Remedy Entertainment's upcoming title, Control Resonant, marks a significant departure from its predecessor, pivoting from a third-person shooter to a melee-focused action game reminiscent of titles like Devil May Cry. The sequel trades the confines of the Federal Bureau of Control's Oldest House for a warped and nightmarish version of New York City, now threatened by the reality-altering Hiss.
Players step into the role of Dylan Faden, Jesse Faden's brother, who awakens in his prison cell amidst a massacre. He becomes the city's unlikely savior after Jesse disappears, impaling him with the Aberrant, a weapon capable of transforming into various forms. This grim opening sets the stage for Dylan's journey through a New York City that blurs the lines between reality and hallucination. The environment itself is a surreal landscape where the laws of physics are bent, featuring suspended bodies, flickering frozen birds, and warped architecture, including streets that drop at impossible angles.
Despite the disorienting setting, Dylan's supernatural traversal abilities—including a double-jump, air-dash, and boost jump—make navigating the city a fluid experience. The core combat revolves around Dylan's primary weapon, the Aberrant. Players begin with one of three unlockable forms: a medium-speed axe with robust combos, dual swords for rapid offense, or a long-reaching scythe for sweeping attacks. The gameplay encourages a rhythmic approach to combat, involving hacking enemies with melee combos, launching them into the air for juggles, and skillfully dodging attacks. While not reaching the polish of established action titles like Devil May Cry or Bayonetta, the combat feels swift and impactful, allowing players to efficiently manage large groups of enemies by dashing between targets.
Beyond melee attacks, Dylan possesses Combat Abilities that offer additional offensive and defensive options. These include a rubble shield for protection, telekinetic rock-throwing, and the summoning of smaller entities to attack foes. A rechargeable meter governs the use of these powers, encouraging strategic deployment. The Aberrant can also transform into sidearms, such as a whip for ranged attacks or a heavy hammer for more powerful strikes, which can be seamlessly woven into combos. Furthermore, special Combo Enders, like rapid-fire punch gauntlets or a spinning glaive projectile, can be unleashed during the final sequence of a combo.
Control Resonant allows for diverse loadouts and offensive strategies, with certain enemies exhibiting vulnerabilities to specific weapon types. The game features a hub area called The Gap, accessible at any time, where players can upgrade weapons and craft perk-granting accessories known as Artifacts. While skill points can be respecced using in-game resources, loadout choices are locked once the player exits The Gap.
Even with its shift in gameplay, Control Resonant retains the unique, unsettling atmosphere of the original game. Later sections involve navigating environments like a sinkhole transformed into kaleidoscopic layers of apartments, allowing for multi-angled combat reminiscent of scenes from Inception, or escaping a dollhouse-like maze by following sounds from TV to TV. Control Resonant is scheduled to launch on September 24 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.