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Control - Welcome to the Oldest House

Taking your first steps into the Oldest House.

Welcome to the Oldest House is the first mission in Control. It will introduce you to the Oldest House, where Control is set, and some of the game's main characters, including Jesse Faden, our heroine, and Zachariah Trench, who's a lot more talkative than you expect him to be.

It also serves as a tutorial - teaching you how to control Jesse and how to use the Service Weapon.

On this page:

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

13 Ways Control Gameplay Connects To Alan Wake - Control + Alan Wake Easter Eggs!Watch on YouTube

Upon arrival at the Federal Bureau of Control

You're investigation into the Federal Bureau of Control begins in the departments lobby.

Head through the metal detectors, which you'll find on the right hand side of the lobby, and up the stairs. Next, head across the landing and into the darkened corridor.

Explore the rooms you past in this journey to find various Collectables that will give you more insight into the Federal Bureau of Control and its dealings.

Work your way past the abandoned offices and you'll eventually hear music and singing. This is Ahti, the janitor.

He'll assume you here to interview for the assistant janitor position and tell you to get into the nearby elevator.

Collectables to be found:

  • Correspondence - Official - Prohibited Items Reminder
    • (On top of the metal detector)
  • Research & Records - Reports - Bureau Expenditures
    • (Inside the office to the left of the first flight of stairs)
  • Correspondence - Official - Security Order
    • (Inside the first office after the first floor landing)
  • Correspondence - Official - R4 Reports Reminder
    • (Inside the office with no lights on)
The locations of collectables - Prohibited Items Reminder, Bureau Expenditures, Security Order and R4 Reports Reminder.

Proceed deeper into the Bureau in Control

Walk past Ahti and, somehow, you'll find yourself back into the main lobby.

Ignore how this technically impossible and get into the elevator to reach the next floor.

You'll find yourself in another deserted lobby. The door for the Director's Office, and your destination, is at the far end of this corridor. Ignore the alarm you hear - it's not like you can turn it off.

As you reach the doors, you'll hear a large bang. Better get into the Director's Office quickly.

Collectables to be found:

  • Correspondence - Non - Official - Trench: Do Not Disturb
    • (On the cabinet left to the doors to the Director's Office)
  • Correspondence - Official - Approved Terminology Reminder
    • (In the room opposite the door requiring Clearance Level One)
The locations of collectables - Trench: Do Not Disturb and Approved Terminology Reminder.

Investigate the noise in the Director's Office in Control

Inside the Director's Office, you'll find the, now former Director, Zachariah Trench dead on the floor.

Pick up the Service Weapon, the gun, on the floor next to him.

Collectables to be found:

  • Multimedia - Darling Presentations - Objects of Power
    • (Receive automatically after picking up the Service Weapon)

Follow the Board's instructions to complete the Astral Plane Challenge in Control

Picking up the Service Weapon will transport you to the Astral Plane. This section will serve as the main tutorial for the combat controls.

Follow the pathway, using the jump button to cross gaps and climb ledges. You'll soon come across an enemy that you must kill using your melee attack.

Killing this enemy will make the Service Weapon reappear. Climb up black blocks to retrieve it.

A new pathway appear, run to the end and then use the Service Weapon to kill the two targets that appear on the platform in front of you. If you run out of ammo, wait a couple of seconds and the Service Weapon will automatically recharge.

Once you've dispatched your targets, a new pathway will appear. This will lead to the next platform a two waves of enemies for you to destroy. The first wave is three melee attack enemies and the second consists of two armed, with guns, enemies.

If you're low on health, you can collect Health Elements. These are the small, light blue, balls that appear on the ground after you've killed an enemy.

When you're ready, interact with the line of floating cubes to return to reality.

Collectables to be found:

  • Research & Records - Reports - Director Trench Photograph
    • (Receive automatically after completing the Astral Plane Challenge)
  • Case Files - Objects of Power - Service Weapon
    • (Receive automatically after completing the Astral Plane Challenge)

Proceed further into the Bureau - Executive / Central Executive in Control

Opening your map will now show you a layout of the surrounding areas in Oldest House. Areas you haven't visited yet will be marked with '???.'

Exit the Directors Office and kill the three Hiss Guards that attack you, before continuing down the corridor.

As you travel Trench will, somehow, contact you, informing you that you need to reach the Hotline.

Continue south into the Executive Affairs office and kill the Hiss Guards that attack you along the way.

In the Executive Affairs office, you'll find your first Shelter. You can use these to hide from enemies or just take a moment to relax from the craziness of Oldest House. Shelter's may also contain collectables and chests.

Chests can contain Personal Mods, which grant boosts to Jesse and her powers, Weapons Mods, which grant boosts to your Service Weapon, and Materials, such as a House Memory.

After raiding the Shelter, head through to double doors in the north-west corner of room to enter Central Executive.

Run towards the upside down pyramid, lit by a sinister red glow, and jump over the ledge. Kill the Hiss Guards that attack you. Watch out for Ranger Second Class Polaski, who is a lot stronger than your typical Hiss Guard.

Collectables to be found:

  • Research & Records - Hiss Research - Hiss Guard
    • (Receive after killing the Hiss Guards outside the Director's Office)
  • Correspondence - Official - Executive Meeting Minutes
    • (In the boardroom left of the toilets in Executive Affairs)
  • Multimedia - FBC Recordings - FBC Reminder: Building Shifts
    • (In the boardroom right of the toilets in Executive Affairs)
  • Correspondence - Non-Official - Dinner Reservations
    • (In the north-eastern corner, past the rows of desks, in Executive Affairs)
  • Correspondence - Official - Marshall: AWE Investigations
    • (Inside the Shelter in Executive Affairs)
The locations of collectables - Executive Meeting Minutes, FBC Reminder: Building Shifts, Dinner Reservations and Marshall: AWE Investigations.
  • Research & Records - Research - Urban Legends
    • (On the cabinet in the room directly to the right when you enter Central Executive)
  • Correspondence - Official - Visitor Evaluations
    • (On the coffee table in the room directly to the right when you enter Central Executive)
The locations of collectables - Urban Legends and Visitor Evaluations.

Cleanse the Control Point in Control

Trench will now contact you again and tell you cleanse the Control Point. Do this and Bureau area around you will return to normal or at least as normal for the Bureau to be.

Interacting with a cleansed Control Point will fully restore your Health and, if you die, you'll return to the last Control Point you've accessed. Control Points also allow you to Fast Travel and change Jesse's outfit.

Speak with the voice on the Safe Room Intercom in Control

Near the Control Point, you'll see a Shelter. Run up and use the intercom to talk to Emily Pope, research assistant to Dr. Darling.

Cleanse the Hiss-corrupted Agent in Control

Run over to the nearby Hiss-corrupted Agent and attempt to cleanse them.

You will fail and the Hiss-corrupted Agent will vanish into nothing.

Collectables to be found:

  • Research & Records - Hiss Research - Hiss Agent
    • (Receive automatically after attempting to cleanse Hiss Agent)

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.


Speak with Emily Pope in Control

Emily will be standing by the door to the Board Room, which is just north of where your standing and up a flight of stairs.

You can also take the time to investigate the Shelter and open up the chest hidden inside.

Speak to her to complete Welcome to the Oldest House and begin mission two - Unknown Caller.

Collectables to be found:

  • Research & Records - Research - Control Points
    • (In the shelter next to the first Control Point)
  • Research & Records - Reports - Portrait of Director Zachariah Trench
    • (Receive automatically after finishing mission)
The location of the Control Points collectable.

For your next step into the Oldest House, visit our guide on the Unknown Caller mission.