Remedy Entertainment's Control Resonant offers a significant departure from its predecessor, not only by shifting its setting from the confined Oldest House to a fractured Manhattan but by inverting the roles of its central sibling protagonists. Dylan Faden, formerly the captive and victim, now takes the lead, tasked with navigating a city warped by an apocalyptic entity known as the Patterning.
This narrative shift was a deliberate choice by Remedy, according to creative director Mikael Kasurinen. "The first decision Remedy made with Resonant was making Dylan the protagonist," Kasurinen stated. The contrast between Dylan and his sister, Jesse Faden, the protagonist of the original Control, is central to Resonant's design. While Jesse wielded a shape-changing Service Weapon and navigated the paranormal Oldest House to become the Director of the Federal Bureau of Control, Dylan, trained in melee combat, wields a shape-changing rod and finds himself an enemy of the FBC. Dylan's journey is marked by a lack of confidence stemming from his past trauma and perceived failures, particularly his willingness to be taken over by the Hiss in the first game. This contrasts with Jesse's assured demeanor, as she embraced the strange reality of the Oldest House.
Resonant's gameplay environment directly reflects Dylan's internal struggles and the external threat of the Patterning. Manhattan is depicted not as destroyed, but as a surreal, fractured landscape where gravity is inverted and structures exist in multiple places simultaneously. Art director Elmeri Raitanen explained that the Patterning "doesn't destroy things," but rather causes them to "exist in multiple places simultaneously," leading to bizarre phenomena like people with multiple limbs or buildings folding upon themselves. This world design draws inspiration from mathematical sequences like the Padovan Sequence, the works of M.C. Escher, and a Donald Duck comic titled "A Matter of Some Gravity," which features characters whose personal gravity is altered. Lead level designer Anne-Marie Grönroos aimed to capture the surprise and revelation of encountering shifted individual gravity, a sensation players experience as Dylan navigates the warped city by walking on walls and gliding.
The move to Manhattan also allows Remedy to explore the impact of Altered Items on ordinary people, a contrast to the FBC's accustomed handling of the paranormal. Encounters with a possessed karaoke machine causing an endless dance party or a woman convinced her twin is a plant highlight how unprepared the mundane world is for such phenomena.
Dylan is not alone in his struggle. He is guided by Zoe de Vera, his handler, who serves as his (and the player's) voice in the world. Kasurinen emphasized that Dylan's thoughts are intentionally obscured, focusing instead on his interactions and his desire for connection, a key theme in the game. This human guide contrasts with Jesse's reliance on a paranormal entity, Polaris, in the first game.
A poignant aspect of Resonant is Dylan's relationship with the game's antagonists, who were once human. Unlike Jesse, who showed little empathy for corrupted entities tied to her brother's abduction, Dylan often displays pity, recognizing the victims beneath the monstrous forms. This mirrors his own experience of being taken over by the Hiss.
The game also re-examines the character of Casper Darling, the former head of research at the FBC. While presented as charming and brilliant in the first Control, Resonant reveals his darker role in Dylan's kidnapping and mistreatment. Kasurinen described Darling as a bully and an abuser, driven by a desperate need to combat threats and harness Dylan's powers, often masking his true nature with a façade. This exploration of nominative determinism, where a character's name or appearance belies their true nature, is a recurring theme for Remedy. Darling, far from being a "darling," is depicted as an unempathetic scientist whose pursuit of his goals led to horrific actions.
Control Resonant challenges players' perceptions, much like the Patterning challenges the stability of Manhattan. The game peels back layers of reality to reveal truths that defy initial understanding, reinforcing Remedy's exploration of the unknown and the limits of control, making it a deeply unsettling experience that lingers long after completion.