It’s time to return the FBC for reals this time, with Control Resonant taking familiar characters from the first game in a bold new direction, allowing it to evolve into a title that’s looking very ambitious. However, the game’s new protagonist and a new genre altogether are potent changes that could take a very successful premise to new heights, as the stakes are a lot higher for its players this time around.
But of course, Remedy has balanced those new goalposts with some cool new additions that can even things out and make Resonant a title that does what Control does best with style,and then some. If you’re like us, you were probably jumping for joy when you finally got to see the announcement trailer and the almost delicious bizarreness of it all. But what new information did it give out, really?
Quite a bit, once you do a little digging. Well, that’s just what we did, and we have a few things you’re going to want to know about the game in the run up to its 2026 release.
1. A New Normal for Manhattan
Remember those raised stakes we were talking about? Well, the Oldest House has failed to keep The Hiss in check seven years after the events of the first game. It’s escaped and has turned Manhattan into a deadly place full of dangers, its citizens possessed and out for your blood. There are mentions of other deadly supernatural entities in play, all of which are probably going to be between us and the next thing we need to do to proceed with the story.
We think that moving The Hiss out of The Oldest House is a move that’s going to allow Resonant to have a much larger size and scope than its predecessor. It’s also a great stage for an action RPG set in the Control universe. The Hiss could warp Manhattan’s very reality to suit its own intentions, and having to navigate the challenges it throws at us could be riveting if it’s integrated well within the story and side content that’s sure to populate its streets.
Furthermore, The Hiss and its buddies having transformed Manhattan, it could be a great source of more locations that exist outside of reality, bringing threats and challenges that might require the particular skill set of Resonant’s new protagonist.
2. A New Protagonist
Dylan Fader takes over the reins from Jesse, having been brought out of his imprisonment by the FBC in its desperate effort to battle the new threat it now faces and risks being overwhelmed by. Considering his past trysts with The Hiss, and the fact that Jesse, his sister and director of the FBC, has failed in her vow to find a way to deal with The Hiss, her fate presumably unknown, in a clever reversal of roles between the siblings in comparison to the first game.
And while Jesse may have believed that she managed to cleanse Dylan of The Hiss, her efforts have seemingly been for naught thanks to her brother’s new abilities and powers and their decidedly crucial role in helping the FBC in its effort to earn redemption and remedy the situation in Manhattan.
But what is his role in the FBC’s plan for salvation? How did he manage to get out of the coma Jesse put him in? Has The Hiss managed to stay with him, or are his powers a lingering effect of its influence, getting stronger the more he comes into contact with it? What the hell is going on with Jesse? Did the AWE she was told about at the end of the first game’s Alan Wake crossover have something to do with her current alleged predicament?
We already know Dylan was once considered a candidate for Director before the job went to Jesse. We guess we’re going to learn if he was up to the task after all. It’s going to be interesting to see how his new powers change the game’s combat, which the developers insist is based on the principles of the old game, albeit in a new and improved avatar.
3. A Fancy Weapon For A Fancy Protagonist
Dylan isn’t just going to rely on his Hiss-enabled powers as he makes his way through Manhattan’s new reality. He wields the Aberrant Living Weapon, a radical departure from Jesse’s transforming firearm, as it requires you to get up close and personal with your enemies.
We’re quite curious to see how Remedy has managed to create synergies between Dylan’s innate abilities and Aberrant’s raw power and destructive potential. The game’s RPG trappings are also going to allow you to craft builds that suit your playstyle, making use of Dylan’s strength, speed, and powers with efficiency and tactical brutality.
We’re hoping it gets harder to tell which one is the Living Weapon as the game progresses, a sentiment that feels justified after we saw glimpses of what we’re up against in the trailer and the fact that your enemies can move as quickly as you and come with their own paranatural attacks.
We’re also suspecting that your loadouts could affect where you can explore in Manhattan, with specific abilities required to access well-hidden secrets and shortcuts that let you have an easier time getting around while also giving you a reason to dive into progression systems that Remedy seems quite enthusiastic about.
4. Meeting Old Friends
We already know that Jesse is making her return, but does that mean we’re going to see more characters from the first game return to the sequel? Who could the game include that would make sense?
Ahti the Janitor is a great choice, and could be valuable in helping Dylan navigate Manhattan’s now-transformed streets, while his suitably mysterious origins in the first game could be a source of new information on the crisis now plaguing the FBC. His motives could also be a great focus for his story if he were to make it to Resonant, allowing Remedy to further flesh out a character from the first game who managed to stand tall among a great cast.
Dr. Emily Pope is another solid option, considering her connection to both Dylan and Jesse, and her role in assisting the latter’s quest to rid her brother of The Hiss’ influence. Helen Marshall and members of The Board, along with former directors, could also serve the game’s story well, with each one carrying a lot of potential for interesting content in both the main narrative and side missions.
5. A New Big Bad?
While we could be wrong here, the constant mention of “other forces” aside from The Hiss being a part of Manhattan’s new look has us wondering if there’s something worse controlling it. Could other malevolent beings from the realm of the metaphysical be behind Resonant’s rather dystopian landscape?
And if so, what connection could they have with Control’s leading sibling duo? The trailer warned us to brace ourselves as things were going to get weirder at the end of its runtime, and knowing Remedy, we’re rather inclined to believe them. While we’re going to have to wait for more information about potential new baddies in Resonant.
There’s also a hint that Jesse has gone rogue, which we found quite interesting considering how Resonant is attempting to create a sort of mirrored narrative between the two. Could Jesse be under the influence of The Hiss, and perhaps antagonistic to Dylan? Could she be under the control of other forces, perhaps even a rival to The Hiss? Now that would be quite a twist, although we might simply have to wait and see how things pan out.
And that brings us to the end of our list of new details that stood out at Resonant’s TGA 2025 reveal. We’re going to guess that you’re as excited as we are for this one. Rest assured, you’re going to hear about any new details as quickly as we do, so stay tuned!
