Control Resonant: What’s behind the buzz around Remedy’s new game

In the first Control, players guided Jesse Faden, an expert on supernatural phenomena, through the constantly shifting rooms of the Oldest House. Seven years later, her brother Dylan takes the lead role in Control Resonant. The supernatural threat from the Oldest House has since spread across Manhattan. The Bureau sends him into the city to stop it from spreading further. At the same time, Dylan is also searching for his sister Jesse, who has since disappeared.

So far, Control Resonant has been extremely well received by the community. According to SteamDB, the title, which launched on September 24, has already surpassed 40,000 concurrent players and has received nearly 5,000 reviews on Steam, with a very positive average rating of 88%. The action-adventure game also performed very well in GameStar's German review. The video is also available with English audio.

Familiar, yet surprisingly new

Instead of fighting through the winding corridors of the Oldest House, players explore a Manhattan occupied by supernatural forces in Control Resonant. But the sequel isn't just bigger, it's also more aggressive. Jesse's firearms have been replaced by Dylan's shape-shifting melee weapon. At the beginning, players choose one of three primary weapon forms – two fast blades, a scythe or an axe. A second form becomes available later.

According to GameStar, this results in a very different gameplay experience: Instead of fighting enemies from a distance, Dylan has to get up close and constantly stay on the offensive, as defeated enemies restore health. With a double jump, levitation and wall-running, players can move around quite quickly – and according to the review, combat feels very impactful. Unfortunately, Control Resonant is not currently playable on the Steam Deck.

However, despite the new setting and combat system, GameStar says Control Resonant still feels like Control. Manhattan is filled with surreal locations and unexplained events to explore. GameStar's review particularly praises the side missions, which showcase Remedy's flair for bizarre stories: One moment, a karaoke machine forces people to dance, while another sees a taxi take Dylan into another dimension. Ultimately, the hype surrounding Control Resonant seems to stem from Remedy preserving the familiar mystery of its predecessor while simultaneously offering plenty of new ideas.

Simply likable

Another factor contributing to the attention surrounding Control Resonant is the affection many players have for Remedy. The article linked in the Reddit thread even highlights calls to buy the game in forums where piracy is usually discussed: Those who can afford it are encouraged to purchase the game and support the studio. On Steam, the title is available at the full price of around $60. In the thread, many Redditors are happy about the strong Steam launch and hope that Remedy will also benefit financially from the positive reception this time around.