Remedy is keen to making things you don't get anywhere else. Hence, why they try things you'd never expect. The original CONTROL was revelatory, with fluid gameplay that felt so, so good. Chaining your abilities and the Service Weapon to take down the Hiss was an experience, and Remedy wants you to feel that way again. Instead of chasing a safe sequel, they're diving headlong into a new idea, and after getting a closer look in a private presentation, I'm bought into what Remedy is trying to do with CONTROL Resonant.
At the beginning, the team wanted to reiterate that this is Dylan's game. While Jesse is present (after all, she's in the debut trailer), she is not playable and will not be. These two games in the CONTROL franchise serve as two sides of the same coin; we're heading in the same direction, but it's Dylan's turn to drive. Perhaps we'll learn more of Jesse and even go beyond her disappearance, but I'd expect it to be similar to Dylan's screen time in the first CONTROL – it's all a part of the setup.
One of the juxtapositions of CONTROL and Resonant lies in its core design. While CONTROL had you trapped inside the Oldest House, Resonant takes place in Manhattan. Not only does this give you a bigger playground to enjoy, but different gameplay styles. Hence, it didn't make sense to give Dylan his own gun and leave the player popping heads across the map; Remedy wants you up close and personal. That doesn't mean you won't have the opportunity to make some strategic plays from a distance, but the intention is to keep the gameplay fresh while designing aggression into your engagements.
Dylan will need help, and there will be both new and returning characters. The biggest voice in the room outside of Dylan is Zoe De Vera, who is essentially Dylan's handler. She isn't privy to what's gone on in the events of CONTROL, so Dylan fills her in as she catches him up with the outside world. That, of course, includes music, although the devs wouldn't go into much regarding how prevalent that couldfeature in Resonant. It is a Remedy game, so you have to assume there will be a couple of dope tracks, and maybe even a level built upon a soundtrack.
I also saw some dialogue trees featured in a section we saw for Dylan and Zoe. These are here to add layers to the story, but rest assured, you shouldn't be worried about missing too much if you choose a specific line over another. Remedy still wants all boats to end up at the same port, so most interactions will be more about the tone you're setting rather than a choice you're making.
The FBC Field Office is the mobile operations center you'll find in the wild, reminiscent of most hubs you'll uncover in action-RPGs. This is where Dylan will be able to get missions and change into different outfits, although there could still be more here to do since we only got a quick look. It will evolve as the disaster intensifies, and given there are several map sections, I'm curious if each will get its own variant. Each of these zones is going to be completely different, both visually and in gameplay. They all look quite large, so I'm interested in how big of a world Remedy is creating here considering they're moving into the RPG realm, even if it isn't fully open-world.
Remedy is intentionally building missions into the map: all killer, no filler. They don't want you just chasing map markers or lighting up towers; each mission is grounded into the larger narrative. To that effect, there are only two real categories of tasks: Dylan's journey and world quests. These world quests can be done at your leisure, going between bite-sized chunks and more memorable and intensive stories. It's nice to hear, and with how Remedy approached the original CONTROL, I'm sure they're going to nail this system.
Moving into gameplay, your version of Dylan will likely vary from mine. No single playthrough will afford you every ability – you'll need to re-spec or jump in a second time for that experience. Similar to Alan Wake 2's Mind Place, The Gap is a metaphysical place representing Dylan's psyche that is instantly accessible by a button press, and is where you'll do said buildcrafting. Building out your Dylan occurs via three categories: Combat Abilities, Weapon Upgrades, and Talents.
Combat Abilities are a main part of your kit and driven by the story. You'll receive these by defeating Resonants (the name of the game and former Persons of Power), which give you their unique supernatural abilities. Each time you take one out, you'll pick between a few combat abilities as a reward. It's important to make your choice and then back it up with your Weapon Upgrades and Talents, as these will fill out your kit and hopefully flow together in your gameplay styling.
Weapon Upgrades are a fascinating area for Resonant. There are Primary and Secondary forms of the Aberrant, along with Combo Enders to choose from in your upgrades. Slicing a Hiss with a sickle form, then slamming them with a hammer form, all before ending it with a wild finisher sounds exactly like the intense combat I was pulling off with the original CONTROL, just in a different way. It'll be exciting to get hands-on with this mechanic, especially to see what primary and secondary forms work in tandem with each other best.
Talents are your usual skill tree for Dylan, but featured as the glue that ties your Combat Abilities and Weapon Upgrades together. With how it grows, you'll want to pay specific attention to how it branches out, as your build could benefit more from a certain section than another. For instance, if you were to build your weapon forms out to hit a bunch of combos, but chose the Hit and Run talent that gives you 25% Damage and Falter from Dodge Attacks, you may be heading up the wrong tree. Also, if you like mid-maxxing when you build your characters in other games, CONTROL Resonant will feature plenty of stats for you to do so to your heart's content.
This is where we were shown even more examples, with two different build variations of Dylan in the same fight. Striking a foe builds up your combat ability meter, which allows you to utilize these fun powers we love so much in CONTROL. The first featured a lot of close range attacks, with Dylan's focus on stunning and executing enemies to build a temporary damage boost. Dylan really got up close and personal in this video clip, slicing, dicing, and smashing each Hiss while moving violently across the arena.
In the second clip, Dylan took things a bit slower, even if the game's pacing is still more break-neck than others. Observing a more tactical style, this build was more about summons, bringing in the help of turret-like apparitions to pelt enemies, and Dylan focused on getting hits in with the sickle from a distance while hitting perfect dodges to slow time and get in a counter. Speaking of the perfect dodge, this ability might be mis-construed by the trailers. CONTROL Resonant is not a Soulslike, so don't worry about needing to hit the right parry or learn a complex attack. Resonant is all about action and aggression, something that is personally music to my ears.
Lastly, we were shown an extended gameplay scene of one of the Resonants: The Dancer. That name is subject to change, but the fight was as extraordinary as I'd hoped. Although CONTROL had its fair share of great encounters, the best ones were optional. Here, it looks like a focus for the team, and hopefully the backstory to these People of Power will add even more intrigue to what look to be ludicrous characters. I say that in the best way possible.
There is still a lot to learn about CONTROL Resonant. We haven't even come close to seeing every ability or talent on screen; the variety will be there. We're also missing a lot on the narrative, which was promised to be on the way at least. As a huge Remedy fanboy, I just want this game in my hands, ASAP. They're scratching the right itch, with an ambitious pivot that could result in Remedy's best game yet. CONTROL Resonant will launch in 2026 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series consoles.
