Review | Control Resonant

A resonant review

Control Resonant is a 2026 action role-playing game developed and published by Remedy Entertainment, and it's a sequel to the 2019 game Control. You can play it on PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S starting from 24 September 2026, and even on macOS later in 2026.

I'm a huge fan of the first game. I also love Remedy and their approach to lore and worldbuilding, so this title was a must for me, although I was sceptical about the melee combat and open-world approach. I do have some issues with these segments, but I'm mostly satisfied with Remedy's new game.

• Review | Control

From a technical standpoint, playing on PS5 Pro in Balanced mode worked perfectly without any issues, but you can always go for the 60 FPS Performance mode because this game deserves it. I'm fine with a stable 40. Oh, yeah, and expect awesome usage of controller audio and effects coming out of it. It's really neat how they use everything at their disposal. And the sound is amazing! Remedy really nails it.

Welcome to the FBC, Dylan, you murderer.

Story and the characters

Dylan is, if you don't remember, the brother of the protagonist (Jesse) from the first Control. He is overtaken by the Hiss (the "plague" of the game), but you get to save him and take over the FBC, although Jesse follows a much different path in Resonant, and Dylan is here to patch things up. The bureau is willing to risk it, extract Dylan from the controlled room inside the Old House (and his coma), and contain him if he gets wild again. Did you know he killed more than 500 people during the events when he was overtaken? Well, he now has a controlling device on his neck, and he can be stopped easily.

As you exit your prison, you will meet Zoe and start exploring weird world events and hunting Resonants for the FBC. Ultimately, you need to find Jesse, and while doing so, you will learn much about their relationship and events from the past. Conversations with Zoe are natural and well-written. Slowly, they unravel their past and feelings, which is one of the main points when it comes to Dylan and how he "lived" his life.

I love the story and everything regarding lore in this game. There is so much to love, and everything is practically built on the first game. That is perfectly fine, but in order to enjoy it properly, please do finish the first game. I don't really love the combat and the open world so much, but playing a game where gravity is more unstable than Dylan, well, that has to be played. To me, Dylan is not so great. He is a bit empty and weird. Jesse had more character.

If the combat isn't as mashy, and the world open at times as much - I would be heavily invested in Resonant, but instead, I prefer the first game.

Game design, exploration

It's an open-world (well, semi-open-world) game where you mash buttons like crazy and explore unnatural events at every corner. It's basically the same as the first game, just more open, and the emphasis is on using Dylan's powers (which are far greater than Jesse's), although exploring the town is not as good as exploring the huge location in the first game (the Old House).

The pacing is not the issue. The problem is that these huge locations have lost part of their charm. It's mostly jumping all around and finding quests/events and upgrades. The encounters on the map can and should be avoided, but exploring most of what you can find is preferable. Still, I was a bit bored with the huge areas. I prefer the more linear approach the first game had.

Still, it's Remedy, and how they use physics in the game is astounding. Shifting gravity, flying and changing direction are the most unique things I've encountered in a long time. I can't say that for the combat, though, but first things first - the worldbuilding here seems a bit budgeted, but they still managed to create one of the most unique experiences in the genre.

Do let me know how your Dylan sang during karaoke quest.

Combat

Combat is... a button masher. Sorry to say this, but I really don't like the combat in this game. During the first 2 Resonant (boss) fights, I was so bored of mashing and dodging that I almost deleted the game. It gets much better with Resonant powers later, but it's still the same mashy combat throughout the whole game.

I don't know how this happened. Even having 3 types of primary, secondary and finishing moves means defaulting to mashing, just differently. To me, the first game is 10 times better when it comes to combat and powers. I do love the ground-pound and first fists, though!

And the final boss... is some boring-ass boss fight. The best that this game has to offer is everything else, and if you love using the space around you combined with the awesome physics this game has, you will love it, but prepare to mash like crazy. It's just the way it is, unfortunately. Even upgrades don't do much. It's still the same old hit me and repeat.

Just to mention - there is an assistance mode you can turn on, and turn on auto-kills or staggers if you struggle too much. That shouldn't be the case as the game is mostly easy, but there are some sections that can frustrate a lot.

The last 2 open maps are awesome as hell. The rest could've been smaller and unique, instead of reusing assets and rooms.

Side Content

Side content comes from the missions or FBC requests, plus some events in the world. The map is crap, so you're mostly on your own, which is a great thing - you will have to find stuff. Only a limited number of events are marked for your convenience.

Because I consider the lore to be top-notch, just completing events and reading files is awesome. I do miss more stuff, like cartoons and bits every prior game had. There are references and Easter eggs, but it seems Resonant has the least amount of these quirky parts.

When it comes to busy work on the map, you can find encounters, protect the cargo, steal the cargo, etc. - these are fillers, and I prefer avoiding them. Other than collecting some upgrades (you don't even need), not much is gained from these.

So, stick with lore and events that keep you entertained, and avoid the rest.

The ending parts and bits hits hard, if you ask me. Loved them!

Conclusion

Control Resonant is another unique Remedy experience, filled with awesome lore, weird events, and some of the best physics I've seen in a game. I loved the story, the worldbuilding, and everything that connects to the first game, but the mashy combat and unnecessarily huge open areas dragged the experience down for me. It's still a great game, especially if you're a fan of Control, but I prefer the more focused approach of the original. There is so much to love here, just not everything works as well as it should, if you ask me.