Psychokinesis
Psychokinesis, also called PK, is a mental power that all Furons have evolved in their species. It allows for their minds to have power over thought, energy, and matter.
This allows Crypto to use several powers from the PK Menu that is present in all Destroy All Humans! games. This serves as the trigger for the PK Menu, and can also be used as a proper “lock-on” targeting mechanic.
List of Abilities
This is the full list of mental abilities that the player could access. Originally, Crypto's powers were limited by concentration energy in Destroy All Humans!, but in Destroy All Humans! 2, he was re-cloned with pure DNA which was harvested from human brains, so he never has to suffer that weakness again.
Cortex Scan
It allows Crypto to peer into the minds of lower life forms, allowing him to read the hidden thoughts and memories of the target's mind. This is used for probing for information. In the first game and in Path of the Furon, reading minds can replenish concentration energy or keep a body-snatched human alive.
PK
PK is an acronym for Psycho-kinesis. It is the most commonly used mental ability. This primarily allows Crypto to manipulate objects and people with his mind by lifting them (usually with an aura surrounding the object in question). This can be upgraded to lift heavier and larger objects like cars and tanks. When Crypto holds up an object in the air, it's dubbed PK Hold. When he throws the object, it is dubbed PK Throw. Crypto uses variations of this ability in later games. The list is shown below.
- Brain Extract: This ability allows Crypto to make a human's head explode, alive or dead, with his mind, allowing for the extraction of their brain stem. Used for acquiring DNA to purchase upgrades from Pox, or for fueling the Mind Flash ability (see Advanced Abilities below). Used in the first and second games.
- Transmogrify: Introduced in the second game and still follows afterwards, this allows Crypto to use PK to break down objects and transform their matter into useful ammunition for his weapons. In Path of the Furon, Crypto can use this ability on a live human to simulate the Brain Extract ability above.
- PK Magnet: With guidance from The Master, PK Magnet gives Crypto the ability to attract more enemies and objects to the one he already has in PK Hold, like a magnet. This is only used in Path of the Furon.
Hypnotize
Hypnotize (also called Hypno Blast, Hypnosis, etc.) allows Crypto to implant hypnotic suggestions into the minds of lower life-forms. He uses it to place people under his mental control and manipulate their memories. This effect can last indefinitely, or as long as Crypto wants it to last. He usually needs to use it for a short time under normal conditions.
In the first game, this power is limited, since the only default commands he can use are making humans "sleep" or "distract" other humans. New commands are added exclusively for certain missions, but those commands are never used again. Variants of these commands do show in later games.
- Free Love/Disco Fever: This makes all humans in the general area dance for a short time to hippie music (or disco music) and makes them forget that they've seen you. Called "Free Love" in Destroy All Humans! 2 and "Disco Fever" in Path of the Furon.
- Forget: This commands a single human for his mind to be erased of Crypto's existence. Used only in Destroy All Humans! 2.
- Follow: This only works on civilians, making them mindlessly follow Crypto. Only one can be controlled at a time. Found in only in Destroy All Humans! 2.
- Protect: This only works on combatants, like police or military personnel. It allows Crypto to hypnotize a single enemy into attacking any other hostiles. The Gene Blender enhances this ability from ninjas, to KGB agents, then to Blisk Mutants. Used only in Destroy All Humans! 2.
Holobob
This ability allows the Crypto to further trick unsuspecting humans by projecting a psychic illusion of the appearance of any human he sees, but the more that the disguise is worn, the more concentration its drains to keep it active. His concentration would drain even faster if he uses other mental abilities while in the disguise. He can replenish it by using Cortex Scan on a nearby human.
The illusion can easily fool normal humans, but not Majestic agents who have the mysterious ability to see through the disguise and destroy it. This ability was later replaced by Body Snatch due to its many flaws.
Body Snatch
This replaces the Holobob from the first game. This ability allows Crypto to inhabit and possess the body of another person. Once in a body, his shield bar is replaced with his host's energy meter which steadily decreases. Once the gauge reaches zero, Crypto is expelled and the host is killed. Inside a body, Crypto has no access to his weapons, but he can use his mental abilities.
If Crypto expels early, the person is still alive (albeit with less health). In Path of the Furon, he can replenish his host's health by reading the minds of humans.
Mind Flash
Mind Flash is a hidden mental ability. It allows Crypto to completely stun every human in the world for a period of time and reset the Alert level. It also works on Blisk Mutants and is the only mental power that works on Blisk Warriors. Mind Flash is recharged by consuming brain stems. Used only in Destroy All Humans! 2.
Time Stop/Temporal Fist
This is perhaps the strongest Furon mental ability. Time Stop actually allows the user to stop time, freezing everything else in its place. But, it doesn't allow the player to use any other mental abilities or fire any weapons (other than the Ion Detonator that was retooled). This ability is useful for buying time to recover shield energy during a battle.
It would later be used as the key to using the Temporal Fist, an ancient Furon mental ability. While time is stopped, this allows the user to use PK to manipulate his surroundings and use a far more powerful PK Throw. Upgrading it increases its duration and damage level.
Trivia
- It was mentioned by Pox that despite the extreme potency of Crypto's mental powers, they were "shockingly limited", implying that his abilities are only below the full potential of a true Furon, even after he was re-cloned with pure DNA in Destroy All Humans! 2.
- When Crypto reads a human's mind, he claims that he hates it because it was simplistic like a pop-up book.