Control Developers Talk Influences, Photo Mode, and More

Remedy has developed several high profile titles, including the Max Payne series, Alan Wake and most recently, Quantam Break. They are back with Control, the mysterious sci-fi action game coming out this year. In a recent interview with DualShockers, Communications Director Thomas Puha and Game Director Mikael Kasurinen sat down to talk about various aspects of the game.

One of the primary aspects of the interview was the inspirations for the title, with a huge nod given to renowned film director Stanley Kubrick, and how they hope to emulate his ability to inspire feelings based on what you’re being shown without giving a lot of explanation.

“Especially Kubrick, regarding how he is a storyteller, he doesn’t put everything in front of you and say ‘This is exactly what’s happening,'” said Kasurinen. “There is a lot of room for interpretation.”

“When Kubrick did the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, the ending was a really good take on when the human mind gets in contact with something that is beyond comprehension, witnessing things that they don’t understand what they are, a higher intelligence,” he continued. “When you look at New Weird a huge part of it is you encounter these types of elements and there is a sense of realism to it and an unsettling aspect as well.

“There is this sense of awe, you are terrified but also excited or interested in what you are witnessing. That is what Kubrick is really good at in all of his movies, he is a huge inspiration. And other New Weird elements like Stalker, the movie by Tarkovsky, a Russian movie from 1979 where the story about this strange zone where there is a person who gets people inside its protection and guides them around inside the zone. In it is a room that can grant you any wish you have and it’s a deeply philosophical and psychological movie dealing with phenomenon that we can’t really understand.”

They also say no photo mode is planned for base release, as they have mentioned previously– but it is on top of the list as they plan to continue support for the game after release, with two expansions currently planned.

The developers also confirm that despite the nature of the setting – a constantly shifting area called the Oldest House – the game is not procedurally generated, and instead they see the weapons and abilities as main functions of replayability.

“We do use techniques that are more procedural, tools and so on,” said Kasurinen. “We have a toolset, for instance, for all the different sectors and it is relatively easy for us to expand an area or make it smaller depending on what we need. So there was a change in how we approached level design but at the end of the day it is hand crafted areas and sequences.”

Control is scheduled to release August 27, 2019 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.