Why Side Stories Matter
Control Resonant side quests are where Manhattan’s strangest optional stories, useful artifacts, and some of its toughest puzzles are hidden. They are easy to miss because most begin away from the campaign route, but they remain available after the ending. If a main objective seems stalled, check whether a Fault, Resonant, or optional research task has opened the route you need.
Side Stories are separate from recurring World Feats and FBC Tasks. World Feats appear dynamically in zones, while FBC Tasks are repeatable assignments from FBC boards. Side Stories are hand-built missions with fixed starting locations, characters, puzzles, and rewards.
Many are short self-contained detours. Others stretch across multiple regions or unlock follow-up chapters later in the campaign. Exploration pays off: look inside apartments, loading areas, alleys, test facilities, and buildings that seem unrelated to your active story marker.
| Activity type | How it works | Why complete it |
|---|---|---|
| Side Stories | Fixed optional quests with named objectives | Artifacts, cosmetics, lore, and major puzzles |
| World Feats | Randomized open-world encounters | Materials, Source, and zone progress |
| FBC Tasks | Repeatable board assignments | Source and upgrade materials |
| Resonant missions | Regional boss objectives | Combat abilities and story progression |
A few Side Stories are especially useful before the finale. Pope’s Research is needed to travel through the Unknown during late-story progression, while the first two Jesse Fault missions grant traversal tools that make distant routes possible. Do not assume an inaccessible platform is a puzzle you are meant to solve immediately; it may require a movement ability from another quest line.
All Side Quest Starting Points
There are 18 Side Story entries to track. Carbon Copy is counted as three separate parts, even though its later chapters follow the same story. The table below gives the fastest way to place each quest in your log.
| Side Story | Starting point | Availability notes |
|---|---|---|
| Freeze Frame | Watchtower second floor near Zoe in Central | Begins near the early Central route |
| Panopticon Service Request | Speak with Langston at Central’s FBC Field Office | Available after reaching the office |
| Crossing the Threshold | Loading Docks west of the Field Office | Central |
| Urban Survival | Parking lot south of the Evacuation Zone | Evacuation Zone |
| The Last Taxi | Alley west of the Evac Building | Evacuation Zone |
| Unsupervised Science | Any FBC test facility | An early facility is east of Patterned Factory |
| Carbon Copy | Speak to Heidi in a Mold-infested Park building | The Park |
| Carbon Copy: Part II | Speak to Dr. Florez at the Field Office | Opens after Act 1 progress |
| Carbon Copy: Part III | Finish Part II | Starts immediately afterward |
| Side Story | Starting point | Availability notes |
|---|---|---|
| The Complete Set | Auction House in northwest Downtown | Starts with an altered speaker |
| The Party Won’t Stop | Western apartment building in West Incursion Zone | Look for the “Singing Reported?” marker |
| Into the Valley of Death | Speak with Langston | Opens after early story progress |
| Pope’s Research | Story-triggered | Available at the start of Act 3 |
| A New Directive | Stranger’s phone call in the Unknown | Can trigger while exploring the region |
| New Growth | Complete The Hedron Link | Late Act 2 |
| Zoe’s Briefing | Complete New Growth | Follow-up quest |
| Maintenance Protocol | Speak with Zoe during Zoe’s Briefing | The Underpass route |
| Mapping the New New York | Speak to the worker by Central’s mapping pylon | Adds map-related objectives |
| Every Dog Has Her Day | Return a toy to any dog | Paw-print map markers help locate dogs |
Quest names can reveal minor story details, so players avoiding spoilers may prefer to use the table only as a checklist. For everyone else, add a marker whenever you reach a new region and sweep its unusual indoor spaces before moving on.
Progress Gates and Smart Quest Order
The campaign uses several parallel quest lines. Contain the Crisis carries the main narrative, Search for Jesse handles Faults and traversal, and Defeating Resonants covers regional bosses. Side Stories sit alongside those paths, but a handful have meaningful timing requirements.
Enemy of My Enemy is the first major campaign gate. It requires the Central Resonant and West Incursion Zone Resonant. The West Incursion boss also depends on finishing The Incursion Fault, which provides the gravity-based traversal needed to reach its route.
| Gate or objective | What to complete first | Result |
|---|---|---|
| West Incursion Resonant | Jesse Sightings: The Incursion Fault | Opens the required traversal route |
| Enemy of My Enemy | Central and West Incursion Resonants | Advances the main story |
| Late distant routes | Jesse Sightings: The Subway Fault | Enables later traversal points |
| Sever the Hedron Links | Pope’s Research | Allows travel through the Unknown |
| Zoe’s Briefing | New Growth | Unlocks Zoe’s follow-up content |
| Carbon Copy: Part III | Carbon Copy: Part II | Continues the three-part story |
A practical order keeps downtime low:
- Start Central quests whenever you first reach the FBC Field Office.
- Finish The Incursion Fault before trying to clear West Incursion’s deepest paths.
- Pick up The Last Taxi and Urban Survival during an Evacuation Zone visit.
- Save The Park’s Carbon Copy chain until you can comfortably return to Central.
- Complete Pope’s Research as soon as Act 3 begins.
- Revisit all regions after gaining new traversal abilities.
The campaign does not permanently lock ordinary Side Stories when you reach its final missions. After The Beginning, Dylan can return to Manhattan and finish missed content. This makes exploration less stressful, but clearing quests as they become available helps because artifact rewards can improve your build for difficult Resonants.
Notable Side Stories and Rewards
Not every optional mission rewards equipment in the same way. Several grant Untapped artifacts, which become useful build pieces after they are identified and equipped. Others offer cosmetics, narrative payoffs, or simply a memorable puzzle. The Last Taxi, for example, is largely its own surreal journey rather than a source of a traditional item reward.
| Side Story | Known reward or outcome | What makes it notable |
|---|---|---|
| Panopticon Service Request | Untapped Feeding Bottle artifact; Aramid Work Clothes | A Central request with cosmetic and artifact rewards |
| Urban Survival | Plate Carrier M1 cosmetic; Untapped Heart Monitor | Good early detour in the Evacuation Zone |
| The Party Won’t Stop | Varsity Jacket; Untapped Bar Blade | West Incursion apartment mystery |
| Carbon Copy | Untapped Mother’s Locket | Starts a three-part character story |
| Carbon Copy: Part III | Untapped Medical Alert Bands | Final part of the chain |
| Into the Valley of Death | Untapped Catnip Toy | Multi-zone optional journey |
| Every Dog Has Her Day | Untapped Trusted Spanner | Begins by finding a dog and its toy |
| Mapping the New New York | Untapped Fork | Encourages map exploration |
The Complete Set is one of the most involved optional puzzles. It begins in Downtown’s Auction House, where you collect an altered speaker, then expands into a citywide search for the remaining audio equipment. Speak to Langston after starting it to receive the information needed for the Downtown speaker route.
Once the components are returned to the Auction House, place them in their assigned positions. You then need to disable the active speakers quickly before making a final choice involving the subwoofer. Both choices provide the same item reward, so choose based on the ending you prefer rather than fear of losing build power.
Freeze Frame is another useful early quest to keep in mind. Its altered camera can suspend Dylan and relocate, making it more manageable after additional traversal options are unlocked. If it feels impossible during the first encounter, leave it in the log and return later.
FAQ
How many control resonant side quests are there?
There are 18 Side Story entries, including all three Carbon Copy parts. This count does not include recurring World Feats, FBC Tasks, Jesse Faults, or the five regional Resonant missions.
Can Side Stories be missed?
No normal Side Story needs to be completed before the ending. After finishing the campaign epilogue, Dylan can return to Manhattan and handle optional content that was left unfinished.
Why is my next main mission not appearing?
Check the Search for Jesse and Defeating Resonants sections of the Quest Log. Enemy of My Enemy requires both the Central and West Incursion Resonants, while later objectives can require Fault completion or Pope’s Research.
Which Side Stories give artifacts?
Several quests provide Untapped artifacts, including Panopticon Service Request, Urban Survival, Carbon Copy, Into the Valley of Death, Every Dog Has Her Day, and Mapping the New New York. The Complete Set also awards an item used in artifact crafting.
Are World Feats part of the Side Story list?
No. World Feats are open-world events that appear in zones, and FBC Tasks are repeatable board requests. They are separate from the named control resonant side quests.
