Fear not, Control fans: Control Resonant will be packed with lore despite the combat-heavy trailers we’ve seen so far, according to developer Remedy. The lack of focus on story in promotional footage, says Remedy senior communications manager Miika Huttunen, is no reflection of the game’s content, but instead a deliberate decision by the team to have the narrative side of the game on lockdown until release. In short: You’ll get your fill, you just have to wait.
The sneak peeks we’ve had of the game so far have been mainly combat-focused, a result of combat being something that doesn’t need to be revealed gradually to the player. “There’s lots of weird stuff to come,” says Huttunen, “plenty of twists and turns and surprises… things to discover. We’re asking fans to trust us–we’re Remedy. And I hope that, because we’re Remedy, we get the benefit of the doubt.”
Lore-related collectibles, like FBC documents and written materials from pre-Hiss-invasion times, are scattered liberally throughout the game. It pays to explore and take your time finding secrets, as the world of Control Resonant is no less carefully crafted than its predecessor, and the story is far from an afterthought. Besides the written word, you’ll also find countless places where you can open shortcuts, unpack subtle environmental clues, and have interactions with NPCs who help to expand your understanding of the world.
Huttunen also revealed that Control Resonant will reward players’ decisions in dialogue through subtle changes in how other characters react to them, side quest variations, and a slow build of their own personality. The main story will be largely linear and have one distinct ending–though if Remedy’s track record is anything to go by, one that players won’t see coming.
The brief chunk of gameplay we saw at Gamescom already had enough to get fans of the original game wondering how the hell things got so bad, as test-subject-turned-paranatural-protagonist Dylan was shown actively seeking out and consuming the stupefying Mold. Manhattan is unrecognizable, requiring gravity shifts to traverse streets that now point directly up into the sky or curve around to form an unnatural ceiling, and enemies of various grotesque flavors roam free.
Dylan himself is as much of an enigma as the world around him. You’re revealing the story of the wider city–past, present, and future–but also coaxing Dylan’s story out one puzzle piece at a time.
Fights in the demo were fluid and flexible. Using the Aberrant, a shapeshifting melee weapon, Dylan quickly adapted to waves of enemies, building up a Falter gauge to deliver fatal blows, and dashing nimbly between the legs of shambling Mold creatures. It’s satisfying, fast-paced, and rewards the aggressive strategist’s approach. Using the paranatural abilities to your advantage means your weapon feels like an extension of you, especially as Dylan gains health only by killing enemies. Resonant’s combat focuses on aggression, as we previously learned there won’t be a parry mechanic.
In between these bouts–either after a victory, or voluntarily during quieter periods–Dylan can retreat to The Gap. This is a sort of liminal space where you can practice moves in a low-stakes arena of enemy types (useful for learning weaknesses), change his loadout, use new Artifacts for boosts, and upgrade his abilities. It’s a peaceful reprieve, but once you return to the real world, there’s a penalty: everything has been refreshed and strengthened, designed to level up with you.
Between the snippets of conversation shown in the demo, the strange and immensely detailed setting, seamless combat against intelligent foes, and a load of new lore to uncover, it seems like Control Resonant might be exactly as good as fans were hoping.