User blog:Willbachbakal/Co-Op Plasmids: Telekinesis



After Incinerate!, Telekinesis is my favorite Plasmid in the game. Not only is it incredibly versatile, allowing for offensive, defensive and even out-of-combat tactics, it's also the only Plasmid that lets you interact directly with the objects in the game, letting you pick them up and use them as ammo. In co-op, I feel this diversity should be emphasized, and should encourage the user to try out new strategies whenever possible.

Level One

 * Upgrade 1: Knockdown. Increases the potency of your projectiles, giving even small objects the potential to stun the target and granting larger objects the ability to knock Splicers flat on the floor.
 * Upgrade 2: Mind over Matter. Allows you to pick up and throw much larger and heavier objects.
 * Upgrade 3: Abduction. Allows you to pick up and throw live non-giant Splicers.

Level Two-A: Sonic Boom
Description: Charging up Telekinesis will project forth a wave of energy, throwing back all physics objects, mobile Security Devices and non-giant Splicers back. If the latter two hit anything, they will take damage (and deal damage if they hit another enemy). Giant Splicers and armored enemies will still be pushed back, but won't be knocked down.
 * Upgrade 1: Blast Wave. Increases Sonic Boom's range and extends it so that it will go across the entire area around the player (i.e. at around a 90° angle).
 * Upgrade 2: Double Intensity. Causes the Sonic Boom wave to knock non-giant enemies further back and with much more force. In addition, armored enemies will be pushed further back and giant Splicers will be thrown to the floor.
 * Upgrade 3: Mass Disarm. Causes all armed enemies to drop their weapons (Rumblers and Bouncers are an exception, since their weapons are fused to their armor and flesh respectively), forcing them to go pick them up at the end of Sonic Boom's effects. If you move their weapons, they will continue to attempt to pick them up.

Level Two-B: Pummel
Description: Charging up and holding Telekinesis will cause the user to pick up the four most dangerous objects in the immediate area (such as explosives and projectiles) one by one. The latter will then spin around the user, blocking any shot they come into contact with until the player releases them. When that happens, they will fly towards the target area at high speed in quick succession. Also, as you keep your objects spinning around you it'll gradually consume your EVE. Basically, this works like the Big Sister's Telekinetic Pummel ability in BioShock 2.
 * Upgrade 1: Disciplined Mind. Allows you to pick up a maximum of six objects at a time.
 * Upgrade 2: Orbital Speed. Causes the objects you picked up to spin around you at a much faster rate, battering away and dealing damage to any enemies and physics objects they come into contact with.
 * Upgrade 3: Charged Projectiles. Allows your partner to infuse the objects you're levitating with a Plasmid power by casting it on you. The effects are as follow:
 * Electro Bolt: Electrifies the projectiles, causing them to shock anything they come into contact with.
 * Incinerate!: Sets the projectiles on fire.
 * Winter Blast: Freezes the projectiles, increasing the physical damage they deal and chilling anything they hit. That is, the victim will be slowed down and will take additional physical damage.
 * Hypnotize: Causes the projectiles to enrage the target, thus making them attack nearby enemies.
 * Decoy: If the projectile does not hit anything before rebounding, it'll deploy a Decoy at the place where it landed. Upon direct impact with an enemy, however, all other organic enemies will be tricked into attacking them as if they were you.
 * Security Command: Causes all nearby Security Devices to attack (or prioritize, if they're already attacking something) the target the projectiles hit.
 * Cyclone Trap: Projectiles will throw the enemy back with even more force. In the case of a non-giant Splicer, they will be thrown through the air across several yards and in the case of giant Splicers, they will be thrown to the floor. Armored enemies will simply be pushed back.
 * Insect Swarm: Causes the projectiles to infest the target with bees upon contact Persists even after the projectile is thrown.
 * Scout: Projectiles will cause the enemy to run away in fear.
 * Chrono Warp: Disturbs time around the projectiles. Upon impact, they will warp time in a spherical area around them, slowing down everything within their radius including bullets and projectiles.
 * Teleport: Gives the projectiles properties akin to rubber, causing them to bounce after impacting with anything. In addition, if they come into contact they will cause them to disappear. After a few bounces, the enemy will be ejected at the projectile's location, and will be momentarily confused as they regain their bearings.
 * Gravity Well: Projectiles will constantly pull nearby enemies and objects towards them. This effect lasts a few seconds after the projectile is thrown. In addition, any enemy or object they come into contact with will have their gravity temporarily switched off, causing them to float in the air before crashing back down.
 * Buddy Boost: If the projectile impacts an enemy, they'll decrease their damage output, attack rate and reflexes. If the projectile hits your partner, they'll gain a temporary invulnerability to damage as well as a speed and damage boost.
 * Presto: Upon release, each projectile will spawn a duplicate of themselves which will fly forth at the same speed.

Level Two-C: Levitation
Description: Charging up Telekinesis will spawn an energy cord between you and the target. Afterwards, while holding down the Plasmid, you can move it around at will, and will deal damage to both the victim and enemies if you smash the former into the latter as well as deal them knockback. The harder the target hits anything, the more damage they will take. Can use Levitation on small to moderately sized objects as well as non-armored enemies. Also, your EVE bar will gradually deplete as you keep using Levitation on the target.
 * Upgrade 1: Blunt Force Trauma. Increases physical damage received by the target as you smash them around.
 * Upgrade 2: Kinetic Charge. Causes the Levitation target to build up kinetic energy as you move them around. This means that by smashing the enemy hard enough you can knock non-armored enemies across the area and to the floor, as well as push armored enemies around, dealing more damage in all cases. In addition, if you smash the target into the scenery it'll crease a kinetic explosion, damaging and dealing knockback to all nearby enemies. This also applies if you throw the target after releasing them from Levitation. The faster they go, the more kinetic energy they'll build up.
 * Upgrade 3: Bonding Field. Any small or moderately sized object that comes into contact with the target will stick to them, increasing their overall mass. In addition, if the target lands into oil or water they will be coated in the liquid and will react to the appropriate elemental effects accordingly, e.g. they'll take much more fire damage and will remain on fire for longer if coated in oil, and will be stunned for longer if frozen or shocked if soaked in water.

Whew, that took some time. So far, this was my favorite co-op Plasmid article to write. What about you? What do you think? Personally, I'm a little afraid some of these upgrades would turn out to be a bit too comical in an actual game setting, but that could just be me. Post your agreement/disagreement/random opinion!

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