Control Resonant emerges as a remarkably strange and ambitious action-RPG, defying conventional game design with its unique blend of cosmic horror and exhilarating combat. Despite its departure from the original game’s established setting and protagonist, this sequel delivers a spectacular experience, rich in atmosphere, creative quests, and Remedy’s most dynamic action to date. The game plunges players into a kaleidoscopic Manhattan, offering stark vistas and an eerie ambiance that rivals the unsettling charm of the original’s Oldest House.

A New Protagonist and Familiar Threats

Players step into the shoes of Dylan Faden, brother to Control’s protagonist Jesse and a former victim of the Hiss’s mind control. Now a free man, Dylan embarks on a heroic journey fueled by guilt over his past actions and concern for his missing sister. Jesse bestows upon him the Aberrant, a shapeshifting melee weapon that serves as his primary tool for combating the resurgent Hiss and the newly introduced Mold. Unlike the more humanoid enemies of the past, Resonant features a roster of truly bizarre and otherworldly foes, including floating fungal masses, grotesque, spike-faced creatures, and even possessed vehicles, adding to the game’s unsettling New York setting.

Dynamic and Evolving Combat

Combat in Control Resonant begins with a deceptively simple system: each Aberrant form, such as hammers, scythes, or nunchuks, offers a three-hit combo and a unique finisher. However, as players master the rhythm of these encounters and acquire new abilities through boss victories, the combat system expands dramatically. Encounters are intense, with enemies launching relentless assaults that are met by Dylan’s supernatural prowess. The seamless flow between Aberrant attacks and power deployments, coupled with an intuitive targeting system, ensures that players can fluidly switch between opponents without significant frustration.

As Dylan is upgraded, players can craft powerful stance-breaking builds, particularly by combining abilities that inflict status effects. This transforms the already satisfying melee into an experience reminiscent of both Doom Eternal and Devil May Cry. Dylan dashes through arenas, chaining together gratifyingly animated executions that provide buffs to healing and poise damage, creating a snowball effect of power. While the original Control’s combat was often underestimated, Resonant’s approach is far more dynamic and aggressive. Instead of a defensive parry, Dylan possesses a dodge that, when upgraded through the skill tree, becomes a proactive tool for boosting attacks, encouraging players to constantly push forward.

Boss Battles and Upgrade Systems

While the game’s general combat is a triumph, boss battles present a mixed bag. Some are thrilling one-on-one duels, but others rely on sheer health and damage output rather than intricate challenge. Nevertheless, each boss boasts striking and memorable visual designs, and the rewards—new, build-altering combat powers—ensure that these encounters never feel like a waste of time.

Resonant’s upgrade and leveling systems are thoughtfully designed. Investing points and materials into a specific Aberrant form enhances its base damage and stagger potential across all forms, encouraging players to experiment. While resources are scarce enough to necessitate prioritization—the Drill form, for instance, excels at stunlocking and poise breaking—leftover materials can be used on less favored weapons, keeping them viable throughout the game and preserving combat flexibility.

A Geographically-Tied Skill Tree

An unusual but effective mechanic in Dylan’s talent tree is its geographical element. By defeating enemies and completing side missions in specific sub-areas of Manhattan, players effectively level up that region. This improves drop rates, healing item potency, and vendor stock. Each area level grants Dylan a skill point, and defeating a region’s boss ‘resets’ the area, respawning tougher enemies in exchange for new, XP-rich side activities. This system cleverly motivates exploration and provides a tangible structure to the open world, creating a loop akin to Elden Ring‘s reward-challenge-reward cycle.

An Open World Rich in New Weirdness

The open-world Manhattan successfully expands upon the New Weirdness established in the original Control. Despite its more conventional urban setting, the game infuses the city with the same unsettling details: redacted files from fleeing agents, nonsensical billboards, and disturbed objects behaving unnaturally. Dylan’s ability to walk on walls and ceilings using gravity anomalies leads to visually stunning, inverted combat scenarios.

The sidequests are a particular highlight, often centering on imaginatively bizarre Altered Items that have escaped containment. Tasks like calming a stressed lightbulb or participating in ritualistic karaoke offer moments of humor and serve as welcome cooldowns from the intense combat. Resonant masterfully balances its strangeness, using it for dramatic effect to emphasize Dylan’s insignificance in the face of cosmic forces, even with his superhuman abilities. The vast, impossible spaces, haunting soundtrack, and lingering mysteries surrounding the invading forces contribute to a profound sense of loneliness and the fear of the unknown.

Story and Character Focus

In a departure from extensive Remedyverse crossovers, Control Resonant keeps its focus tightly on Dylan’s redemption arc. While Jesse Faden plays a role through novel flashback sequences, the primary supporting character is handler Zoe. Zoe communicates with Dylan via radio dialogue, allowing players to choose responses that reflect anger, reserve, or guilt, adding a layer of agency that aligns player choices with Dylan’s internal state. Although not a branching narrative, these interactions build a believable friendship, making Dylan’s journey feel more personal.

Technical Performance and Polish

Technically, Resonant is a visual showcase, leveraging Remedy’s expertise in ray tracing and advanced upscaling technologies. However, its Steam Deck support has proven problematic, with performance struggling even on low settings. The game could benefit from further polish, as occasional issues like music cutting out, enemies getting stuck in the environment, or minor progression bugs have been reported. Despite these minor blemishes, the game’s bold design and ambitious execution are commendable. Remedy’s ability to deliver such rousing action and a fresh take on a familiar setting warrants significant praise, leaving players hopeful for future adventures with the Faden twins.