Taking place seven years after Control and starring Dylan Faden, brother to Jesse, should be more than enough to convince fans that Control Resonant is a sequel. And Remedy Entertainment isn’t shying away from that distinction either. It is, however, adamant that it’s an “independent product that stands on its own feet,” as creative director Mikael Kasurinen describes it.
“We call it the sequel, and it is a sequel, but it’s also an independent product that stands on its own feet. And to me, these games go together like two siblings,” he said. “Each belongs to the same family, but they have their own identity and desires and own fates, and they are connected.”
Interestingly, he says Dylan’s traipse through Manhattan to defeat The Hiss and other paranatural threats (including some new ones) is a “reverse journey compared to Jesse.” The latter was confined to the Oldest House, having to survive and understand its intricacies to emerge as Director of the FBC. By contrast, Dyland has spent his whole life within those Brutalist walls and is seeing the real world after a long time.
“Going from that isolation, captivity, that strange place that is normal to him to the outside world,” said Kasurinen. “And that outside world is weird and strange to him, yet familiar to us. And there’s something really exciting about that.”
Launching this year, Control Resonant is a big departure from the original in that it features an “open-ended” world. While you’re free to pursue the story, players can also explore the nooks and crannies of Manhattan, meeting with the few remaining civilians and uncovering secrets.
As you progress, Dylan can advance the Aberrant, unlocking new skills for the Primary and Secondary Forms while also defeating the powerful Resonants and adding their abilities to his repertoire. Head here for more details, but whether you’re completionist or in it for the story, it’s shaping up to be Remedy’s “biggest and most ambitious game” yet.