The last mission of the AWE DLC for Control sends you into the Bright Falls recreation — which isn’t too elaborate. It’s really a simple mock-up of the Cauldron Lake Lodge, Hartman’s expensive psychiatric retreat on the hill. In this arena, you’ll have to fight one of the most difficult encounters in the entire game. Hartman doesn’t mess around, so here’s what you need to know to win.
The AWE DLC for Control is all about Alan Wake. The previous protagonist returns as a writer lost in time, and he’s scripting a new adventure for Jesse to help him escape the ocean of darkness he’s fallen into. The premise is very strange, and has some huge implications for the world of Control — but we’re ignoring all that stuff for now. This is about beating the last boss. If you need help or just want to check this weird monster out, scroll down for more info.
More Control guides:
10 Easter Eggs You Don’t Want To Miss | Alan Wake, Max Payne & More | 10 Mind-Bending Tips You Need To Know | Beginner’s Guide | All Optional Boss Monsters | Quest Locations Guide | How To Solve Every Puzzle | Punch Cards, Lightswitches & More Solutions | How To Get All Optional Abilities | Evade, Shield & Seize Guide | Where To Find All Altered Items | ‘Langston’s Runaways’ Locations Guide | How To Find Every Bonus Outfit | Gold Suit, Asynchronous & More | Three Lucky Players Got Free Bandcamp Albums With This Easter Egg
How To Beat Hartman | It’s Happening Again Mission Guide
The last mission sends us into the Bright Falls AWE. On the way down, darkness blobs will stop your lift. Grab the lamp to the right and clear the two shadows, then defeat the Hiss that spawn in. Use the elevator to continue down to the CP.
Ahead, you’ll find another clicker. Hit it three times to enter the Oceanview Motel. Hit the front desk bell, the turn on the light in the room that opens down the hall — hit the bell to unlock each of the three doors and clear all three shadows. When all three shadows disappear, the key to Alan Wake’s room will appear at the front desk.
In the Brights Falls AWE, connect up all four Power Cubes to the generators and then flip the switch on the raised platform in the center of the room. With the lights on, you can now fight Hartman.
Hartman Boss:
Hartman teleports, switching between melee attacks and long-range attacks. When his back glows, he’ll either launch tracking spines or a shotgun blast of spines. Take cover, and pelt him with bullets / thrown objects from afar. After a ranged attack, he’ll teleport near you and stomp or attempt to grab you.
- NOTE: You can summon an AI ally in the control room before the boss fight. This helper makes this fight much easier to manage.
Make sure you always have enough energy to dodge away when he teleports near you. It’s very sudden — if he does grab you, he’ll siphon your health to heal himself. Shoot him to get free.
After defeating him once, the lights will go dark — he’ll have a second health bar. Two Power Cubes will get knocked out. Reconnect the power to turn on the lights and fight Hartman. When he’s low on health, he’ll knock the Power Cubes out again — quickly reconnect or he’ll recover his health.
After every cycle, Hartman will be slightly weaker. He’ll take more damage from your attacks, so even if he fully heals, you’ll still be able to defeat him faster. The trick is just staying alive.
When the darkness drops, I recommend going to a light area and defeating all the incoming Hiss enemies that spawn. Turning them to your side can be very helpful too. While you’re in the light (during the darkness phase) Hartman won’t attack you.
Restore the lights, and hit Hartman with everything you’ve got. His animation for summoning the dark is slow — so you’ll be able to land plenty of shots and throw junk with levitate before it activates. Hit him hard enough and he will finally go down.
