Control Resonant has demonstrated a remarkable ability to deliver a visually appealing experience even when graphics settings are dialed down to their minimum. PC Gamer's early performance and image quality testing revealed that the game looks striking on low graphics presets with ray tracing disabled, challenging the common perception that low settings are only for budget hardware.
The game's art style appears to be a significant factor in its visual success at lower settings. Buildings retain distinct details, the interplay of light and shadow is pronounced, and even non-ray traced reflections in puddles contribute to an atmospheric effect. When tested at 1080p with the low graphics preset, the game maintained these qualities, creating an evocative and atmospheric environment. Increasing the resolution to 1440p with the same low settings further showcased how the graphics scale effectively.
The game's environment is also reactive, with semi-destructible elements that break apart as the player character, Dylan, moves and are flung around during combat. These dynamic effects remain visually acceptable even with the graphics settings reduced.
While some minor compromises are noticeable, such as less detailed character faces in cutscenes and occasional low-resolution textures on shopfront signs, the overall in-game visual experience is described as remarkably good. This suggests that players with less powerful hardware can still enjoy a high-quality visual presentation. The author notes that Control Resonant rivals games like Halo: Campaign Evolved in its ability to look good on low settings, potentially signaling a shift towards more accessible visual fidelity across the industry, a welcome development given the current cost of graphics cards.