Control Resonant Recasts Control With 30-Hour NYC Action, Stumbling in Boss Fights
Updated
Updated · IGN · Sep 18
Control Resonant Recasts Control With 30-Hour NYC Action, Stumbling in Boss Fights
3 articles · Updated · IGN · Sep 18
Summary
A 30-hour campaign shifts Remedy’s 2019 Control from a mystery-heavy shooter into open-world character action, following Dylan Faden through a Hiss-ravaged, interdimensionally warped New York City.
Dylan’s fast melee combat and transformable Aberrant weapon make the game slick and satisfying once upgrades click, though early difficulty spikes and one dominant build flatten some of the RPG depth.
Bosses and encounter design are the weakest link: roughly half feel like spongy wars of attrition, and several late aerial fights strain a camera and targeting system not built for them.
New York’s folded, gravity-bending spaces are the standout, using shifting planes and sparse waypointing to make exploration itself feel inventive and distinctly Control.
Story-wise, Resonant humanizes Dylan and delivers major lore payoffs and standout twists, even if its broader plot and some character turns land less cleanly than its best moments.
With Control Resonant shifting to an open-world Manhattan, will the loss of its claustrophobic metroidvania roots alienate hardcore fans of the original?
Can Dylan's transforming Aberrant weapon and RPG crafting in the Gap overcome the frustratingly spongy bosses reported in early gameplay?
How will the PS5 Pro's exclusive ray-tracing features handle the intense, gravity-shifting combat of Control Resonant when it launches next week?