Remedy Entertainment has historically prioritized narrative in its games, with titles like Alan Wake, Quantum Break, and Control often featuring gameplay mechanics that served the story's eccentric puzzles. Control Resonant, however, marks a significant departure, elevating its gameplay to the forefront while retaining the studio's unique brand of surreal storytelling. The result is a deep, engaging combat experience set in a striking reimagining of Manhattan, solidifying Control Resonant as Remedy's finest gameplay achievement to date.
The game picks up seven years after the events of the original Control, with the Federal Bureau of Control's Oldest House still reeling from the Hiss invasion. A new Altered World Event now threatens Manhattan, and with Director Jesse Faden missing, her brother Dylan is reluctantly thrust into a position of responsibility. While the narrative features a dense cast of characters and paranormal phenomena, the game offers a recap for newcomers, centering the immediate threat on New York City and Dylan's quest for redemption.
Control Resonant shifts the focus from the third-person shooting of its predecessor to a melee-centric action experience. Players control Dylan Faden, wielding the Aberrant, a shape-shifting weapon capable of transforming into various forms for different combat scenarios. These range from rapid-strike clubs to a slower, wider-reaching scythe, with options for critical hits and bonus damage based on attack vector. The game actively encourages experimentation with its combat system, offering respec tokens and an extensive upgrade tree. The multitude of abilities, including shields, telekinetic powers, and friendly summons, can be combined in up to six slots at a time, providing distinct tactical advantages and a high degree of player customization without rigidly funneling players down a specific build path.
The combat loop emphasizes aggression and strategic decision-making. Rather than simply depleting enemy health, players can fill an 'Falter' meter, enabling powerful finishing moves that grant 'Dominance' buffs. This creates a risk-versus-reward dynamic: instead of automatically dropping health pickups, defeated enemies empower Dylan with buffs, encouraging players to manage his health and offensive capabilities in fast-paced encounters. With no dedicated parry or block mechanics, success relies on an offensive approach, utilizing a dodge system that can offer counter-attack opportunities and further buffs, coupled with double jumps and careful power management.
Control Resonant presents a considerable challenge, particularly on its default difficulty. While not a Souls-like, the game demands players learn enemy patterns and effectively utilize Dylan's growing arsenal. For those struggling with the difficulty, an Assist Mode provides granular control over customization options, allowing players to tailor the experience to their preferences.
Technically, Control Resonant is a marvel, running on Remedy's in-house Northlight engine. Despite the on-screen chaos, including visual effects from Hiss entities, explosions, and physics-based interactions, the game maintained a smooth performance throughout a 45-hour playthrough on PC with an RTX 4070. The visual presentation is equally impressive, with Remedy crafting a unique and ambitious vision of New York that is frequently breathtaking, featuring surreal environmental shifts and jaw-dropping enemy designs, particularly in boss encounters. A minor drawback is the occasional navigational difficulty in some of the more elaborate environments, a challenge reminiscent of the original Control's map issues, though this is a small price to pay for the game's artistic achievements.
Beyond the main narrative, Control Resonant offers a wealth of side content that leans heavily into Remedy's signature bizarre and creative storytelling. Players can engage in quests ranging from tracking down a baby stroller across rooftops to participating in life-or-death karaoke. These missions, while often strange, are consistently enjoyable and serve as a testament to Remedy's unique ability to craft memorable experiences.
Emotionally, Control Resonant explores Dylan's personal journey with unexpected depth. His struggle for redemption, his strained relationships, and his self-inflicted antagonism are portrayed with a somberness that resonates, enhanced by player dialogue choices that subtly alter Dylan's internal thoughts. This character-driven narrative, alongside the stunning art direction, forms the emotional core of the game. The introduction of new characters, like Dylan's handler Zoe De Vera, adds further narrative intrigue, with their chemistry becoming a driving force in the story.
Remedy has successfully merged its established narrative strengths with mainstream-friendly action gameplay in Control Resonant. It stands as a unique semi-open-world character-action game, offering an experience that feels both familiar in its polish and distinct in its execution, blending Remedy's peculiar charm with deeply satisfying combat mechanics.