Control Review

(I played Control at launch on a PlayStation 4 Pro, so my review does not take into consideration performance on other systems including the base PS4 or what effect recent patches may have had on the game.)

A Remedy Entertainment game has a distinct feel to it. I still remember the first time I saw Control during E3 2018. It only took a few moments of its initial trailer for that classic Remedy style to show itself. While playing through Control, it’s easy to see the developer’s fingerprints all over the title. It’s their usual mix of cinematic storytelling and slick gunplay with atmosphere to burn. It’s also one of the finest games to release thus far in 2019.

In Control, you take on the role of Jesse Faden. Shortly after arriving in the Federal Bureau of Control headquarters referred to as “The Oldest House,” a series of events lands her the role of director at the secretive government agency where you’ll lead the charge against an invading supernatural threat while investigating a mystery from your past. The plot itself didn’t light my world on fire, but every other aspect of the storytelling excels in a way that any shortcomings in plotting don’t really hinder the proceedings. I love some of the science-fiction themes Control explores – among them is my personal favorite: alternate dimensions/realities. The subject matter it delves into reminds me of a couple of my fave TV series too in Fringe and The X-Files. But so much here is uniquely Remedy. Like the quirky NPC characters you interact with. And the top-notch world-building on display. It’s the rare game where I never tired of reading documents or listening to audio logs. The lore was just so fascinating that I wanted to breathe in every single detail of this universe that Remedy has created.

I think Control’s biggest strength lies in elements just adjacent to these narrative ones, namely the setting and presentation. The game takes place in what is essentially a mundane office building, but one that is constantly warping in unexpected and fantastical ways. Walls shift, hallways twist like screws, light switches transport you to totally different locales and floating platforms await you in the “Astral Plane.” This all culminates in the stylistically brilliant “Ashtray Maze” which even includes a musical touch that buoys the setting and sequence even further. It’s a setpiece you won’t soon forget.

Control’s flashy presentation adds a visual flair to the game that really boosts both the surreal elements of the setting and twisty nature of the narrative and it comes in many forms. It’s the eye-catching wardrobe that the characters don. It’s the bold title cards that greet players upon arriving at a new location. It’s the hotline calls that present themselves as visions projected onto the environment around you. It makes for a story and setting that is lovely to explore and even just simply to look at.

Gameplay largely revolves around combat which is an appealing combination of gunplay and superpowers. Shooting plays fast and loose. While over-the-shoulder aiming is an option, it isn’t as large a focus as is typical of third-person shooters these days. Instead, the game encourages more of a run-and-gun approach. Powers augment the core shooting well. They feel a bit reminiscent of Sucker Punch’s inFamous series. Telekinesis is the most important and powerful tool at your disposal allowing you to fling all manner of office supplies at your opposition. Levitate adds a ton of fun to encounters by allowing you to float at varying heights as you blast away at baddies while shield and dodge abilities give you some extra defensive options. Finally, Seize gives you a chance to turn an enemy into an ally for a limited time. Health is only dropped when and where an enemy is killed. This aspect of the health system calls for aggressive play to stay alive in the game’s frenetic firefights. Battles are joyously chaotic with all manner of debris, opposing combatants and even Jesse herself flying around Control’s play spaces.

I love the game’s non-linear map. It is here that Control differentiates itself the most from past Remedy titles. Powers and security clearances unlock new areas and secrets. While you have access to a map and can add mission waypoints onto it, you don’t see them in your HUD. Instead, you can use actual in-environment signs to help guide you (for instance one hanging in a hallway or by a staircase with an arrow of some sort next to location names like “Cafeteria” or “Research Division”). It’s very clever and cool and adds a neat layer of immersion to the setting. While there are some puzzles here and there, exploration makes up the bulk of the non-combat gameplay. Luckily, exploring the game’s map is worthwhile due to some quality side missions featuring optional bosses and weird new locations plus weapon/ability mods to find and the copious amount of lore there is to be learned by thoroughly searching every nook and cranny of “The Oldest House.”

Control’s biggest flaws are performance issues and a general lack of polish. When shit really hit the fan during fights, it was unfortunately often accompanied by major slowdown/framerate dips. I also ran into a number of glitches including one particularly nasty one which would make my map screen unreadable at times which could be – to put it bluntly – a pain in the ass. Beyond those issues, my only other gripe worth mentioning would be a few late-game sequences could have perhaps used another checkpoint in them. Control features a strange checkpointing system that drops you at “Control Points” (also the game’s fast travel locations) upon dying. It usually saves most of your progress, but does lead to having to repeat some dull sections to get back to where you left off sometimes. It’s an imperfect system that causes occasional frustration when banging your head against the wall versus some of the game’s toughest battles and challenging optional bosses. While it doesn’t bring down the game much in the grand scheme of things, it is still worth noting.

Control is very much in the classic Remedy mold – a gripping cinematic, third-person shooter. An unforgettable and unpredictable setting along with top-notch presentation bring the title to even greater heights. It’s a game I couldn’t stop playing until I experienced every bit of content the game had to offer (and I’m already excited for the upcoming expansions!). Control represents some of Remedy Entertainment’s best work and one of the must-play games of 2019.

Grade: A-