Developer Remedy Entertainment has expanded its paranormal franchise with Control Resonant, an unlikely sequel that shifts the series from a metroidvania-esque shooter into an open-world stylish-action role-playing game. Released on Windows via Steam and the Epic Games Store, the title is priced at $60 / £50 / €60 according to Rock Paper Studios. Reviewers note that the game moves away from the confined corridors of the original title’s Oldest House, dropping players into a kaleidoscopic, interdimensional Manhattan that has been folded in on itself. The game serves as a stark contrast to the subtle mysteries of its predecessor, offering character-first storytelling and a wide-open urban environment where the setting itself acts as a progression system.
A Bold Evolution Into an Open Urban Sandbox
Shift in Perspective and Storytelling
The narrative places players in the shoes of Dylan Faden, the brother of the first game’s protagonist, Jesse Faden, as detailed by Beebom. In the previous game, Jesse stepped into the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC), inherited the director role from The Board, and wielded the Service Weapon while trying to save Dylan, who ended the story in a coma. IGN reports that Control Resonant begins with Dylan waking up after years of imprisonment and abusive Bureau experiments, carrying an Aberrant weapon stabbed into his chest and wearing what is effectively a shock collar on his head. Driven by guilt over his prior actions and concern for his sibling—who has been missing for the last seven years—Dylan takes on heroics with weary determination. Within the Bureau, Dylan reports to Emily Pope, who now serves as the Director of Research, while a handler named Zoe communicates with him over the radio and introduces him to music when he becomes overwhelmed.
A Ground-Up Rework of Combat and Buildcrafting
Combat departs significantly from the original game by replacing Jesse’s Service Weapon with the Aberrant, a shapeshifting melee weapon. According to Game Rant, players can assign a Primary Form for standard attacks, a Secondary Form for special and charged attacks, and a Combo Finisher that concludes attack strings. There are three Primary Forms and three Secondary Forms, alongside six Combo Finishers, each featuring distinct upgrade paths, ranges, and speeds—ranging from massive two-handed hammers to scythes and nunchuks.
Supernatural abilities weave directly into the melee system, allowing players to build reliable stance breaks and trigger status effects. IGN notes that combat offers the slick responsiveness of titles like Devil May Cry or Bayonetta, complete with air-dashes that can cancel out of active animations. Players can also summon minions to hurl like bombs to inflict Falter damage, which acts as the game’s stagger meter. According to Game Rant, character progression is further supported by a talent tree featuring 60 unique talents and a generous selection of Resonant Combat Abilities earned by defeating bosses.
World Texture, Exploration, and Customization
Side content throughout the city is designed to function as world texture rather than traditional filler. Beebom highlights activities such as fetching a toy for a dog, planting antennas to expand zone coverage, and defending Bureau supply crates from Hiss swarms as compelling reasons to explore the urban environment. Additionally, Rock Paper Studios points out that the game features a granular Assists menu allowing players to customize individual combat aspects, including enemy projectile speed and the length of the perfect dodge window, to either ease difficulty or crank up the challenge.
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