Control Resonant takes Remedy’s supernatural world into open-world New York
The sequel to 2019’s Control centres on Dylan Faden and pairs melee combat with gravity-defying movement through a warped Manhattan.
Remedy Entertainment’s Control Resonant shifts the series from the confines of the Oldest House to a sprawling, distorted version of Manhattan. The sequel to 2019’s Control is scheduled to launch on 24 September for PS5, Xbox and PC.
Players take the role of Dylan Faden, brother of the first game’s protagonist, Jesse. As interdimensional forces overrun the city, he sets out to fight them and find his missing sister. The Verge reports that the sequel is designed to be playable in any order.
The change in setting brings a different approach to movement and combat. Dylan uses a shapeshifting weapon in melee fights, while abilities such as flight, dashing and walking on walls and ceilings open up routes through the city’s twisting buildings.
The game also builds on the series’ focus on layered storytelling, with field recordings, documents and instructional videos filling out its world. Its narrative draws on alternate dimensions and impossible physics, alongside more conventional missions and side quests.
The Verge’s review also points to drawbacks: Dylan can take time to warm to, combat can become overwhelming, and the folded landscape can leave players lost. Even so, the sequel extends Remedy’s established mix of supernatural storytelling and distinctive presentation into a larger setting.
