Control Resonant Review: New Setting, Same Ghostly Action
Control Resonant, Remedy’s follow‑up to the 2019 hit, transports players from the Oldest House to a supernatural Manhattan. While the setting feels generic and the open‑world feel uneven, the combat remains sharp, though some encounters become overwhelming. The game’s new focus on Dylan offers fres…
By Felo News Desk · Published
Control Resonant drops the iconic Oldest House behind and thrusts players into a Manhattan that has been swallowed by the same otherworldly forces that once haunted the federal agency’s headquarters. The city is now a sprawling, gravity‑shifting maze of vertical streets, broken storefronts, and eerily familiar coffee shops that feel more like recycled assets than a living metropolis.
From the Oldest House to a Warped City
The original Control’s strength lay in its claustrophobic, ever‑shifting interior: office cubicles, conference rooms, and hidden corridors that made every turn a potential threat. In Resonant, Remedy flips that concept on its head. The narrative follows Dylan, Jesse Faden’s brother, who has spent years as a test subject inside the Oldest House. Now he must navigate a city that has been torn apart by the same psychic disturbances that once made the building a living nightmare.
While the idea of a city that bends to the mind’s will is compelling, the execution feels under‑developed. The streets are largely generic, with the same chain‑store facades and corner bodegas appearing in multiple neighborhoods. The verticality is a visual novelty—gravity‑shifting powers let players walk on walls and ceilings—but the level design often feels like a series of copy‑and‑paste sections rather than a cohesive urban environment.
Dylan’s New Role and Combat Evolution
Dylan’s gameplay is a departure from Jesse’s. Instead of a shape‑shifting gun, he wields a melee weapon that can transform mid‑combat, offering a “Devil May Cry”‑style action experience. The combat system introduces a variety of weapon types, combo finishers, and status effects that can be stacked for explosive results. Dylan’s agility allows for fast, fluid fights that feel satisfying when the enemy count is manageable.
However, the game’s combat can become repetitive or frustrating. Some encounters feature large numbers of enemies that overwhelm the player, turning the action into a button‑mashing treadmill. Big foes often act as damage sponges, requiring little strategy to defeat. These design choices dilute the excitement that made the original’s gunplay stand out.
Open‑World Ambitions and Their Shortcomings
Resonant attempts a quasi‑open‑world structure, letting players explore different Manhattan districts at their own pace. Each area contains optional missions that typically involve locating an icon on the map, battling monsters, and collecting a reward. While this offers a sense of freedom, the missions feel formulaic, and the city’s repetitive aesthetic makes exploration feel less rewarding than the tightly crafted corridors of the Oldest House.
The game’s stylistic flourishes—big sans‑serif title cards, redacted government documents, and the same atmospheric soundtrack—are present but lack the punch of the original. The new setting’s charm is noticeably diminished, and the narrative focus on Dylan’s outsider perspective doesn’t fully compensate for the loss of the Oldest House’s unique atmosphere.
What’s Next for Control Resonant?
Remedy has not yet addressed the feedback regarding the city’s generic feel or the combat’s occasional imbalance. Players are hopeful that future updates will refine the open‑world elements, add more varied missions, and deepen Dylan’s story arc. Until then, Resonant remains a solid but uneven follow‑up that preserves the core psychic action of Control while struggling to match its predecessor’s immersive environment.
Key facts
- Control Resonant moves the setting from the Oldest House to a warped Manhattan.
- Dylan replaces Jesse, using a shape‑shifting melee weapon for fast combat.
- The city’s design feels generic and repetitive, undermining immersion.
- Combat can become overwhelming with too many enemies or large, easy‑to‑defeat foes.
- Future updates may refine open‑world elements and combat balance.
Why it matters
Control Resonant’s expansion of Remedy’s universe demonstrates the difficulty of maintaining atmospheric depth when moving from a contained environment to a sprawling open world.
Frequently asked questions
What is Control Resonant?
A follow‑up to the 2019 game Control, featuring a new protagonist, Dylan, and a supernatural Manhattan setting.
How does Dylan’s combat differ from Jesse’s?
Dylan uses a shape‑shifting melee weapon, offering a more action‑oriented, combo‑heavy experience.
Is the city fully open?
The game offers a quasi‑open‑world feel, but exploration is limited by repetitive design.
Sources
- [1] mashable.com
- [2] mashable.com
