Earlier than We Start – A Fast Catch-Up With CONTROL
Earlier than leaping into CONTROL Resonant, it’s price taking a couple of minutes to recollect simply what the hell occurred within the authentic CONTROL, as a result of when you thought Treatment was going to make this universe any simpler to know, I’ve some unhealthy information for you.
Again in 2019, Jesse Faden walked into the Federal Bureau of Management in search of her lacking brother, Dylan. The Bureau itself was housed contained in the Oldest Home, a brutalist constructing in Manhattan that was something however regular. The constructing shifted, modified and appeared to exist exterior the foundations of actuality, whereas the Bureau studied objects and occasions that had been affected by one thing identified merely because the paranatural.
Jesse arrived simply as the whole lot was going spectacularly flawed. The Bureau had been invaded by an extradimensional pressure often called the Hiss, which had contaminated brokers and turned the Oldest Home right into a nightmare of floating our bodies, corrupted minds and reality-bending phenomena.
Jesse was not precisely a traditional particular person herself. Her childhood in Abnormal, Maine had already uncovered her and Dylan to one thing far past our understanding, with the mysterious slide projector incident enjoying a significant position of their lives. The pair have been separated, with Dylan finally ending up within the custody of the FBC whereas Jesse escaped.
When Jesse lastly discovered her approach into the Oldest Home, she found that Dylan had develop into deeply concerned within the Bureau’s experiments and had finally been corrupted by the Hiss. Jesse fought her approach by means of the Bureau, found the reality behind a lot of what had occurred and finally confronted her brother.
She managed to close down the supply of the Hiss invasion and cleanse Dylan of its instant affect, however Dylan survived in a coma slightly than merely strolling away from the whole lot that had occurred to him.
Jesse, in the meantime, turned the brand new Director of the FBC.
And that’s the place issues get fascinating.
The unique CONTROL wasn’t actually about supplying you with solutions. It was about supplying you with simply sufficient info to make you ask much more questions. The expansions pushed that even additional, digging into the unusual relationship between the FBC, the Board, the Astral Aircraft, the Oldest Home and the varied supernatural forces surrounding Jesse and Dylan.
So when CONTROL Resonant begins, we aren’t merely getting one other journey within the Oldest Home. Dylan has been asleep for years, and the world exterior has modified significantly. The FBC now has a really totally different drawback on its palms, Manhattan itself is caught up in a brand new paranatural disaster, and Dylan is abruptly on the centre of it.
And sure, if you’re questioning the place Jesse is, she hasn’t merely been forgotten.
In reality, her relationship with Dylan is arguably extra essential to CONTROL Resonant than ever.
Welcome Again to the CONTROL Universe
There’s something instantly spectacular about CONTROL Resonant.
It seems like CONTROL, nevertheless it doesn’t really feel like a easy sequel attempting to repeat what labored the primary time.
Treatment has taken the weird basis of the unique sport and pushed it outward. As an alternative of spending nearly the whole lot of the primary sport trapped contained in the Oldest Home, Resonant takes Dylan into Manhattan, the place the paranatural has begun affecting the world round it in more and more ridiculous and spectacular methods.
And I imply ridiculous in the absolute best approach.
That is the form of sport the place you may stroll into an space pondering you perceive what you’re looking at, just for the atmosphere to do one thing that makes you query whether or not you’ve gotten unintentionally taken one thing you shouldn’t have.
That trademark Treatment weirdness continues to be right here, and fortunately it hasn’t been watered down.
The Story Is Utterly Psychological – In The Finest Doable Manner
The most important purpose I loved CONTROL Resonant a lot is the story.
Treatment has as soon as once more managed to create one thing that’s tough to elucidate with out making it sound fully insane.
There are mysterious forces, altered realities, paranatural phenomena, unusual organisations, questions on id, household, management and the character of actuality itself. Then simply if you assume you’ve gotten lastly figured one thing out, the sport throws one other piece of data at you and abruptly you might be again to questioning what the hell is definitely occurring.
That’s precisely what I needed from this sequel.
Dylan can also be an enchanting protagonist as a result of his relationship with the FBC is totally totally different from Jesse’s. Jesse entered the Oldest Home looking for solutions. Dylan has spent a lot of his life trapped inside this world, and now he’s being pressured to expertise the skin world in a very totally different approach.
That reversal provides the story a extremely fascinating perspective.
Jesse’s story was about discovering the hidden world behind actuality.
Dylan’s is about discovering what actuality truly means to him.
The connection between the 2 siblings provides the story an emotional core that stops the entire supernatural insanity from changing into nothing greater than an excuse for more and more bizarre set items. The Faden household has all the time been on the coronary heart of CONTROL, and Resonant understands that.
Fight Is Bloody Sensible
If there’s one space the place CONTROL Resonant instantly feels totally different from its predecessor, it’s fight.
Jesse’s Service Weapon was one of many defining parts of the unique sport. Dylan has one thing very totally different.
The Aberrant is a shapeshifting melee weapon that may change its type and dramatically alter the way you method fight. As an alternative of standing again and easily blasting enemies from a distance, Dylan is way more direct.
And I completely adore it.
Fight feels aggressive, quick and bodily. You’re always shifting, attacking, dodging and in search of alternatives to chain your skills collectively. There’s a lot much less of the standard cover-shooter mentality and much more emphasis on getting caught into the motion.
It makes fights really feel significantly extra bodily than they did within the authentic.
There are totally different weapon varieties and skills to experiment with, permitting you to construct Dylan round the way in which you truly need to play. Treatment has additionally given gamers extra freedom over loadouts, that means that your selections can have a noticeable influence on the way you method particular person encounters.
That is notably essential as a result of enemies can develop into absolute bastards as soon as the sport begins throwing a number of threats at you concurrently.
You’ll be able to’t merely stand in a single place and hope the whole lot dies earlier than it reaches you.
It is advisable transfer.
It is advisable assume.
And generally it’s worthwhile to run away since you’ve made a whole mess of issues.
That final one would possibly simply be me.
The Fight Has A Improbable Sense of Affect
What makes the fight work so nicely is the sensation of influence.
Assaults don’t merely occur. They’ve weight.
Enemies react, environments reply and Dylan’s skills make you are feeling like you might be truly throwing your self into the center of a paranatural catastrophe slightly than merely controlling one other character in a third-person motion sport.
There’s additionally a beautiful rhythm to fight when you begin understanding what the sport desires from you.
Assault.
Transfer.
Use a capability.
Change your weapon type.
Exploit a gap.
Get the hell out of the way in which.
Then do it another time.
It’s bloody good enjoyable.
Manhattan Appears Unimaginable
Then there are the visuals.
CONTROL was already an impressive-looking sport, however CONTROL Resonant is on one other stage.
Treatment has created a model of Manhattan that appears recognisable sufficient to know however distorted sufficient to really feel fully flawed.
That distinction is without doubt one of the sport’s greatest visible strengths.
You’ll be able to have a look at one thing and instantly perceive what it’s alleged to be, however one thing about it doesn’t fairly match. Buildings, streets, interiors and supernatural areas are always being warped by the occasions happening round Dylan.
After which the sport will abruptly toss something fully bonkers at you.
The lighting, particle results, environmental element and character work all come collectively extraordinarily nicely, however it’s the artwork path that basically deserves the reward.
This isn’t merely a technically spectacular sport.
It has a really robust visible id.
You already know you might be enjoying CONTROL Resonant inside seconds.
The World Is Greater With out Changing into A Typical Open World
One factor I notably like about Resonant is that Treatment hasn’t merely turned CONTROL into one other big open-world sport.
Manhattan is split into bigger areas that regularly develop into extra accessible as Dylan good points skills, entry and the belief of characters he meets.
Meaning exploration truly has a function.
You aren’t simply working throughout a large map as a result of somebody determined each fashionable sport wants one.
There are areas to research, secrets and techniques to find and causes to return to locations you’ve gotten already visited.
It additionally works fantastically with the tone of the sport since you by no means fairly know what you will discover.
And contemplating this can be a sport the place actuality itself is seemingly having a nervous breakdown, that uncertainty is precisely what you need.
Treatment Nonetheless Is aware of How To Inform A Story
One of many issues that has all the time separated Treatment from numerous different builders is its willingness to experiment with storytelling.
CONTROL Resonant continues that custom.
There are conventional conversations and cinematic moments, however the sport additionally makes use of environmental storytelling, paperwork, recordings and a few splendidly unusual sequences to flesh out its world.
Not the whole lot is handed to you.
Generally you must truly listen.
And I feel that’s essential as a result of the world of CONTROL would lose one thing if Treatment merely defined the whole lot in a cutscene.
The thriller is a part of the expertise.
The confusion is a part of the expertise.
That second the place you sit there pondering, “Cling on… what the precise fuck?” is virtually a part of the gameplay loop.
It Can Nonetheless Be Bloody Complicated
In fact, that method isn’t going to work for everybody.
CONTROL Resonant will not be the form of sport you may swap your mind off with and count on the whole lot to make good sense.
There are moments the place the story intentionally leaves you questioning what you’ve gotten simply seen, what one thing means and whether or not the reason you’ve gotten constructed in your head is definitely right.
Personally, I really like that.
However when you favor video games that specify their mythology clearly and tie each unfastened finish right into a neat little bow, this in all probability isn’t going to be your factor.
Fortunately, the primary narrative stays partaking sufficient that even if you don’t fully perceive one thing, you continue to need to know what occurs subsequent.
The Sound and Environment
The ambiance is one other space the place Treatment completely nails it.
The sound design, music and environmental results mix to make the world really feel genuinely unsettling at instances.
There’s a fixed feeling that one thing isn’t fairly proper.
Even if you end up merely shifting between aims, the world round you feels prefer it might change at any second.
That ambiance is extremely essential as a result of with out it, the entire weirdness might simply develop into meaningless spectacle.
As an alternative, the sport manages to keep up that uneasy feeling that made the unique CONTROL so memorable.
What About The Unique?
Having now performed each video games, I don’t assume CONTROL Resonant replaces the unique.
It doesn’t have to.
The 2 video games complement one another.
CONTROL was about Jesse discovering the FBC, the Oldest Home and the paranatural world whereas looking for her brother.
Resonant takes the implications of that story and pushes them outward, whereas giving Dylan his personal id as a protagonist.
That was a good move.
Attempting to easily recreate Jesse’s journey would have felt like a retread.
As an alternative, Treatment has taken the characters, mythology and concepts established within the authentic and pushed them into one thing totally different.
And in some way, it nonetheless feels unmistakably like CONTROL.
Any Issues?
It isn’t good.
The sheer quantity of weirdness can sometimes make sure sections really feel intentionally obscure, and there are moments the place navigation can develop into a bit irritating if you end up attempting to work out precisely the place the sport desires you to go.
Some encounters can even develop into extraordinarily hectic, notably when a number of enemy sorts are thrown at you without delay.
However truthfully, these are comparatively minor complaints in contrast with what the sport will get proper.
The fight is improbable, the story is fascinating, and the visuals are bloody beautiful.
Ultimate Verdict
CONTROL Resonant is precisely the form of sequel I needed.
It doesn’t merely take the unique sport, give it prettier graphics and throw one other villain at you.
As an alternative, Treatment has taken the weird world of CONTROL and expanded it in a approach that feels significant.
Dylan is a good new protagonist, the connection between him and Jesse provides the story actual emotional weight, the fight is completely very good and the visible design is excellent.
Most significantly, it nonetheless has that splendidly fucked-up Treatment feeling the place you by no means fairly know what will occur subsequent.
You might be preventing your approach by means of Manhattan one minute after which observing one thing that makes you query whether or not actuality has fully collapsed.
And that’s precisely why I adore it.
CONTROL Resonant is bizarre, bold, visually beautiful, story-driven and bloody good enjoyable to play.
In case you liked the unique CONTROL, this can be a sequel it’s best to completely expertise.
In case you’ve in some way by no means performed the unique, I’d nonetheless suggest giving Resonant a go, though truthfully, when you’ve completed this one, you might be in all probability going to need to return and play the primary sport anyway.
Treatment has as soon as once more confirmed that you simply don’t have to make the whole lot regular to make it sensible.
Generally the most effective video games are those that make you sit there afterwards pondering:
“What the hell did I simply play?”
After which instantly wanting extra.
Learn extra superior critiques >>right here<<.
The sport was offered to us for the specific function of reviewing.
Written on my own then edited and fashioned by my accomplice.
Reviewed and performed on PC.
Evaluate Abstract
What’s CONTROL Resonant?
CONTROL Resonant is a supernatural third-person motion sport from Treatment Leisure and the sequel to 2019’s CONTROL. It follows Dylan Faden as he confronts a brand new paranatural disaster affecting Manhattan.
What does it add?
Resonant expands the CONTROL universe past the Oldest Home, introduces Dylan because the playable protagonist, provides a melee-focused fight system constructed across the shapeshifting Aberrant weapon, and offers a brand new chapter within the story of the Faden siblings.
Is the fight good?
Sure. Fight is quick, aggressive and extremely satisfying, with totally different weapon varieties and skills permitting gamers to customize how Dylan approaches encounters.
Is the story good?
Sure. The story is without doubt one of the sport’s greatest strengths, combining the Faden household story with Treatment’s trademark paranormal mysteries, surreal occasions and reality-bending storytelling.
Does CONTROL Resonant look good?
Completely. The distorted model of Manhattan, detailed environments, results and powerful artwork path make CONTROL Resonant one of many extra visually distinctive motion video games of 2026.
Must you play it?
In case you loved CONTROL, completely. CONTROL Resonant efficiently expands the unique sport’s world whereas giving Dylan his personal id, fight fashion and story.
What rating does CONTROL Resonant get?
9/10
