Although there are many mysterious items held within the walls of the Federal Bureau of Control, the ones that are the most impactful to both the story and to gameplay are the Objects of Power, or OoPs. Like Altered Items, these objects exude great power and are a threat to all of mankind should they fall into the wrong hands, though Objects of Power are arguably an even larger threat.
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As a conduit for Polaris, also known as Hedron, Jesse Faden has the unique ability to use the powers of many of these OoPs which also grant her Metroidvania-like skill upgrades and open up new areas of the Oldest House for the player to explore.
10 How They Are Created
Although they are still somewhat mysterious in exactly how their powers work, the FBC understands that Objects of Power are created when an item is exposed to enough paranatural energies, being fundamentally altered due to the influence of a person's own mind and ideas. With this in mind, the FBC has a complete ban on bringing anything into the Oldest House that is seen as a stereotype of that particular item, as it can very easily turn into an Object of Power or Altered Item by accident, as seen with the teleporting rubber duck that Jesse has to track down at one point.
9 The Difference Between Objects of Power And Altered Items
While both Objects of Power and Altered Items have similar inherent powers and are created in virtually the same way, they are also fundamentally distinct from one another and can't be approached in the same way. While Altered Items are far more common, they are also wild and somewhat unpredictable, while Objects of Power are much less common and even more powerful, though they can also be bound by an individual with enough paranatural energies to control it.
8 They Are Connected To The Board
Another big difference between Altered Items and Objects of Power is how they connect to the Astral Plane, or, more specifically, the Board. The Board is a mysterious entity or entities that inhabit the Astral Plane, though no one at the FBC has been able to figure out what their function is aside from helping whoever the current Director of the FBC is at the time.
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Objects of Power seem to be intrinsically linked to the Board and the Astral Plane, as whenever Jesse binds one to her, she is taken directly to the Astral Plane and shown how to use it properly. This could mean that the Board is responsible for whether an object becomes an Altered Item or Object of Power, but it is all speculation.
7 They Can't Always Be Bound
As shown throughout the game, there are many instances where a person has tried to bind an Object of Power to their will and has either failed to unlock its true potential or have been killed in the process. An example of an OoP not being bound properly is with the Floppy Disc, which the scientists at the FBC were able to use to throw around cups and pencils. Though, after Jesse bound it, she was able to throw much larger objects much harder and further than anyone before her.
6 Aren't Always Connected To AWEs
While the Slide Projector that resulted in the Ordinary AWE from occurring would suggest that Altered World Events require an Object of Power, the majority of them actually revolve around other planes of existence or a fundamental change in how the world works. One example of this is in Quantum Break, where the letters AWE are seen in many locations and suggest that the events of that game are actually a large scale Altered World Event in progress, much like the Bright Falls AWE that is the main plot of Alan Wake.
5 The Service Weapon's Form
While the Service Weapon OoP is most known for looking like a firearm, this isn't the look it has always had. While it is clear that it was also a gun when Trench bound it to himself, there is a memo that can be found describing the Service Weapon's previous forms, including Excalibur and Mjolnir. The Service Weapon also functions very differently from all other Objects of Power, as it is a kind of crown to be worn by whoever the Board dictates as the Director of the FBC, though this crown also requires playing a game of Russian Roulette with the Board to see if you are worthy of its power.
4 Jesse Didn't Bind All Of Them
While Jesse bound several Objects of Power in Control, there were several that she never bound to herself. The Hotline, an old bakelite telephone, seems to be used by the current Director to communicate with past Directors, though according to Dr. Darling, it can also be used to contact other planes of existence as well and isn't bound to any one person.
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The Ashtray OoP was also still bound to Trench even after his death and is what created the Ashtray Maze that Jesse has to navigate towards the end of the game, meaning that all of the Objects of Power that Jesse bound in Control might not be able to be unbound after she dies.
3 The Light Switch Cord May Be An Object Of Power
A recurring object in Control is the Light Switch Cord that allows a person to travel to and from the Oceanview Motel, the location of a past AWE in Butte, Montana. While the cord itself is used many times by both Jesse and several other employees at the FBC, no one there seems to know what kind of paranatural object it actually is. It's not volatile enough to be an Altered Item, but it also isn't connected to the Board like Objects of Power and can't be bound. It seems to be something in the middle or potentially a very odd Object of Power.
2 The Service Weapon Was The First To Be Cataloged
Each of the Objects of Power in Control has its own catalog number in the game, with the Service Weapon being designated OOP1-KE. This means that, in all likelihood, the Service Weapon was either the first Object of Power found by the FBC or the first to be cataloged. Considering how it is heavily linked to whoever becomes the FBC's Director, it could have been passed down through the Bureau for many years before the Older House was discovered.
1 There Are At Least 22 Inside The FBC
With each Object of Power having a designated number, it would seem natural that all of the objects found and bound in Control would match up in some kind of order. However, there are several Objects of Power that are missing from the game, as the designation goes up to OOP22-KE with the Home Safe that grants a shield ability. Objects 12 to 14 are also missing from the line-up, though considering that the Slide Projector is OOP11-KE, those missing numbers could also be for the slides themselves, despite the fact that many of them were destroyed by a young Jesse and Dylan.
