The Center is a top-down action game where you can salvage robotic parts from enemies and install them in yourself after killing them. These parts include weapons, cameras, CPUs, movement systems, power supplies, etc. Certain weapons, for example, shotguns, rocket launchers, and chainsaws, break individual parts, which means that it is more difficult to salvage new equipment from the enemies you kill. Other weapons, such as tasers and lightning guns, can disable enemies without damaging their parts, guaranteeing that all of their parts will be fully intact and ready for you to salvage.

If you ever see an enemy that has an extremely powerful weapon or is capable of moving at extreme speeds, it is always possible to kill it and steal its weapon or movement system. Every single weapon, movement system, or type of vision in the game is available for the player to use, as long as you can kill the enemy.

If an enemy damages one of your parts while you're using it or you take a broken part from an enemy, you can still use that part, but it will have major penalties.

Weapons - Broken weapons will fire at half the rate and will be less accurate.

Movement - Broken movement systems cause you to move at half the speed that they would normally allow.

Camera - A broken camera will periodically suddenly move, making aiming harder.

CPU - CPUs kill you if you have one that has been broken for 10 seconds.

Power - Power supplies kill you if you have one that has been broken for a full minute.

Controls

WASD to move

Left click to shoot in the direction of the mouse

Scroll wheel or F to switch between your primary and secondary weapons

E to interact with dead enemies, as long as you are standing on top of them

Menu

To swap one of your components with the enemy's corresponding component, click it. To see the description for a part, hover over it, and its description will appear in the bottom left box. Broken parts will be colored bright red. Broken CPUs and power supplies will fade from white to red, and when they are red, it means that they are completely broken and will kill anything that they are placed in.