Control (2019)

Remedy has a consistent vibe and style. You are either going to love it or hate it. I lean more towards liking it. A common critique with Remedy games, which I agree with, is combat is often very repetitive and halfbaked. You endure the repetitive and halfbaked combat for the story and atmosphere. That was certainly the case with Max Payne and Alan Wake. Control feels like the best combat that Remedy has ever cooked up (I haven't played Quantum Break). It's honestly fun once you get 5 hours in. That said, by the end, the combat feels more routine and like a chore. This is because the game essentially introduces ever element to combat at 5 hours, and then never really expands it. Instead, they rely on throwing hordes of tough enemies at you, which feels more like a slog than a satisfying escalation of challenge.

They do throw some unique fights at you in the form of boss fights. Some of these are actually great! Such as the Giant Plant. Where there are actual unique mechanics and a satisfying challenge to overcome, presented as an engaging set piece. Most of the time, it's just a buffed up enemy you've already fought which feels pretty lazy. Another issue with combat is how clunky the first 5 hours feels. This is because the game is clearly balanced around Jess' full moveset, which you don't fully unlock until about 5 hours in... once you do, combat can feel fluid and a ton of fun, aside from the lack of encounter variety that certainly wears thin by the end.

The lack of the full moveset does lead to some early difficulty spikes, mostly because you don't have the tools to react. You fight a floating HISS who will relentlessly throw stuff at you. You don't have a dodge move and there isn't a cover system, so you kind of have to cheese it by hugging pillars. Not too satisfying of a challenge, especially since if you fought him with the dodge, it would have been a good fight. So this does cause some early pacing issues, mostly due to the game holding back key mechanics.

With the full moveset though, it's really fun to levitate above, using a rocket launcher and hurling random objects at your enemies. It's just a shame they couldn't design combat encounters better to allow for more creative experimentation with the combat and keep it engaging until the end. I think the game strikes a good balance with infinite ammo for guns, but with a cooldown and limited by recharging resources for your power. This is great design, because it encourages you to alternate between the two to keep up the pressure. It's a good balance. Another satisfying thing about the combat is the destructible aspects of the environments. It's nothing ground breaking, more superficial. But it does create a satisfying feedback to all of your attacks. Pick up a filing cabinet, hurl it through a table with books on it, causing the books to explode into a plume of papers, the table splintering and flying in multiple directions, then the cabinet smacks an enemy sending them flying throw a glass wall. This happens all the time, making your moves feel punchy.

So yeah, best Remedy combat, but still has issues with repetition. That said, the lore of the game is pretty awesome. Like with past Remedy games, it's really the writing, art style and atmosphere where their strength as a studio shines. One big downside to Control, compared to Max Payne or Alan Wake, is the main character is just so bland. I really didn't find Jess to be relatable or interesting. Sure she's trying to save her brother, but she feels pretty robotic throughout. It doesn't help either that the game has heavy doses of asinine internal monologues from Jess. Where she says "O geez I should ask so and so about that thing" then she immediately asks the question... like did I really need Jess to tell me what she literally was about to say? Most internal monologues are this. Where sometimes it tells us how she feels, which is often times just common sense from context. So yeah, most of these internal monologues just explain what we're already seeing. Committing the cardinal sin of internal monologues/narrations.

Still the world building is really cool. The lore behind the Hiss and most supporting characters, unlike Jess, are well realized with distinct personalities. Except for Jess' brother, who is portrayed in a cartoonish way. To be fair, he is possessed, but even in his audio recordings pre-possession, it still plays pretty cartoonish.

Remedy's use of media within media I think is quite effective here. The Threshold Kids and Dr. Darling's various PSA as both descend deeper into madness were great and always served as a fun diversion. You can fairly criticize these by saying it negatively impacts pacing, since you basically have to stand around for a few minutes to watch the TV, but these are completely optional. There's also a shocking amount of flavor text to read. Including tones of redacted classified documents. I started reading these, but lost interest. Mostly because there's just an insane amount of these.

I also really like the games usage of geometry to create an uncanny atmosphere. And While the Oceanview hotel never serves as a complex puzzle, the Twin Peaks Vibe of the place are awesome. Tying this whole universe to Alan Wake and including an optional section focused on Alan Wake was also a lot of fun, even if the boss felt like a slog to beat.

Overall, one of Remedy's best games, especially with the combat, but it still suffers from repetition. I find myself still smiling and respecting Remedy for committing to their vision. This is certainly pretentious, but at the same time, there really isn't anyone else making games this weird with as high of a budget (plenty of great weird indy titles). We need more weird high budget games like this!

ACTION-ADVENTURE - Jesse Faden searches for her missing brother in the Oldest House while unraveling the mysteries of the Federal Bureau of Control.

PROS:

++ Oldest House. This game was oozing with terrific atmosphere. I wouldn't say the game is scary, but as I explored the Oldest House, I always felt uneasy and uncomfortable. But even though it's a hostile place, it was enticing and made me want to explore.

++ Combat. The combat isn't complex, and I can understand why some may find it tedious, but nevertheless, I had lots of fun with the combat. Launching objects at enemies, using the different weapons, all while levitating, was something that I did not tire of in the game's run-time.

++ Visuals and graphics. The game look stunning and has an amazing aesthetic. There were so many screenshot-worthy moments. And I really liked that the game had destructibility (to an extent) which really elevated the combat.

++ Worthwhile side content. The side missions are actually worth doing, often rewarding you with good boss fights, and new abilities such as strafing, shields, and seizing control of enemies. None of the side missions I played felt like filler.

++ Great lore & world building.

CONS:

-- Narrative. I'm sure there was a great story being told here, but it personally just went over my head. From what I saw online, it's almost necessary to read a lot of the extra articles lying around, and watching those multimedia videos, in order to better understand the story. Just not my cup of tea.

-- Timid AI. I think the combat would have been so much more dynamic and tense if enemies were more aggressive. As they are now, you can just hang back and pick them off one by one without taking a single hit. There was really only one enemy type that made me nervous and it was the invisible, close quarters Hiss enemy.

-- Annoying map. The way the in-game map worked was so confusing. It doesn't give you the feature to toggle separate floors of the same sector.

-- Forgettable characters. Besides Jesse and maybe Ahti, all the other characters are incredibly forgettable and I won't remember them a week from now.

-- Too many different pick-ups.

Every Remedy game is an evolution of Max Payne. Sometimes revolutionary and sometimes just evolutionary, not a complaint. This one manages a bit of both.

Based on the setting this reminds of the budget games of the GCN/PS2/X era. Games I loved but also rough. But ultimately with a vision.

This game's "World" in a literal sense is a brutalist building and... that is it. The same tilesets you see at the beginning are pretty much it.

But narratively they really swing for the SCP-tinged fences. It is pretty bonkers!

The gameplay seems simple and I guess it is but the way you build and learn to be basically a superhero by the end reminded me of "Advent Rising" and I fucking loved that game too for how it feels to get more powerful.

The engagements and pretty same-y all throughout. It is kind of like "Alan Wake" where you need to be invested in either the narrative or the LORE to kind of get you through it. Also, I am bad at video games but I died A LOT. Often times in random simple encounters. Like, going back to the opening area and the random respawn overpowers me and I die. I guess I just needed to pay more attention...

Anyway, I am not giving any story bits but I will say, while I was fine with it is was more the world and the lore and the little bits from all the collectables that really captured my imagination! It is very detailed and very fun. Lots of layers to consider if you want to get artsy fart-sy about it.

Anyway, I really enjoyed Alan Wake back in the day and know this is more directly related to it so I wanted to play this before replaying 1 and starting 2. This ended up being better than I thought. On to the DLC! (Wondering if I should replay AW1 before doing the AWE DLC...)

Control on Remedyn kokeilu tehdä metroidvania-tyylistä peliä – sekä kenties Remedyn paras peli.

Controlissa hypätään Jesse Fadenin rooliin, joka etsii kadonnutta veljeään Federal Bureau of Controlin (FBC), salaisen paranormaaleihin ilmiöihin keskittyneen organisaation, salaisesta päämajasta. Päämaja ei ole mikään perus pytinki, vaan se sijaitsee jossain eri ulottuvuuksien rajamailla ja se elää ja muuttuu lennosta. Päämajaa terrorisoi Hiss-niminen entiteetti, joka muuttaa ihmiset zombimaisiksi vihulaisiksi sekä saa rakennuksen olemaan entistä oikukkaampi. Tarinassa selvitellään sitten Hissin alkuperää, Jessen ja veljensä taustaa sekä FBC:n järjestön sisäistä sekamelskaa.

Tarinaa kerrotaan lyhyillä välivideoilla ja lyhyillä dialoginpätkillä. Pelin hahmokavalkadi oli omasta mielestä loistava, ja tavalla tai toisella tärähtäneiden FBC:n työntekijöiden horinoita kuunteli mielellään – etenkin kun hahmot ovat viihdyttävän eläväisesti animoitu. Välivideoista ja keskusteluista saa tosin vain osan kokonaiskuvasta. Iso osa Controlin maailmasta ja tapahtumista pohjustetaan erilaisin dokumentein, videoin ja ääninauhottein. Alan Wake -pelit tekevät samaa, mutta eivät yhtä kattavasti kuin Control. Tyyli ei varmasti ole kaikille, mutta itselle kyllä kolisi, koska FBC ja pelin tarina olivat hyvinkin omaan makuuni. X-files faninlle Control ruksailee osittain samoja bokseja.

Itse pelaaminen vaihtelee rauhallisen tutkimisen ja toiminnantäyteisen voimafantasian välillä. Rauhallista tutkimista edustaa dialogit, taustamateriaalien luku, kevyet puzzlet ja uusien paikkojen etsiminen uusilla kyvyillä. Toimivaa tavaraa. Toimintapuolta puolestaan edustaa bossit ja "satunnaistaistelut", joissa Jesse kurmottaa vihollisia tyydyttävän övereillä kyvyillä ja iskuilla. Pelin mittaan Jesse oppii mm. lentämään, nakkelemaan esineitä ja vihollisia ajatuksen voimalla jedi-tyyliin ja käännyttämään vihollisia omalle puolelle. Taistelu on todella nopeatempoista ja napakan tuntuista, ja tietyllä tapaa Controlista tulee mieleen kaksi uusinta Doomia – etenkin kun paras tapa saada lisää elkkua taistelussa on olla agressiivinen. Kehu on siis suuri. Tosin, on tunnustettava, että pelin loppupuolella taistelut alkavat väsyttämään, sillä liika on liikaa, mutta onneksi satunnaistaisteluista voi monasti vain viilettää huis helvettiin. Yleisesti, kutienkin, pelattavuus on todella laadukasta tavaraa.

Kirsikkana kakun päällä, peli näyttää ja kuulostaa erittäin hyvältä. Grafiikat ovat todella näyttävät, toiminta on räjähtävää ja räiskyvää ja äänimaailma tukee niin toimintaa kuin tunnelmaa. Alan Wake -pelien tapaan, myös Controlissa on päräyttävä pelattava musiikkiosuus, jossa pelin toiminta ja Poets of the Fallin musiikki on sulautettu pelattavaksi musiikkivideoksi. Ja on mukana talkkari Ahdin esittämä iskelmäkappalekin, Sankarin tango. Ylipäätään pelin artstyle ja "viba" ovat todella omaleimaisia. Brutalistisen toimistorakennuksen arkkitehtuuri, Hissin valtaamien ihmisten horina taustalla kaikuvat erilaiset kolahdukset ja jylinät tekevät FBC:n päärakennuksesta yhden muistettavimmista miljöistä miesmuistiin.

Pelasin itse Controlin Ultimate Editionin, jossa tuli DLC:t mukana. Näistä The Foundation oli todella kovaa tavaraa. Uusia mekaniikkoja ja vihollisia tuotiin parit, ja pääpelin tarinaa täydennettiin erittäin makoisasti. Alan Wake teemainen A.W.E. delsu oli myöskin sisällöiltään hyvä, ja suorat viittaukset Alan Wakeen (ja vielä Controlin julkaisun aikana julkistamattomaan Alan 2:een) olivat hauskoja bongattavia. Kuitenkin, A.W.E.:n tarina esitettiin tavalla, joka oli minulle pettymys. Tämä tosin taisi johtua väärinymmärryksestä siitä, mitä DLC tarkoittaa pääpelin tarinalle, mutta eivät väärinymmäryksetkänä (usein) tyhjästä synny. Joka tapauksessa, kummastakin DLC:stä saa mukavasti laadukasta sisältöä pääpelin päälle.

Control pääsi tietyllä tapaa jopa yllättämään sillä, kuinka helvetin hyvä peli on kyseessä. Alan Wake 2:n jälkeen ajattelin, että aiemmat Remedyn pelit tulevat todennäköisesti tuntumaan vaisuilta. Väärässä olin, ja Control on vähintään samalla viivalla. Yksi uusista suosikeista.

Since I originally played Control and abandoned it after finding it too difficult, I told myself I'd return to it whenever I could upgrade from my RX 480 to a graphics card capable of raytracing. Even if I couldn't beat it, I wanted to see how raytracing could change the experience.

I managed to get my hands on a 3080ti and am delighted to report the improved framerate from the additional power has made aiming so much easier and taking cover feel so much more responsive. I was able to easily get past my previous save file and unlock the abilities that make dispatching low-level enemies trivial. Turns out, I needed stable performance allow me to better control Control (and I didn't need a controller!).

Raytracing-wise, everything feels incredibly soft in the best possible way. Shadows feel draped across the world. Reflective mirrors look haunting but...familiar? Concrete even feels different. It's hard to explain and I'm excited to have had my previous experience with the RX480 to compare to the RTX 3080ti.

It's Prey (2017), but worst. (Bioshock? Meh, few similarities.)

The map sucks. You have so many little stairs and corridors, and you can't see the level below or on top of you. The point control and elevator icons are the same color, you have to hover your mouse over it to make sure which is which. You're interrupted in the main mission by a secondary mission with a timer, no idea why. Is it to fend off the hiss? Is to recapture a point that is lost? No one knows but you have to do it or else... nothing. There is no consequences. But if you die you fail the mission. ???

The cover system sucks. A lot of low walls half covers. The game wants you to keep moving, but what do you gain from leaving cover? Nothing.

Recovering health by hiding, health item, going back to a control point? Nooo. You have to get close to the corpse of an enemy, Doom-like. Are you rewarded for it? No, you get thrashed by rockets with no warning.

Ah yes, the telekinesis power that gets stopped by the little barrier in front of you. Always a pleasure.

The combat system has cool powers, but 1 year after release, it's barely playable. Such a waste.

In an entertainment world dominated by the MCU, constantly churning out hit after hit on the big screen, small screen and every screen in-between, you'd think I'd roll my eyes at the thought of another connected universe. But Control's world building, talented cast and attention to detail stuck with me in a way that most games simply can't.

I've been a fan of Remedy's work from roughly 2010 on, when Alan Wake was released. I still remember watching a game-play video prior to release, seeing the protagonist fleeing wildly through the dense forest, and knowing I had to experience whatever this game was selling. Remedy's penchant for storytelling, atmospheric moments and pitch perfect musical interludes was captivating. There were game-play moments that will stick with me forever (read: the Anderson Farm stage battle) and themes that were introduced that are still paying off to this day, whether related to game-play or world-building (I thought "Children of the Elder God", written and performed by Finnish band Poets of the Fall, known in universe as Old Gods of Asgard, was maybe the most thematically appropriate musical number ever put to code, but more on that later).

At the time I tried to go back to Max Payne, but as much as I appreciated the gritty aesthetic and unique approach to narrative, I just couldn't get fully invested. Then came Quantum Break. Another swing, another homerun in my book. The fact that I recognized the majority of the actors (Lance Reddick!) somehow added to my enjoyment of the story, and allowed the voices and the characters they brought to life to really coalesce. Game-play was better than average single player action fare (much like Alan Wake before it) and emphasized smart environmental usage, constant movement and liberal use of the mechanics layered on you as the story progressed. The writing itself and world building that takes place evenly between cutscenes, jarringly added live action segments and expository correspondence hidden throughout the world is nothing short of phenomenal and gives added depth to the narrative being told.

Fast forward to E3 2018 and the initial Control reveal. My first impressions were unfiltered joy and maniacal cackling. It looked like the best of everything Remedy had put out previously, combined into a refreshingly non Xbox exclusive package. First impressions of the game itself only reinforced these thoughts. Beth Wilder was back in the guise of Jesse Faden! In-universe emails directly referenced Alan Wake and the Bright Falls AWE! The Old Gods of Asgard were back! The scientist at the heart of the Federal Bureau of Control's malfunctioning bureaucracy is played by the voice of Alan Wake! Then came the reveal to end all reveals, DLC meant to explicitly show the connection between the world of Alan Wake and the world of the FBC. Suffice it to say, I was pleased with this development and the game itself delivered as promised, serving as an enticingly new experience while also proving that Remedy had been building something for years, an interconnected universe that I am hopeful they will continue to leverage in the coming years. Highlights below:

Story: Skewed significantly closer to the light horror vibes introduced in Alan Wake and danced away from the straight action of Quantum Break. Chose to forego the chapter based set-up in favor of a focused narrative guiding you deeper and deeper (sometimes literally) into the heart of the FBC. The thoughtfully interspersed moments where Jesse would walk into a new sector and see the name of the area splash across the screen in huge white blocky letters were somehow always impactful. The main narrative itself was average, but was buoyed by the incredible and interesting world it was taking place in. The emails, directives and other explanatory materials peppered throughout the world were deliberately written and thematically rewarding. The acting throughout was excellent and really lent a believable quality to the world as a whole. It didn't hurt that so many familiar faces were back in prominent roles, including the voice of Max Payne himself.

Game-play: Another improvement from the formula Remedy has been perfecting for years. Above average mix of exploration and combat, with well-paced introduction of new abilities that allowed for experimentation, improvement, then finally mastery before layering on a welcome variation. By the end of the game I was a vulnerable deity capable of laying waste to rooms of enemies, while still needing to stay alert lest a single foe remove half of my health bar. Constant movement is rewarded, and frequent use of special abilities is required.

Sound Design: Frankly not something I notice in most games. But Control isn't most games. The constant chanting coming from the hive mind antagonists "The Hiss" are consistently unnerving, and the musical score is fantastic, culminating in a sequence to rival my favorite moment from Alan Wake. The sequence itself isn't something I want to spoil, but you'll know it when you get there. Overall sound plays a critical role in the considerable atmosphere that Control lays down thick at every turn.

Overall: One of my current favorite experiences in gaming, added to tremendously by substantial DLC. Remedy, you've done it again, welcome to the RCU!

I know the first part of my 'in-depth' analysis of Control was inusual. Instead of really talking of the themes and symbolism of the game, I focused on its relation with Alan Wake and the 'Remedy Connected Universe'.

I'll be honest, that was what the website asked from me, but in this second part I was finally able to write about what the game is "really" about. I've really wanted to talk about this for a long time.

Here's the second part of my in-depth analysis of Control. I hope you like! (it's in spanish, as usual).

Control is a fantastic concept, acted out by pretty OK characters, wrapped in boring combat.

I can't rate this game, because I didn't play it the intended way. 4 hours in I put cheats on and blew through the game. My favorite parts of it were exploring and uncovering secrets about the world, and I'm glad I cheated because I know what I like, and dull, pointless combat is not something I like. Control should have been an adventure game or, hell, even a TV show.

Also, I feel that it succumbs to the curse of the cosmic thriller. It is nearly impossible to end these stories in a way that's satisfying, because the interest builds from a sense of the unknowable, the unfathomable. That said, I found Control's ending to be especially limp, even given that I was planning on giving it some grace here. I feel like absolutely nothing was explained or expanded upon. Sure, you don't have to explain a lot, but I mean almost nothing was explained. It pretty much shrugs at you and says "I dunno, lol, buy the DLC, maybe there'll be something there."

Also the FMV cutscenes with Dr. Darling are cringey. He's not a good actor, and some of the game's writing comes off as amateurish, so those combined make for some bad moments. The acting in general isn't great. The actor who plays Jesse is fantastic, though.

I'm not going to formally rate it, because I don't think it's fair to the game because I cheated. However if I was going to rate my time with the game, I'd say 3/5, with all of those points being from the world and concepts. Also worth noting is that it runs very poorly on PS4. Pausing the games makes it feel like it's going to crash.

I'm playing the DLC (thanks PS Plus) and absolutely in love again.

The Foundation was a really cool exploration of the areas below the Oldest House and AWE is creeping me out with its own 'nemesis-like' monster and references to Alan Wake.

I'm enjoying playing as Jesse so much that I'm dreading the moment I finish the extra content and there's no more Control again.

4 or so hours in. I feel the game is seriously bogged down by its own gameplay. Shooting dudes is boring as hell in Control (using telekinesis is cool, though, but does get old), but the story and world I find very fascinating. I think I'm going to put it on "one hit kill" mode and just plow through the slog of combat. The load times are crazy long, so when you die it really sucks.

So far, I feel Control should have been an adventure game, not a shooter.

I pleasantly surprised that I heard Control was reviewing so well upon its release last year. I've been a fan of the developer Remedy since the release of Max Payne, which was by all accounts a critical and commercial success. However their two previous games to Control, Alan Wake and Quantum Break never quite reached the penetration that Max Payne did.

After seeing how it was doing with the critics and fans I jumped in and loved every minute of it. Without spoiling too much of the story, I hope you find yourself similarly gripped by the unravelling mystery planted early in the game that kept me gripped for its entire duration. Genre wise, If Max Payne was Hong Kong bullet ballet movies through a gumshoe noir lens, and Alan Wake was Night Peaks 'The Video Game', Control is very much X-Files adjacent, exploring the aspects of the supernatural instead of the extraterrestrial. There is a dark undercurrent that is ever presented by never quite takes hold fully as its delicately balanced by the humor your find in most Remedy games--yes there is black-comedy television series!

Gameplay and mechanics wise this game is a culmination of the third person action learnings Remedy has been collecting for almost twenty years. It really is their tightness and most responsive feeling game. For progression you'll find yourself traversing the world to unlock new abilities and backtracking to previous sections now available to you with your new found powers. I'm trying really hard to not invoke the big 'M' or 'C' game I could probably use as short hand. In all honesty the 'Oldest House', the main area you find yourself exploring was very tightly designed very similar to last years 'Jedi: Fallen Order'.

Another positive is that the game isn't too long, and never really got boring. I could see some expert players find the game's combat a breeze. Not to brag, but I did find the latter third pretty easy there after you have started to spec in a direction you like and use two or three abilities consistently.

I loved this game to bits, and I look forward to going back to play the DLC at some point!

I flip-flopped back and forth between giving Control 3 or 4 stars. I eventually landed on 4 stars after considering that the game was intriguing enough to keep me playing through The Foundation DLC and every available non-procedurally-generated side mission.

You play as Jesse Faden, who finds her way to the mysterious "Federal Bureau of Control" in NYC, looking for her brother. This building, also known as "The Oldest House", is oozing with all kinds of weird X-Files stuff. You quickly find that something is seriously wrong here. There are some really cool paranormal story elements tucked away in the game, but unfortunately, many of the most interesting bits are just text & audiotapes scattered around the game (which are not particularly related to the main story).

Where most games would lean on in-engine cutscenes to progress the story, Control uses a lot of FMV video being broadcast on TVs and film projectors you encounter. Luckily, these videos are well-done.

Voice acting is hit-or-miss, with the main character's performance being one of the less stellar in the game. Facial animation is typically very good, but there's one character (Emily Pope) who often looks like her mocap rig wasn't calibrated correctly for the first half of the game, and it's distracting how her mouth is constantly still open when she says "P" and "M" sounds.

Music is mostly non-existent, except for a couple tunes used near the end of the game to really fun effect.

Graphics are very pretty overall, but on my PC with a non-raytracing videocard, the environment often seemed extremely dark and hard to navigate. Luckily, with a fairly mid-range PC (Ryzen 1600, GTX 1060 3GB, 16GB RAM), I didn't notice any of the awful performance problems people have cited on consoles. I will note that load times after you die are fairly long (on a hybrid SSD drive); and along with a somewhat punishing checkpointing system, made some of the tougher combat sections a bit frustrating to trek back into.

You start with a gun which acts as a handgun. As you play, you are able to transform this gun so it acts as a shotgun, sniper rifle, etc.. Unfortunately, the gun(s) aren't particularly fun to use. However, the various kinetic abilities you learn throughout the game make up for the weak gunplay. I found myself launching a lot more tables & forklifts at enemies than bullets.

The basic leveling is somewhat similar to God of War 2018. Killing enemies drops a "Source" currency, which you use along with slightly rarer named items to upgrade the strength of abilities, guns, or things like health & energy levels.

Overall, the game is a competent third-person action game, that could have been so much better if it leveraged the available cool story stuff into the gameplay a bit more.

There is only a few game you can qualify as game changer, very few which can influence your own view of the media as a whole. Control is one of them.

Story time : Control never beneficied of an intense marketing, it wasn't even very anticipated (after the semi failure that was quantum break). I saw it only because of Nvidia intense marketing around RTX (the game is using it). At this time all I though was that it's another boring AAA repetitive title. All changed the day I played it.

Control have reached the point where all the different component of a game come together perfectly to form a piece of uniform media, an experience, where you forgot that you are playing a game to dive into its world. What I mean by my approximative english is that nothing in Control is left uncontrolled (pun intended). Music, scenery, gameplay, graphics, story and more are all working together inside a global vision, what some big games usually tend to lose. What it creates is a universe that feels consistent and deep, a story coming close to the SCP universe where there is thousand of stories, too much to explore everything. And the devs don't want you to explore everything, this feeling of having so much left uncovered, so little guidance (a few travel points...) is what contributes to the played blending into what the game try to create. You are a part of a whole you will never fully understand, as in real life. And on top of that comes all the paranormal. Control universe is heavely inspired by the SCP one, the concept is the same, perhaps less creepy and more clean looking. It makes things more dramatic when a flamingo can suddently become the bringer of your damnation.

Control's gameplay is pretty neat. The movements of your character are well animated and powers are very satisfying to watch and to use. The environment reacts a lot to what you are doing, giving you a feeling of power that grows the more you progress into the game. Perhaps not enough.I regret not having more powers to use but this incite the player to be more creative with what he have. Focusing on a more pure experience. Essences you can use to develop your character are for me very disposable. Don't know what the intent was here but the time/reward ratio is too low to be interesting. This is maybe hte only part of the game that feels off with the rest.

This "shy" aspect of the character building is maybe put in place by the team to prone a more visceral story and scenery building. Powers are effective immediatly when you get them, guns and their variant are too. You cant seemlessly progress deeper and deeper into the old house with this feeling that you are diving into a profond madness. If you felt that you could escape at the beginning of the game, it become less and less of a possibility the more you venture into the metroidesque map of the game. This metroidvania aspect, pushing you to go back on your track to discover places you couldn't go before, is not just straight up vampirized from the game next door. This system serves as well the story and scenery devlopment, with corridors changing in shape and color when you go back to them, new room appearing. The ever growing aspect of the old house is always exploited for gameplay as well as the story and level design. This is the link that keep it all together.

...

There is much more to say, maybe I'll update this review to complete my analysis later. But I still hope what I wrote before is enought to make you play this great piece of video game history.

Game Summary

The story is one of the biggest strengths of this games so I don't want to give away too much, but the game starts with Jesse entering the Federal Bureau of Control to ask about her missing brother. The building seems to be empty though and you must figure out what's going on.

Review Portion

I don't think I've fallen in love with a game world and concept this much since Prey (2017). The idea of the Federal Bureau of Control existing to hunt down items that alter the world around them is something I'm a big fan of. (Think Fringe or Warehouse 13) The Service Weapon's flexibility and "ammo" system along with the plethora of powers you gain kept combat enjoyable throughout. If you enjoy finding notes around the world for extra worldbuilding, the game has some of the best I've seen, the in game TV show being a truly unsettling experience. The cast of characters add a lot to the enjoyment whether encountered in person like Ahti or through videos like Darling.

That being said, the game is not without it's flaws. The story ends on a somewhat interpretive note with some story threads left open and the first DLC doesn't wrap most of them up either. The combat is fun and is often based on having rooms of enemies you most flit around and eliminate. The dash and throw abilities really play well with this. There's one fight sequence in particular that is probably the coolest I've experienced in ANY game. It feels like that doesn't gel as much with some of the boss fights which end up feeling more frustrating than challenging.

Summary

You'll probably know if this game is for you. If you like the story and world elements, the flaws aren't enough to ruin that experience. There are moments of frustration, but never so frustrating that I didn't want to continue.

Personal Score : 9.5/10

"Objective" Score : 8/10

Great game, just when things started to get interesting it was over.

To be honest i didn't really understand how it all ended, although i really enjoyed it.

I played with ultra settings plus some raytracing turned on and this game is a real gem. It make all other AAA games feel like yesterdays news.

Unfortunatly the score 4/5 is much because of the amazing graphics and amazing flow the battle sequences has right by the end. It's to bad we didn't get to enjoy it longer.

Had it not been for the graphics, maybe it would "only" get a 3/5 from me.