Control Resonant Review: A Bold, Gravity-Defying Open-World Evolution
Control Resonant transforms Remedy's hit franchise into a sprawling open-world action game, swapping tight claustrophobia for gravity-defying exploration, deep melee combat, and a daring narrative shift.
Seven years after Remedy Entertainment released Control, a game that redefined single-player action much like Spider-Man did for comic book titles, the studio returns with a direct sequel: Control Resonant. However, rather than simply replicating what worked in the 2019 original, Remedy has taken a remarkably bold and disruptive path by completely transforming the genre.
A New Perspective and an Open World
Narratively, Control Resonant picks up the story of the original game, but puts players in the shoes of a different protagonist—the brother of the first game's lead. This shift changes the thematic core from a claustrophobic supernatural thriller into a more personal family drama, centered around the sibling dynamic and the search for an estranged sister. While the character interactions carry emotional weight, the most seismic shift is structural: Remedy has abandoned the confined, single-building containment architecture of the Federal Bureau of Control and thrust players into an open-world New York City.
The premise is as fascinating as it is catastrophic for the game's universe: the supernatural forces have breached containment, spilling out into an open environment. Yet, transitioning from a tightly controlled third-person shooter to a sprawling open-world game brings undeniable growing pains. In the opening hours, the shift feels jarring. Open-world tropes—such as stiff non-player character dialogues, fetch quests that disrupt the pacing, and tonal whiplash between intense supernatural horror and out-of-place comedic relief—frequently pull the player out of the atmospheric immersion.
Navigating the Impossible Geometry
Resonant's open world is far from standard Euclidean geometry. Streets shift, buildings defy gravity, and perspectives flip dynamically, turning walls into floors in a matter of seconds. This creates brilliant verticality and spatial puzzles during combat and exploration, forcing players to rethink navigation entirely.
However, this innovative environmental design introduces a severe user experience hurdle: the map interface. Relying on a flat two-dimensional map to navigate a multi-dimensional, gravity-defying supernatural space results in frustrating disorientation. Once players push past this initial learning curve and unlock higher-tier abilities, traversal becomes an exhilarating loop. Combat encounters, fought across shifting multi-surface arenas, genuinely shine.
Control Resonant is a bold, uneven, yet deeply original sequel that trades tight psychological claustrophobia for a sprawling, gravity-defying open-world experience, requiring immense patience from its players.
Combat Evolution and Technical Performance
Combat has also undergone a radical evolution, leaning heavily into pure slash-and-melee mechanics rather than the telekinetic shootouts of the original. Initially, the removal of heavy flight and projectile manipulation feels restrictive, but as players invest in the deep progression system, the melee action delivers a satisfying sense of raw power. Boss fights are punishingly difficult, demanding absolute mastery of the limited resources and newly unlocked skills.
Visually, the game is a striking technical achievement, though the PlayStation 5 performance mode suffers from occasional frame drops and image grain during chaotic encounters. Despite these rough edges, the sheer ambition of a world literally tearing itself apart at the seams is breathtaking.
Verdict
Control Resonant is not a flawless experience. It lacks the tight, unyielding focus of its predecessor and stumbles through some classic open-world pitfalls. Yet, for patient gamers and fans of Remedy’s unique brand of surreal science fiction, it offers a singularly bizarre and unforgettable journey that rewards perseverance.
