Culture news and discussion on TalkFuse.
Control Resonant review – save New York from paranormal phenomena
Control Resonant, the latest game from Finnish developer Remedy for PlayStation 5, Xbox and PC, is an accomplished but disappointingly conventional sequel to 2019's Control. The review criticises the game for abandoning the distinctive weirdness that defined its predecessor, moving from the atmospherically rich, architecturally impossible Oldest House to a generic New York City setting—a backdrop already explored extensively in games like Spider-Man, The Division and Max Payne.
The game casts players as Dylan, brother of the original protagonist, using supernatural abilities and a shapeshifting weapon to combat paranormal entities that have escaped into Manhattan. Whilst it features satisfying character progression, imaginative movement mechanics (including triple-jumps and gravity-shifting across vertically warped buildings) and a free-form mission structure, the combat feels blunt and the game fails to capture the oppressive, otherworldly atmosphere that made the original distinctive. Remedy, celebrated since 2001's Max Payne for mastering Lynchian horror and unsettling dream sequences, appears to have sacrificed imaginative strangeness for safe, conventional gameplay.
In short
- Remedy's sequel is competent but disappointingly conventional
- New York setting lacks the original's distinctive paranormal horror
- Strong movement mechanics can't redeem bland, blunt combat
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A more conventional sequel can make Control Resonant easier to enter and give players clearer action, progression and freedom to explore. Manhattan also offers a recognisable setting for the supernatural crisis, while the movement mechanics and shapeshifting weapon suggest Remedy is still experimenting within a more accessible structure.
The case against
The original Control’s appeal rested on its unsettling atmosphere and impossible architecture, so replacing that distinctive world with a familiar city risks losing what made the series stand out. If the combat and setting feel conventional, satisfying progression and movement may not compensate for a sequel that leaves behind Remedy’s most distinctive strengths.
Explained simply
Control is a supernatural action game series made by Finnish studio Remedy Entertainment. The 2019 original followed Jesse Faden inside the Oldest House, a government building whose shifting rooms and paranormal objects gave the game its distinctive setting.
The new game centres on Dylan, Jesse’s brother, as he fights supernatural entities in Manhattan using unusual powers and a weapon that can change shape. Remedy is also known for Max Payne and for games that mix action with unsettling, dreamlike scenes.
The series’ appeal has rested partly on combining combat with strange places and unexplained events. That context helps explain why a move from the Oldest House to a familiar city setting is central to the review’s assessment.
Art Culture Entertainment Gaming Offbeat Paranormal Software Technology Weird & Viral