Control Resonant reviews highlight combat and narrative split
Remedy Entertainment's Control Resonant, a follow-up to Control, has been released, with most outlets noting its shift to an open-world action-RPG format featuring Dylan Faden as the protagonist. The game's Metacritic score of 84 slightly surpasses the original Control's 82, and it offers around 30 hours of main story content. Control Resonant was previewed as a melee-focused action RPG starring Dylan Faden with expanded open-world exploration.
Reviewers are divided on the game's combat and narrative. IGN, PC GamesN, Gamespot, Checkpoint Gaming, Rock Paper Shotgun, The Xbox Hub, Gaming Bolt, and To Much Gaming praised the game's engaging melee combat, compelling narrative, and unique world design. Gamespot specifically highlighted the deep, engaging melee combat as the game's best aspect. Conversely, PC Gamer, Eurogamer, Playstation Lifestyle, FZ.se, Escapist Magazine, and Metro UK criticized the combat as repetitive or lacking depth, and found the narrative diluted or less compelling than its predecessor. Eurogamer noted the game lost much of the original's narrative magic and atmospheric focus, while Playstation Lifestyle stated the risky sequel does not fully succeed due to its shift to melee combat.
Coverage across 18 outlets
CONTROL Resonant Review – Mind-Bending, Brutal and Brilliant | Invision Game Community
Control Resonant is a brilliant and brutal sequel that expands the original game's universe beyond the Oldest House into a distorted Manhattan. The game introduces Dylan Faden as the protagonist, featuring a fast-paced, melee-focused combat system and a compelling narrative that delves deeper into the Faden siblings' story. With outstanding visuals and Remedy's signature surreal storytelling, it's a highly recommended experience for fans of the original.
Control: Resonant Review: Worth the Visual Overload — Too Much Gaming | Video Games Reviews, News, & Guides
Control: Resonant is Remedy Entertainment's latest open-world action RPG, offering a captivating paranormal narrative and impressive visual design. While the final act is a visual spectacle with engaging level design and movement mechanics, some players might find the bosses more of a visual display than a significant challenge, and the backstory doesn't break new ground in the sci-fi genre. Despite minor frame rate dips and a lack of challenge in later encounters, the game is highly recommended, especially for fans of Remedy's previous work.
Control Resonant review - an ineffective remedy
Control Resonant, a sequel to Remedy Entertainment's 2019 hit, pivots to melee combat but ultimately delivers a repetitive and unsatisfying experience. Despite impressive surreal visuals and fun traversal mechanics, the shallow combat and straightforward storytelling fail to engage, making it a disappointing follow-up to its predecessor.
Control Resonant review: Paranormal pandemonium
Control Resonant offers a melee-focused action RPG experience with protagonist Dylan Faden navigating a paranormal-infested Manhattan. While sometimes repetitive and visually intense, the game retains Remedy's signature weirdness and explores fascinating narrative threads, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the Remedy-verse. The review copy was provided for PlayStation 5, with the game also releasing on Xbox Series X/S and PC on September 24, 2026.
Control: Resonant Has Me Still Thinking About Its Madness — Too Much Gaming | Video Games Reviews, News, & Guides
Control: Resonant is a compelling sci-fi epic that successfully expands on the original game's narrative and world. The game's unique traversal mechanics, which involve gravity manipulation, offer a thrilling sense of freedom but may cause dizziness for some players. The reviewer highly recommends the experience, with a full review forthcoming.
Manhattan’s Sprawl Blunts Control Resonant’s Weirdness
A review of Control Resonant suggests the sequel trades the claustrophobic dread of the original Control for a sprawling Manhattan setting, which comes at a cost to its distinctive weirdness. While more ambitious and action-RPG-focused, the game suffers from narrative sprawl, repetitive tasks, and combat that hasn't significantly improved, though moments of cosmic horror and unique mechanics in the Underpass are praised.
Recension – Control Resonant - En actionmacka med biff
Control Resonant, the sequel to Remedy's 2019 title, offers stunning environments and engaging combat but suffers from a less focused narrative and uneven difficulty compared to its predecessor. While it retains some of the original's unique charm, the game often feels like a safe, by-the-numbers sequel, lacking the surprising twists and bold creative risks that made Control stand out.
Control Resonant | Critical Consensus
Control Resonant, Remedy Entertainment's sequel to Control, shifts to a melee-focused, open-ended world with Dylan Faden as the new protagonist. Critics praise its strong character-driven storytelling and Remedy's evolved action, though some find the combat and boss encounters underdeveloped. The game's open-world Manhattan, influenced by the paranatural, is lauded for its unique design and atmosphere, drawing comparisons to Elden Ring's progression loop.
Control Resonant Metacritic score places it higher than its predecessor, but it can't touch 2026's top 20 bangers like Resident Evil Requiem and Pokemon Pokopia
Control Resonant has received a Metacritic score of 84, slightly surpassing the original Control's 82. While some reviewers found it serviceable but lacking the tightness of its predecessor, others praised its interesting character and ambitious design. The game features impressive visuals and engaging combat mechanics, though it falls short of the year's highest-rated titles.
Recension – CONTROL Resonant - En actionmacka med biff! Maffighet! Ändå saknas nåt.
CONTROL Resonant offers stunning environments and engaging combat, but struggles to recapture the unique narrative and surprising elements of its predecessor. While Remedy Entertainment delivers a visually impressive experience with varied gameplay mechanics, the sequel suffers from uneven balance, a less compelling script, and a more predictable structure, ultimately feeling like a safe iteration rather than a bold step forward.
Control Resonant Review – Acceptance
Control Resonant is a fantastic experience that builds upon the original's SCP-inspired setting and engaging gameplay. While it has some technical quibbles on PlayStation 5 and requires an investment in its combat system, the game offers a compelling narrative, unique traversal abilities, and a richly detailed world. The story follows Dylan Faden as he navigates a paranatural cataclysm in Manhattan, interacting with the Federal Bureau of Control and powerful entities known as Resonants.
Control: Resonant Review-in-Progress: 30+ Hours of Weird Science — Too Much Gaming | Video Games Reviews, News, & Guides
This review-in-progress for Control: Resonant highlights over 30 hours of gameplay, praising Remedy Entertainment's signature weird science and rewarding exploration. While combat can be chaotic and some visuals appear dated with occasional PS5 framerate drops, the game's unique world, engaging side stories, and experimental combat system make it highly recommended.
CONTROL Resonant - En actionmacka med biff! Maffighet! Ändå saknas nåt.
Control Resonant, the sequel to Remedy's acclaimed action game, offers stunning visuals and engaging combat but struggles to recapture the original's unique charm and narrative surprise. While the gameplay is solid and the environments are breathtaking, the story and boss balance are uneven, making it feel like a safe, albeit visually impressive, iteration rather than a bold step forward.
Control Resonant (PS5) Review: Risky Sequel Doesn’t Fully Succeed
Control Resonant, the sequel to Control, fails to fully succeed due to its shift to melee combat and a middling character-action gameplay loop. While the art design and some story elements remain strong, the combat lacks depth, enemy encounters are overly long, and the open-world New York City setting is bland and repetitive. The game's narrative also suffers from pacing issues and excessive padding.
Control Resonant Review | TheXboxHub
Control Resonant is a worthwhile return to Remedy's unique universe, expanding on the original game's foundation with a compelling story and engaging gameplay. While the melee combat can become tedious, the inclusion of an assist mode significantly improves the experience. The game offers around 30 hours of main story content with plenty of side missions and lore to discover.
Control Resonant review: A superbly strange action-RPG that'll make you feel tiny and godly at once
Control Resonant is a surprisingly successful gamble for Remedy Entertainment, transforming the franchise into an open-world action RPG with dynamic melee combat. The game features a compelling narrative centered on Dylan Faden, a rich, reality-bending world reminiscent of the original's atmosphere, and satisfying progression systems. Despite some minor technical issues and performance problems on Steam Deck, the game's bold design and engaging gameplay are highly praised.
Control Resonant Review – Pattern Recognition
Control Resonant is a resounding success, offering Remedy Entertainment's best-feeling gameplay and an intriguing world. The game shifts from a third-person shooter to a character action game, focusing on Dylan Faden's melee combat with the Aberrant weapon. It features a strong narrative, excellent performances, and industry-leading art and technical design, with robust accessibility options.
Control Resonant Review
Remedy Entertainment's new title, a follow-up to Control, shifts to action combat within an open world. The game focuses on a character-driven narrative while retaining its signature paranatural atmosphere.
Control Resonant review: "Deeply weird with wondrous supernatural vistas, but bafflingly repetitive combat leaves me cold"
Control Resonant offers gorgeous visuals and intriguing supernatural elements, but suffers from repetitive combat and a sprawling open world that feels too thin. The shift to Dylan Faden as protagonist is also a misstep, failing to capture the intrigue of Jesse. Despite some stunning sequences, the game ultimately feels muddled and less focused than its predecessor.
Control Resonant review
Control Resonant offers a visually stunning return to Remedy's unique hellscapes, with impressive environmental design and engaging traversal mechanics. However, the game is hampered by repetitive and middling melee combat that struggles to maintain player interest over its 30+ hour playtime, despite a compelling narrative and strong voice performances.
