Control Resonant is a risky sequel that isn’t fully successful. Trading in its gun for melee combat, the sequel to Control has you playing as Jesse’s brother instead. It’s not all unsuccessful, as the art design and some story elements still shine, but going from an acclaimed shooter to a middling character-action game that doesn’t quite know what it’s doing is a rough one.
The story is Control Resonant’s most frustrating element. Playing as a character that people are untrustworthy towards and is largely hated is an interesting choice that leads to some strong early moments. However, the interesting plot developments are handed out at a snail’s pace, and you’ll have to hear the same dialogue exchanges about finding dead bodies of soldiers a comical number of times. What could’ve been a strong 15-hour story gets stretched to over double that, and it loses its momentum very quickly.
However, the biggest issue is that the combat is just not fulfilling. The option to forego a parry is an inspired choice and one I like, but the dodge alone doesn’t give the game enough depth. There’s a lack of combo strings and a real inability to make fun, worthwhile attacks while switching between your powers and weapons. Instead, you have to rely on relatively simple combos to get through the overly long enemy encounters with sponge-like foes that take way too many hits. Devil May Cry this is not, as the combat is the most disappointing part of a game that has you fighting enemies constantly.
It doesn’t help that the game has traded in an interesting Metroidvania-style location for a bland open-world version of New York City. You have to do the same types of objectives over and over again, such as getting map beacons set every time you get to a new area, and it’s just not an interesting world to be in. The game presents a more open mission structure than it really has, as you often need the mobility unlocks first to complete the other major missions, and it’s just a dull cityscape with some monsters to beat. Occasionally, you’ll see something fun like a cursed bus, but most of the enemies are generic-looking and not interesting to fight.
While I have plenty of knocks against Control Resonant, I don’t want to be too negative. There are still some moments when Remedy truly manages to wow. From some trippy, fantastic-looking story sections to gorgeously designed bosses, there is a great game here somewhere. It’s just that it’s overly bloated and has too simple a combat cycle for it to truly shine.
Control Resonant (PS5) Review: Final Verdict
Control Resonant isn’t a bad game, but it’s not the Control successor that people were left wanting after the original game. While Remedy’s habit of zigging when fans think they will zag is one of the studio’s greatest strengths, this is one of the rare times when it hasn’t fully paid off. Repetitive combat encounters that lack depth, a dated open-world environment, and a dull story fail to captivate in the same manner as the original.
- Some inventive sections
- Story has its moments
- Bland open world
- Filled with padding
- Combat is repetitive and dull
