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Control - A Captive Audience mission, X-Ray Lightbox puzzle explained to unlock the Seize power

It's time to take control of your enemies.

A Captive Audience is a side mission in Control and unlocks the brilliant supernatural power Seize.

Seize is an incredibly useful power, because it allows you to take control of your enemies and have them fight alongside you. This could turn the tide in a particularly difficult battle or just allow you to sit back and watch the fight.

To learn the Seize ability you must head to the Parapsychology department in the Research Sector and have a look through some of their old reports.

On this page:

Cover image for YouTube video13 Ways Control Gameplay Connects To Alan Wake - CONTROL + ALAN WAKE EASTER EGGS!
13 Ways Control Gameplay Connects To Alan Wake - Control + Alan Wake Easter Eggs!

Need more help in your quest through the Oldest House? Then check out our Control walkthrough hub, with links to all our Control guides.

How to start A Captive Audience in Control

To start A Captive Audience, you must find the collectable Research & Records - Reports - Astralnauts Information.

You can find this collectable during the Old Boy's Club mission or by fast travelling to the Parapsychology department.

Astralnauts Information can be found on a cabinet in the small office space right of the Control Point for the Parapsychology department.

The location of collectable - Astralnauts Information

Once you've found the report, you can bring A Captive Audience.

Investigate the X-Ray Lightbox Object of Power in Control

A Captive Audience takes place in the Hypnosis Lab, which is part of the Research Sector.

The quickest way to reach the Hypnosis Lab is to fast travel via the Control Points to the Parapsychology department. From there, all you have to do is head through the doors to the Hypnosis Lab, which are on the right-hand side of the Parapsychology department.

Find a way into the room to Bind the X-Ray Lightbox in Control

When you enter the Hypnosis Lab you'll find a group of completely normal Bureau employees... except for the fact that they are transfixed by the Object of Power.

Here is a chest hidden in the right-hand alcove for this room.

Spooky.

When you're ready head through the double doors on your right to further explore the Hypnosis Lab.

You'll find yourself in a small space with some computers. Interacting one will bring up a similar looking puzzle to the one who had to complete to enter the HRA Lab.

If you haven't visited the HRA Lab yet, you complete this puzzle by moving the square around the diamond shape.

Every time you move the square, it will add or remove a line to the diamond shape to create a pattern. The puzzle is solved when you create the correct pattern.

The solution to this puzzle can be found stuck to the glass wall in the space before the computer monitors. You can see it in the background when you're looking at the computer monitor.

(Apparently the employees in this super secret organisation are bad at remembering their passwords. At least no-ones left a laptop on a train.)

The puzzle solution is in the white circle!

Once you've completed the puzzle, head through the now opened door next to the Object of Power. Go through that room and cleanse the Object of Power.

Collectables to be found:

  • Multimedia - FBC Recordings - Astralnaut Liability
    • (In the room accessible after completing the puzzle in the Hypnosis Lab.)
The location of the collectable - Astralnaut Liability

Complete the Seize power tutorial in Control

What a surprise - we're back in the Astral Plane. This time its to learn how to use the Seize power.

Head down the stairs into the main area and you'll see a gold enemy. Gold enemies are immune to your attacks, so you need to find another way to defeat it.

As the gold enemy shots at you, grey enemies, which you can hurt, will appear.

Knock these enemies down to low health and, when prompted, use the Seize ability to take control of them. They will now fight alongside you and kill the gold enemy. Just make sure you don't kill them by accident!

Once the gold enemy is dead, the familiar line of floating cubes will appear, allowing you to exit the Astral Plane.

Use the Seize power to take control of your enemies.

Now you can go and experiment with your new Seize power!


It’s time to journey into the mysterious Federal Bureau of Control. Our Control walkthrough can help you through the storyline missions, including Welcome to the Oldest House, Unknown Caller, Directorial Override, Old Boy’s Club, Threshold, My Brother's Keeper, The Face of the Enemy, Finnish Tango, Polaris and Take Control. You can also learn new supernatural powers by completing A Merry Chase, A Good Defence and A Captive Audience. We also have guides on upgrading the Service Weapon, your Abilities, how to use Weapon and Personal Mods, how to unlock every outfit and the solution to the Roulette Wheel puzzle.


Rewards for completing A Captive Audience in Control

For completing A Captive Audience, you'll be rewarded with:

If you'd like to learn more about Control, visit our Control walkthrough guide.