Nothing beats the satisfying feeling of successfully parrying an attack, but don’t expect to rely on that counter in Control Resonant. In fact, the game features no parry gameplay mechanic at all, as developer Remedy Entertainment wants players to get into the thick of things and chase enemies down in the follow-up to Control.
Speaking to IGN, game director Mikael Kasurinen confirmed that players won’t be able to deflect any attacks in the upcoming action-RPG. Remedy did experiment with using that mechanic in the game, but it ultimately didn’t fit their vision for a fast-paced action game. “The idea behind the combat system of Control Resonant is that offense is the best defense,” Remedy said.
The studio added that when it prototyped a parry in the game, action slowed down as players waited for enemies to make the first move, instead of initiating an attack and pushing forward. Players will have plenty of options available to them with the Aberrant–a Swiss-army knife of offensive potential–as they can deal out quick attacks with dual blades or smash through defenses by transforming the tool into a cartoonishly massive hammer.
Not having any options to parry is something of a rarity in modern-day action games. Dark Souls developer From Software created one of the best-feeling versions of the mechanic in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Doom: The Dark Ages had first-person deflections with the brutal Shield Saw, and the recent release Beast of Reincarnation also has a gratifying option for bouncing attacks back at enemies. Parrying has become very commonplace in modern action games, so not including it is somewhat unusual.
Control Resonant launches on September 24, but if you’re planning to get the game for PlayStation 5, preordering the $70 digital deluxe edition will unlock 48 hours of early access to the game. For more on the next title from Remedy Entertainment, you can explore how Control Resonant deals with heavy themes of trauma and redemption.
