Preview: Like a Greatest Hits Game, Remedy Peaks in Control Resonant

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There are far too many games coming out and nowhere near enough time to play them all in September.

There’s enough content in these updates to keep us busy for half a year! To help you focus, let me say that Control Resonant is the release you should be watching closely.

Building on their popular game Alan Wake, Remedy Entertainment has created a new sequel that surprisingly shifts gears while continuing the story of Altered World Events. This time around, players follow Dylan Faden – Jesse Faden’s brother – instead of Jesse, and the focus has changed from gunplay to close-quarters combat.

Most follow-up stories build on the original game’s story and gameplay, adding more content. Control Resonant takes a different approach – it doesn’t do that.

It is, in a sense, a risk.

It’s also one Remedy has comfortably pulled off.

The upcoming game successfully blends the strong story and visual style of Alan Wake 2 with the fast-paced action and movement from Control. Called Control Resonant, it features exciting close-quarters combat alongside cinematic cutscenes and unique environments – essentially offering the best elements Remedy Entertainment has to offer in their games as of 2026.

I got to play three hours of the upcoming game after traveling to PlayStation’s London office. I tried out the beginning of the game, explored one of the new open-world areas called Extraction Zones, and then played a mission from around the middle of the story.

I was immediately impressed by how much better the story is told in this game. The original Control had a good story, but Alan Wake 2 really showed off the developer’s ability to craft a compelling narrative, and that skill is now evident in this new Control game as well.

The core missions were captivating and full of surprises, offering a compelling look at the campaign. The game blends full-motion video and live-action footage with gameplay, telling the story of Dylan’s escape from the Oldest House into a world inspired by the movie Inception. It’s a unique approach, and Remedy Entertainment consistently delivers when it comes to originality.

When you actually play the game, the combat will feel instantly recognizable. You can defeat enemies using a strong hand-to-hand fighting system. Right away, you’ll pick a weapon type that matches how you like to fight – whether you prefer slow, powerful hits or quick, agile attacks.

As you progress, you unlock a second melee weapon, a powerful finishing move, and a variety of abilities to help you fight the supernatural creatures attacking Manhattan. I chose a fast, whip-like weapon for area damage and a heavy, chargeable hammer to quickly defeat enemies. I also equipped abilities that let me throw rocks, summon fireballs, and create a powerful ground slam.

I have to say, Control Resonant just feels good to play – it’s really cool! Taking down enemies is super satisfying, especially when I manage to clear a whole room without getting hit. While nothing quite hits like the Service Weapon, there are tons of different abilities and combos to mess around with, so finding a build that works for my style has been awesome.

The story missions will feature lots of fighting, but you can really put your skills to the test in the open-world Extraction Zones, where you’ll find a variety of challenging activities.

I played an early, simplified version of the game’s districts – it didn’t include all the features that will be in the final release. Remedy told me the Extraction Zones will have side quests and characters to interact with, but those weren’t in the version I tested on PlayStation 5 Pro. Even so, I got a good sense of the developer’s vision for the game.

You can visit these locations whenever you have some free time while playing – usually after completing a main quest. The game lets you choose whether to explore them or jump straight into the next mission.

The preview version only let me explore one Extraction Zone, and it felt quite small – covering just a few city blocks in New York. While I was playing, I encountered some side missions like defending soldiers and eliminating enemies. Because this wasn’t the final version of Extraction Zones, it’s hard to say how helpful they will be to the main Control game.

This was a great chance to really explore how deep the combat system is, and I’m confident Control Resonant is heading in a fresh, but equally impressive, direction with its battles.

Each area in the game has a Zone Level that goes up as you complete tasks there. Leveling up a zone unlocks benefits such as improved shops, more available missions, and increased rewards. I’m eager to experience how these areas function when they’re fully developed.

I’m already very excited about Control Resonant. If the PlayStation 5 sequel continues the story with the same mix of unique video sequences, compelling narrative, and satisfying action, then the demo alone would have been enough to convince me it’s going to be great.

I’m curious to see how the open-world Extraction Zones balance out the more focused story missions. The game version I tried was still in development, but I think with more content and carefully designed areas added to the open world, these zones will give players a really good reason to explore beyond the main quest line.

I’m there day one for the final version of Remedy’s latest masterclass.

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2026-06-17 19:08