CONTROL Resonant delivers some of Remedy Entertainment’s most impressive level design, spectacular traversal mechanics and unforgettable environments. However, repetitive combat and an overly ambitious world prevent this excellent sequel from reaching its full potential.

I was genuinely excited for CONTROL Resonant. Everything Remedy Entertainment showed before release looked incredibly promising, from its surreal version of Manhattan to its expanded gameplay mechanics. As a fan of the original Control, I couldn’t wait to return to this universe.

After approximately 45 hours, achieving 100% completion and earning the Platinum trophy, I can confidently say that CONTROL Resonant is an excellent game. However, despite its many strengths, several design decisions kept it from becoming the masterpiece I hoped for.

Dylan Faden Takes Center Stage

One of the most interesting changes is the decision to make Dylan Faden the main protagonist.

In the original Control, Dylan was an important part of Jesse Faden’s story, but his character never received the attention he deserved. CONTROL Resonant finally gives him the spotlight, while Jesse takes on a supporting role.

I particularly enjoyed this change in perspective and the relationship between the two characters. It creates a different dynamic while maintaining the connection to the original game.

Remedy also retains its signature storytelling style. Strange encounters, bizarre missions and unexpected situations are everywhere. These unusual moments are part of what makes Remedy’s games so distinctive.

Seeing familiar characters return, including Ahti, was another welcome touch. The game constantly reminds you that you’re experiencing something uniquely Remedy.

Some of the Best Level Design of 2026

If there’s one category where CONTROL Resonant deserves serious recognition this year, it’s level design.

Manhattan is absolutely spectacular. Remedy has created a surreal city where buildings, streets and entire environments bend around impossible laws of physics.

What impressed me most was the way the game constantly changes your perspective.

You can look toward a distant location and see several completely different ways of reaching it. A wall can suddenly become the ground beneath your feet, while a seemingly impossible structure transforms into a perfectly accessible path.

Using Dylan’s Shift ability to change gravity and orientation creates some genuinely extraordinary moments.

It’s not simply about impressive visuals. The entire environment becomes an interconnected playground where traditional ideas of vertical and horizontal movement no longer apply.

I can only imagine how challenging some of these environments were to develop.

The main missions make particularly good use of these mechanics, combining creative environments with memorable visual sequences.

For me, CONTROL Resonant deserves to be among the strongest contenders for Best Level Design in 2026.

Traversal Is an Absolute Joy

Another major highlight is Dylan’s movement.

Sprinting through Manhattan, chaining jumps, performing dashes and manipulating gravity feels incredibly satisfying.

As Dylan gains additional abilities, moving through the environment becomes faster and more enjoyable. Reaching rooftops, exploring unusual structures and discovering new paths rarely gets old.

Traversal feels fluid, responsive and perfectly suited to the game’s unconventional environments.

I genuinely enjoyed exploring Manhattan, especially once more movement abilities became available.

However, there were occasional frustrating moments when an objective appeared accessible but required a very specific route. When the game gives you so much freedom to jump, dash and manipulate gravity, being prevented from reaching certain places can feel inconsistent.

Still, traversal is easily one of CONTROL Resonant’s greatest achievements.

Combat Becomes Too Repetitive

Unfortunately, combat is where my enthusiasm started to fade.

Initially, the new melee-focused combat system feels exciting. Dylan has access to supernatural abilities, a transforming weapon called the Aberrant, various upgrades and customization options.

There are plenty of opportunities to improve your character through experience, skills and artifacts.

The progression system works well enough, especially for players who enjoy completing side missions and discovering everything the game has to offer.

The problem is that character progression doesn’t necessarily translate into more enjoyable combat.

Despite unlocking additional abilities, I frequently found myself repeating the same attack combinations.

Many enemies also absorb far too much damage, turning encounters into unnecessarily long fights. Instead of feeling challenged by interesting enemy mechanics, I often felt like I was simply attacking the same targets over and over again.

Executions and special combat abilities provide occasional variety, but they aren’t enough to prevent the overall experience from becoming repetitive.

This becomes even more noticeable when exploring Manhattan, where large numbers of enemies frequently interrupt your journey.

After dozens of hours, I wanted more variety in enemy encounters and attack combinations rather than simply more opportunities to fight.

Combat isn’t necessarily bad. It just doesn’t maintain the same level of excitement throughout the experience.

A World That Is Too Big for Its Own Good

CONTROL Resonant moves away from the more linear structure of its predecessor, embracing a much larger, action-RPG-style experience.

Manhattan consists of several expansive areas, including Downtown, Central, the Evacuation Zone and The Park, alongside other locations that become available as you progress.

These environments are beautifully designed and offer considerable freedom, especially after unlocking additional traversal abilities.

However, I believe the game ultimately becomes too large for its own good.

I genuinely enjoy exploration, and I spent a significant amount of time discovering everything Manhattan had to offer. The problem isn’t that exploration exists or that the world lacks visual appeal.

It’s that the enormous environments, frequent enemy encounters and constant movement between objectives sometimes disrupt the pacing.

There were moments when I simply wanted to explore, only to be interrupted by another group of enemies.

I believe CONTROL Resonant would have benefited from a more focused, linear structure, complemented by occasional larger areas that encourage exploration.

A smaller, more carefully paced experience could have preserved everything that makes this world special without stretching the gameplay quite so far.

Sometimes, bigger isn’t necessarily better.

An Interesting Story That Loses Its Focus

The story is another area where CONTROL Resonant didn’t fully meet my expectations.

There are genuinely interesting moments, particularly those involving Dylan, Jesse and the central mysteries surrounding the game’s world.

The main missions are often visually spectacular, and several story sequences showcase Remedy’s creativity at its best.

Unfortunately, the narrative becomes increasingly diluted by the game’s structure.

With so many areas to explore, side activities to complete and objectives available in different orders, the main storyline sometimes struggles to maintain its momentum.

The distinction between essential story developments and optional content doesn’t always feel particularly clear.

As a result, I sometimes found myself losing interest in certain supporting characters and conversations, even though I remained invested in the main cinematic sequences.

The overall experience would have benefited from tighter storytelling and a stronger sense of narrative direction.

CONTROL Resonant has an interesting premise, but the expanded structure makes its central story feel unnecessarily stretched.

Excellent Visuals, Atmosphere and Sound

From a presentation standpoint, CONTROL Resonant is outstanding.

Remedy’s artistic direction is immediately recognizable, combining unsettling supernatural imagery with impressive environmental detail.

Manhattan feels like a city completely transformed by forces beyond human understanding. Its unusual architecture, distorted landscapes and constantly shifting perspectives create an incredible atmosphere.

The lighting, visual effects and environmental design are consistently impressive.

Sound design and music also deserve recognition. They complement the strange atmosphere perfectly and contribute significantly to the game’s identity.

I was generally satisfied with the game’s technical performance, although I encountered occasional bugs involving certain quests and gameplay situations.

These issues didn’t significantly affect my overall experience, but they were noticeable during my lengthy playthrough.

Final Verdict

CONTROL Resonant is an excellent sequel that demonstrates Remedy Entertainment’s remarkable creativity and technical ambition.

Its phenomenal level design, spectacular Manhattan setting and incredibly satisfying traversal mechanics make it one of the most visually memorable games I’ve played this year.

However, I can’t ignore its shortcomings.

Combat becomes repetitive far too quickly, enemies often take excessive damage, and the expanded world sometimes works against the pacing of both gameplay and storytelling.

The main narrative has its moments, but a more focused structure could have made the overall experience considerably stronger.

After spending around 45 hours completing everything and earning the Platinum trophy, I certainly don’t regret my time with CONTROL Resonant. I thoroughly enjoyed many aspects of the experience.

I simply believe that a slightly smaller, more linear game with stronger combat variety could have been something truly exceptional.

CONTROL Resonant is a remarkable achievement in environmental design, but its greatest ambition is also its biggest weakness.

Final Score: 80/100

Goran Rakić

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