Control Resonant shows that sometimes bigger really is better

Date:
Fri, 18 Sep 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Description:
Control Resonant goes big with a reality-defying New York.

FULL STORY ======================================================================How do you approach a sequel? Do you refine the predecessors mechanics and stick
with the main character? Well, Control Resonant chucks those out the window. Review info Platform reviewed: Xbox Series X Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC Release date: September 24, 2026 Instead of an open-zone map like the first game, Resonant goes full open-world. You play as Dylan Faden, old protagonist Jesses brother, who was (mostly) freed from the Hisss evil influence towards the end of the last adventure. Remedy CONTROL Resonant at Amazon for 69.99 Now, Jesse has disappeared somewhere in an otherworldly Manhattan, and its his job to find her. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: Like brother, like sister (Image credit: Remedy) Control Resonant s story is markedly improved over its predecessor. The sibling bond between Dylan and Jesse provides an emotional anchor to latch onto. Learning about their childhoods through the main missions was engaging enough and made it much easier to follow this time around. It kept my attention in ways that Control didnt.

The small cast of support characters also smartly keeps the character development focused mainly on Dylan. Zoe De Vera is assigned as Dylans handler, and I like how their relationship starts off rocky with her viewing him as just a tool to fight the Hiss. But as the story progresses, Zoe starts considering Dylan as more than that, asking him personal questions about his favorite music.

Emily Pope returns from the first game and acts as an important linchpin for Dylan to discuss Jesse. As Emily helped Jesse throughout the entirety of Control , Dylan can confide in Emily, giving him hope hell eventually find
his sister. These powerful relationships make Resonant a less lonely trip.

As someone whos fascinated with sci-fi and the occult, Resonant plays around with common tropes to great effect. In one particularly memorable main quest, Dylan is tasked with figuring out what happened to a missing crew, and its implementation of time dilation and alternate timelines really had a grip on my attention. Its moments like these that make Resonant s story emotionally satisfying, but narratively absorbing too. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Go big or go home (Image credit: Remedy)
Going from Control to Control Resonant feels similar to how Final Fantasy 7 Remake transitioned to Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth . Its a high-risk endeavor, as creating an open world can add a lot of unnecessary bloat compared to a more streamlined experience.

Thankfully, Resonant s exemplary art direction and traversal mechanics make its distorted version of Manhattan a treat to run around in. Rather than the brutalist architecture of the first game that took place entirely indoors within the Oldest House, Resonant doubles down on the more kaleidoscopic and parallactic aspects in the open world.

As part of the main quests, youll also be given objectives to find Faults, which are areas where remnants of Jesse could be residing. While theyre not very combat-heavy, they offer a lot of story exposition exploring Dylan and Jesses background. At the very end, youll be awarded a new way for Dylan to move around.

These include being able to shift his gravitational orientation around so the wall next to him becomes the floor, or the intriguing take on the traditional grappling hook, which looks more like an invisible magnet pulling Dylan by
the waist. Best bit (Image credit: Remedy) Like the first game's massive brutalist skyscraper, the weird, twisted version of Manhattan in Control Resonant is an absolute joy to explore full of striking views. Control Resonant is also reminiscent of Elden Ring , in that youre able to tackle tough side bosses called Resonants all across the Big Apple . By defeating them, Dylan is able to unlock more of his offensive move kit. Youre incentivized to go for it, as itll give you more options to fight against the Hiss and other enemies.

You only need to take out a few to advance the story, but afterwards you can actually complete it without taking the rest of them on if you want. This open-endedness comes in handy if you get stuck on a certain story boss. You can explore more, get stronger, and return later.

There are also plenty of other interesting activities to tackle, and these often bring a more down-to-earth tone to Resonant s paranormal twists. In a multi-part side quest, Dylan is trying to help a girl find her way home from an alternate dimension. And he has to play spot the difference with different taxi cabs to take the right one back. Theres another side quest where Dylan helps a colleague find their invisible cat, which ends up in the cat actually helping out against a mini-boss fight in a humorous conclusion.

These side quests reflect Dylans altruism and the guilt he harbors for his actions from the first game, allowing him to redeem himself in small, yet meaningful ways. They also reward massive amounts of EXP and useful ingredients to unlock new skills and abilities. Close quarters combat (Image credit: Remedy) As opposed to the first games third-person shooter gameplay, Control Resonant is a melee-focused action game. Its an interesting switch-up that certainly helps this sequel differentiate itself.

The basic gameplay loop youre going for is to stagger enemies and then
perform an execution. Doing that causes Dylan to temporarily enter Dominance, which astronomically ups his attack power and allows him to kill enemies quicker. Its a gratifying process thats just as exciting as it looks cool.

The big issue here is that its incredibly difficult to falter enemies when
you first start out. Dylans weapon, the Aberrant, can morph into different forms for both his light and heavy attacks. At the beginning, you can pick
one form, and the rest you can create later on with the proper drops and materials. (Image credit: Remedy) If youre like me and picked a heavy weapon choice that didnt fit your particular playstyle, then youre going to have a tough time. You can use limited reset points to rechoose your points and abilities, but the fact that its not free feels like its discouraging experimentation, especially at the start before eventually unlocking everything.

After initially selecting the spear as my heavy weapon and being
disappointed, I reset my build and opted for the slow but powerful hammer instead. I found that it fit my approach much better, and suddenly I was enjoying it more. Beforehand, combat felt like a slog as enemies seemed to just be damage sponges, as it took forever to falter them.

A little later on, after defeating the giant fire Resonant, I unlocked the ability to cloak my weapons in flame, increasing both the damage and falter output. Now even my light weapon attacks with the multi-target scythe-like glaive inflicted a decent amount of stagger. I was able to enter Dominance faster, and the combat became more frenetic, explosive, and most importantly, fun.

It just takes a while to get to. Should I play Control Resonant? Play it
if...

You like action-adventure games If youre a fan of games like Devil May Cry , this might be up your alley. Just dont expect to be graded on your work, though.

You enjoyed the first Control Control Resonant is a direct sequel, so if you enjoyed the first game, then you should play this one too. Its surprisingly loose with the events of the predecessor, so you dont actually need to play
it before jumping in here, but it helps.

You like open-world games Control Resonant has one of the more interesting open-world games in recent memory, and the traversal mechanics are a joy to toy around with. Don't play it if...

You like shooters While the first Control was a third-person shooter,
Control Resonant is not. This could be a sticking point for those coming from the first game.

You want a more streamlined experience The first Control was much more confined, with open-zone environments rather than the open world that Control Resonant has. Accessibility features Control Resonant has an impressive suite of accessibility features. These options include text, subtitles, colorblindness adjustments, and toggles.

It also has an Assist mode, which lets you change gameplay parameters to your liking. For example, you can change how fast Dylans Power meter replenishes, which lets him fire off special abilities. You can also make him invincible.

Theres even an option to OHKO enemies with just one attack, and it works on bosses too. None of the options disable Achievements either. How I reviewed Control Resonant I played 25 hours of Control Resonant on Xbox Series X with the standard Xbox Wireless Controller on my 1080p LG Sharp TV, finishing up the main campaign while completing some side quests.

After witnessing the ending, you can go back into the open world once again
to mop up any remaining collectibles and quests.

First reviewed September 2026 Remedy CONTROL Resonant: Price Comparison
69.99 Preorder We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices powered by



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