offer a unique opportunity to test your skills, earn valuable rewards, and delve deeper into the Oldest House's mysteries. Each Expedition is a randomized gauntlet of combat encounters, environmental hazards, and unique modifiers, culminating in a boss fight.

Unlocking Expeditions

To access Expeditions, you must first complete the main story questline, culminating in the mission "Take Control." Once the credits roll, return to the Executive Sector. You'll find a new interactive object in the Central Executive area: the Jukebox. Interacting with the Jukebox will initiate the "Jukebox" side mission, which serves as the tutorial for Expeditions.

"Jukebox" Side Mission Walkthrough

  1. Locate the Jukebox: Head to the Central Executive Control Point in the Executive Sector. The Jukebox is located on the upper level, near the office of Director Trench.
  2. Interact with the Jukebox: Approach the Jukebox and interact with it. Jesse will comment on its strange nature.
  3. Retrieve Jukebox Tokens: The Jukebox requires special Jukebox Tokens to activate an Expedition. Your first token will be provided automatically to begin the tutorial. Subsequent tokens can be found as rewards from completing Expeditions, certain side missions, or purchased from the Bureau Tenders (BT) vendor at the Central Executive Control Point.
  4. Select Your First Expedition: With a token in hand, interact with the Jukebox again. You'll be presented with a selection of Expedition difficulties. For the tutorial, choose the lowest difficulty available.
  5. Complete the Tutorial Expedition:
    • Objective: Survive the randomized encounters and reach the final boss.
    • Strategy: Pay close attention to the Expedition's modifiers, displayed before you start. These can significantly alter enemy behavior or Jesse's abilities. Use your most upgraded Service Weapon forms and powerful Personal Mods. Prioritize collecting health drops and energy.
    • Key Areas: Expeditions feature procedurally generated areas, but often include familiar environments from the Oldest House, such as the Maintenance Sector or Research Sector.
    • Boss Fight: The tutorial Expedition will feature a relatively straightforward boss. Focus on dodging and exploiting its weaknesses.
  6. Return to Central Executive: After successfully completing your first Expedition, you'll be transported back to Central Executive. The "Jukebox" side mission will conclude, and Expeditions will be fully unlocked for repeated play.

Expedition Mechanics and Strategies

Expeditions are designed to be challenging. Here's what you need to know to succeed:

Difficulty Tiers and Rewards

Expeditions come in various difficulty tiers, each requiring a certain power level and offering increasingly valuable rewards. Higher difficulties introduce more aggressive enemies, tougher bosses, and more restrictive modifiers. Rewards typically include:

  • Source: Essential for upgrading your Service Weapon and Personal Mods.
  • Materials: Used for crafting and upgrading.
  • Personal Mods: Potentially higher rarity and more potent effects.
  • Weapon Mods: Similar to Personal Mods, offering better stats.
  • Jukebox Tokens: To continue running Expeditions.
  • Bureau Tenders (BT): A special currency used to purchase rare mods and materials from the vendor.

Expedition Modifiers

Before starting an Expedition, you'll see a list of active modifiers. These are crucial to understand and adapt to:

  • Positive Modifiers: Can boost Jesse's abilities (e.g., "Increased Launch Damage," "Faster Energy Regeneration").
  • Negative Modifiers: Can hinder Jesse or empower enemies (e.g., "Reduced Health Drops," "Hiss Enemies Deal More Damage," "No Shield Ability").
  • Environmental Modifiers: Can affect the environment (e.g., "Hiss Corruption Spreads Faster").

Strategy: Always review the modifiers before committing to an Expedition. If a modifier severely cripples your preferred playstyle (e.g., "No Shield Ability" if you rely heavily on Shield), consider choosing a different Expedition or adjusting your loadout.

Loadout Optimization

Your Service Weapon forms and Personal/Weapon Mods are paramount in Expeditions. Consider the following:

  • Versatility: Equip a range of Service Weapon forms to handle different enemy types and situations. Spin is excellent for close-quarters crowd control, Pierce for armored targets, and Charge for high burst damage.
  • Synergy: Choose Personal Mods that complement your playstyle. If you favor Launch, equip mods that boost Launch damage or energy regeneration. If you prefer close-range combat, focus on health regeneration or melee damage mods.
  • Adaptability: Don't be afraid to change your mods between Expeditions if the modifiers demand it. For example, if "Reduced Health Drops" is active, prioritize health regeneration mods.

Combat Tactics

  • Prioritize Threats: Identify and eliminate the most dangerous Hiss enemies first, such as Hiss Elevated, Hiss Distorted, or Hiss Charged.
  • Utilize the Environment: Launch objects are your best friend. Use them to stun enemies, break shields, and deal significant damage.
  • Maintain Mobility: Jesse's movement abilities (Dodge, Levitate) are vital for survival. Keep moving, especially against ranged Hiss enemies.
  • Resource Management: Be mindful of your energy and health. Collect health elements dropped by defeated enemies promptly.
  • Control Points: Expeditions feature temporary Control Points that you can cleanse to save your progress within that specific run. Utilize these strategically.

Recommended Mods for Expeditions

While personal preference plays a huge role, certain mods consistently prove invaluable in the challenging environment of Expeditions:

  • Health Boost: Increases Jesse's maximum health, providing a larger buffer against damage.
  • Energy Boost: Increases Jesse's maximum energy, allowing for more frequent ability usage.
  • Health Regeneration: Speeds up passive health regeneration, crucial for sustained engagements.
  • Launch Damage Boost: Significantly increases the damage of your Launch ability, making it a primary offensive tool.
  • Shield Strength Boost: Enhances the durability of your Shield, especially useful on higher difficulties.
  • Aiming/Firing Speed (for specific Service Weapon forms): Improves the effectiveness of your preferred weapon.

Experiment with different combinations to find what works best for your playstyle and the current Expedition's modifiers.