Last Updated on Sep 27, 2026 @ 18:30:47 PM.
Control Resonant is the pinnacle of weird gaming in 2026, in the best way. That might be epitomised by the fetch quest from Langston in the latter part of the game, Into the Valley of Death. You’ll have just escaped the sinkhole in one of the best moments of the game, and now he’s asking you to go back in to rescue a cat? Alright then! By the end of the guide, you’ll have done just that, and found out a few details that you might have been expecting surrounding the origins of Alfred the Cat, and how Langston came to own him.
How to Finish Into the Valley of Death Quest in Control Resonant
As mentioned, you’ll have just escaped the sinkhole, woken up, spoken to Pope and now be on your way to chatting to Langston to do him a favour. That favour is heading right back into the very hell you just struggled to escape from, all for the purpose of saving his pet cat. Once he’s finished chatting to you, head over to his apartment.
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Head to Langston’s Apartment and Enter the Sinkhole
This is one of those quests in Control Resonant that is a little obtuse ajd obscure of what you’re supposed to do. There’s very few map markers, and the dialogue from Langston, whilst clear, is still at odds with the maze-like structure of the Sinkhole.
Once you’re at the apartment complex, head down into the Sinkhole and take a moment to see where you’ve entered. From this perspective you’ll see what looks to be a floating platform with a save spot in the middle. Head down (or up?) to this, and then pay attention to the yellow tape on the floor. Follow this tape. Do not deviate from the tape.
You’ll eventually emerge into a separate section of the Sinkhole, and see a TV playing on the other side. In front of that will be Dombrow, a surly and cynical FBC Agent that was sent into the Sinkhole to find Langston’s cat Alfred before you were, and is busy now watching static on the TV rather than looking for his partner who’s disappeared.
He’ll be less than helpful, but after chatting with him, walk through the opening on HIS left, and follow this path until you come upon an FBC team’s remains. You’re not far from Langston’s apartment, and will likely see it through a hole in the wall in front of you. Head inside.
Langston’s Apartment
Langston’s apartment is the first indicator that the cat may not be a normal cat. Follow Langston’s instructions and explore the apartment, noticing the huge claw marks on the wall, the blood on the floor, and the utter lack of Maria (the cat sitter) being in the apartment.
Langston will order you to place ‘him’ in the cat carrier from the bedroom, and now the Into the Valley Quest turns into a carry quest, as you’ll spend the rest of the time carrying him around. Exit the room and cross the chasm of nothingness back into the room filled with FBC bodies.
Follow the Trail and Find the Right TV
As Langston explains, Alfred the Cat hates plants, and as such, have left you a trail to where he is. Take your time and don’t rush this section. Like following the tape earlier, it can be easy to get lost in the mazelike structure of the Sinkhole, and with very few unique identifiers to use as landmarks, you’ll struggle to find your way back without loading the game and resetting your progress. Thankfully, the plant trail isn’t massive and will end with you being able to see Dombrow again, although this time you’re behind him.
Now you’ll have to put the carrier in a room with a working TV and a bed. You’ll be tempted to think this is with Dombrow, but you’d be wrong. Instead of with him, it’s opposite, or to your right if you’re still in the same room you ended the plant trail with. Head into the apartment that you can see the faint glimmer of a TV showing, and move round through the rooms until you end up in the bedroom. Place the carrier on the bed, and then pick up and chuck the four plants elsewhere – I chose off the edge of the apartment.
You’ll be told by Langston you need to leave, and almost as soon as you jump to another apartment, Alfred will meow, and Langston will tell you to grab the carrier. Go pick it up, and unfortunately you’ll hear screaming as Dombrow becomes the latest FBC Agent to succumb to the Sinkhole monster. Go over to where he was sitting and investigate.
Follow the Blood Trail
Long story short, Alfred is proven to obviously not be the Sinkhole monster, but Langston believes Alfred can find the culprit, and tells you to follow his meows. The meows coincide with a blood trail that goes off the edge of the Sinkhole below, into the very early moments of what you escaped earlier in the story.
It’s not a difficult trail to follow, and effectively equates to down and across, making heavy use of the Gravity Shift and Reach abilities. As is the way in Control Resonant, out of nowhere you’ll end up being ambushed by the Sinkhole monster, which turns out to be Maria, the would-be-cat-sitter.
How to Defeat Maria and Return Alfred
Maria, while a named boss in Control Resonant, is far from a difficult to beat boss. She’s a variant of one of the flying Hiss from the surface, and at this stage, you’ll be a little overpowered and ready to fight her. She does have three phases, although the first and third are nearly identical in method and difficulty.
The first stage sees her flying around, regularly going invisible and attempting to attack you. If you have Ignite or Inferno, use it and swing away, making sure to use your combo finishers on her to deal massive damage. You’ll see her health bar disappear rapidly, and before you know it, you’ll be in the second phase.
This phase is unique in the game, with Maria having disappeared outside the Sinkhole and the walls of it, and is flying around out of sight. You’ll need to place Alfred at the crack, and he’ll follow her. Now, you’ll see the windows of the room you’re in lighting up, with a red light moving across them methodically.
You have to direct Alfred to the window where Maria is to attack her. Do this several times and you’ll begin the third and final phase. A useful tip for directing Alfred though? Get ahead of Maria. She follows the windows in a pattern, so instruct Alfred to the window IN FRONT of where she is, and you’ll make the whole thing a lot easier and quicker.
As already mentioned, the third phase of the fight is identical to the first, and if you can stunlock her, you’ll have hear beaten within a few seconds. With Maria beaten, pick up the cat carrier again and carry it to the drop off point ready for another FBC Agent to come and grab. If you happen to drop and lose the carrier, don’t worry, it’ll reset back at the crack you picked it up from in the Maria boss fight room.
After you’ve dropped him off, that’s the Into the Valley of Death quest in Control Resonant all completed and finished!
For your next read, don’t miss our guide on the Thirst Station Urban Fresh Mart secret room, or how to complete the Carbon Copy quest in Control Resonant.
Luke Addison is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Thumb Wars. Having previously been a part of multiple outlets over the years, including building an entire gaming team from nothing to something, he thought it best to forge his own path and answer only to himself. As likely to be found playing the latest game as he is in the kitchen relaxing (by cooking), he always brings the same bold and brash attitude to everything he does, with a heavy leaning on sarcasm and dry wit!
