Manhattan has become a playground for the paranatural in Control Resonant, which may or may not be the FBC’s fault. It’s attempting to clean up the mess with Dylan Faden’s help, but that involves combating the Resonants – mysterious, powerful figures who command no small amount of authority.
We’ve seen three Resonants thus far, the Deserter being the most recent, and what’s really stood out is how distinct they are. Speaking to IGN, lead gameplay designer Sergey Mohov reaffirmed this, noting, “I think you will have a really hard time finding two bosses that are anything like each other.”
However, as you’ve likely noticed from the fights, they can’t all be fought in the same way, which is what Remedy is aiming for. “We want you to come in there and get this sense of wonder, and also they test very different skills. Every boss, by definition, is a skill check. And some bosses, you’re going to have a harder time with some builds than others.
“So you will want to think a little bit about what artifact do I want to equip in this one? What are the damage types that I’m dealing with here? Is it better to attack it from range or is it better to stay up close?” said Mohov.
The Resonants are also intriguing because of their ties to The Patterning, a new paranatural threat alongside The Hiss and The Mold. Art director Elmeri Raitanen noted that, “It transforms the cityscape in this weird algorithmic pattern. Often you find these Resonants — former persons of power at some sort of a focal point or an anchor point of this localized patterning. So this poor person somehow becomes amalgamated into their surroundings as well. So it’s not just the person, but becomes part of the environment.”
Perhaps this has some connection to Manhattan’s other threats evolving as you take out each Resonant. Maybe it’s The Patterning’s way of fighting back. Of course, it also may be part of its greater plan. We won’t know for sure until we play the game, but Remedy confirmed that you can fight the Resonants in any order after the first. Several are optional and not necessary to see the ending, though you’d have to think they’ll influence it in some way.
Launching on September 24th, Control Resonant will be available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. It’s touted as 30 hours long for the average player, but completionists will have much more to discover.
