When Control Resonant was first revealed in 2025, I was unsure how Remedy Entertainment would take on the action RPG genre. After spending nearly 60 hours with the sequel, I can thankfully say it’s not only one of the best action games this year, but it also has some of the best level design I’ve ever experienced in any game. Control Resonant might be Remedy’s most groundbreaking and genre-bending project to date.
Control Resonant Goes Open-World
Let’s get one thing out of the way: I’m an admitted Control fanboy. When the first title came out in 2019, I instantly fell in love with the world of the FBC and Jesse Faden’s journey to save her long-lost brother, Dylan. Control offered the perfect balance of Lynchian weirdness while also feeling like a precursor to shows such as HBO’s Severance.
However, my biggest issue with Control was its map system, as the game took place entirely inside the Federal Bureau of Control building. Its layered and interweaving locations were incredibly ambitious, but I also found progression frustrating at times because it was so easy to get lost. Sure, you might know where an objective is, but actually getting there could be a nightmare.
In Control Resonant, Remedy has completely moved the game’s map out of the FBC and into an open-world New York City—and it’s all the better for it. At times, Resonant reminds me of Infamous or Microsoft’s Crackdown. Dylan Faden is essentially a superhero who can fling himself off skyscrapers, double-dash through the air, and even warp gravity itself.
More importantly, objectives are now clearer, and the map doesn’t feel as claustrophobic. There were still sections of Control Resonant that had me stumped and took some time to figure out. However, that was usually due to an incredibly well-thought-out puzzle or mind-blowing level design that forces you to think outside the box to progress.
Control Resonant Has Incredible Level Design
Control Resonant has some of the most ambitious and mind-bending level design I’ve ever experienced in my 30 years of gaming. The best way I can describe it is that iconic scene from Christopher Nolan’s Inception where the city starts folding in on itself.
There are sections of Control Resonant where you literally have to explore entire city blocks from 360-degree angles, using gravity to fling Dylan in every direction. If you’re someone who is getting tired of open-world games, don’t worry—that isn’t an issue here.
Traversal is so much fun that it never feels like a slog to jump from building to building. The map also has a healthy number of side quests and NPCs with truly unique storylines, without ever feeling overwhelming. Not every story mission takes place in the sprawling city map, either. Remedy still includes FBC-like areas that are isolated and intricately designed.
Without getting into story spoilers, there is one portion of the game where you explore deep inside a massive sinkhole. However, as you descend down the proverbial rabbit hole, the level quickly transforms into an entire underground map that could have been torn from the pages of the Backrooms.
If you’ve ever wanted a truly AAA Backrooms-like experience where you get lost in a maze of empty hallways and creepy apartment spaces that duplicate and warp into each other, Control Resonant delivers exactly that. And it’s every bit as awesome as it sounds.
Dylan Faden’s Story Is Surprisingly Emotional
When Remedy first revealed that Jesse would take a back seat in Control Resonant, I was a bit worried. After all, I had really come to love the character. And let’s be real: What little we experienced of Dylan Faden in the first game didn’t leave the best first impression. However, he completely won me over only a few hours into the sequel.
Underneath all the sci-fi weirdness, Control is, at its core, a story about two siblings dealing with the aftermath of a broken home. Dylan is very much a victim of both the FBC and the tragic events established in the first title. In many ways, he’s still a kid. His childhood was ripped away from him when he was put in a cage and poked and prodded like an animal.
But it’s Dylan’s attempt to reclaim his humanity and find his footing as an individual that makes him such an endearing character. You can’t help but root for the guy after seeing everything he has been put through. Jesse and Dylan’s fight to reconnect after being separated for all these years is a central part of Resonant’s story, and it works really well.
I actually think this might be Remedy Entertainment’s most mature story yet. There are so many plot moments that really threw me for an emotional loop. Given how crazy Alan Wake II gets, that’s saying a lot.
Resonant Boss Fights Create an Addictive Gameplay Loop
In terms of its gameplay loop, Control Resonant has a really cool setup. Scattered throughout the warped streets of New York are massive entities called Resonants. They are essentially Dark Souls-style boss fights with reality-bending mechanics.
Once players are let loose in the city, they can take on main story missions or head off to fight these Resonant bosses instead. Defeating a Resonant unlocks new powers and abilities for Dylan Faden that can drastically change combat. Some Resonants are even optional and can be missed entirely.
The game will often naturally push you toward taking on these epic enemies, either because you are too underleveled for your current area or because you are missing a certain ability. Similarly, there are rifts across the city that can be sealed to unlock new traversal mechanics.
Remedy has crafted a really strong campaign that never feels overly hand-holdy or overwhelmed with filler content. While you have the freedom to tackle activities in the order you want, there are natural progression barriers that slowly guide you toward certain objectives. This keeps the game consistently feeling fresh.
Control Resonant’s Combat Is an Absolute Thrill
If you were a big fan of Control’s telekinetic combat, then you are in for a treat with Resonant. It’s pretty much everything you loved about the first game, but cranked up to 11. Instead of guns, you now wield melee weapons that can be mixed with your telekinetic powers.
At the start of the game, you are given a choice between three weapon builds. The balanced option is essentially a hammer that can launch enemies into the air with combos. However, my favorite was a pair of dual-wielded swords that trigger critical hits as you level them up. Finally, there is a giant scythe that lets you deal massive area-of-effect damage. It’s perfect for taking out mobs of Hiss while also dealing bonus damage when you’re floating in the air.
It doesn’t stop there. You also unlock a secondary weapon, including a giant whip, sledgehammer, or drill. Since I went with the dual-wielded swords, I chose the whip because it worked as both a ranged and area-of-effect attack. Regardless of which option you choose, the game eventually lets you unlock all three weapons and swap between different builds on the fly.
The combat itself is an absolute thrill, mixing levitation maneuvers, air dashes, telekinetic powers, and fast-paced melee attacks. Although the game doesn’t have a parry mechanic, you can dodge incoming attacks. All of these mechanics come together to create one of the best action RPGs released this year.
Control Resonant Review: Final Verdict
Control Resonant has some of the most mind-blowing level design you will experience in gaming. Its open-world version of New York City gives Remedy the freedom to create reality-bending environments without losing the carefully crafted locations and puzzles that made the first Control so memorable.
Dylan Faden’s story also delivers an emotional gut-punch of a narrative beneath all the sci-fi chaos and is a fitting continuation to the Control and Alan Wake univrse. With its incredibly fun traversal mechanics and edge-of-your-seat action gameplay, the end result is one of the most imaginative action RPGs I’ve played in years and Remedy Entertainment’s best work yet.
Verdict: Best In Its Class (10/10)
Pros
- Control Resonant features some of the most mind-bending level designs you will ever experience in gaming.
- Remedy’s move to an open-world city fixes a lot of the flaws of Control’s original map system suffered from.
- Resonant is filled to the brim with side quests and NPC’s with incredible storylines.
- The game’s action-packed combat and traversal mechanics makes this Remedy’s most fun game to date.
Cons
- Some of the puzzles in the game can be difficult to solve, and will halt main story progress until you complete them.
- While Control Resonant has ambitious level designs, it can easy to get a little lost when trying to find certain locations or objectives. It’s nowhere as confusing as the first Control, but a couple sections can leave you a little stumped.
Control Resonant releases on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC on September 24, 2026. A code was provided by Remedy Entertainment for the sake of review. Reviewed on PlayStation 5 Pro.
The post Control Resonant Review: A Mind-Bending Action Masterpiece appeared first on VICE.
