Control Resonant preview: Remedy's Control sequel looks like DmC meets Gravity Rush

Remedy Entertainment shows off more from its Control sequel

When Remedy Entertainment revealed its sequel to Control, the studio emphasized that Control Resonant was an action-RPG with a rich progression system, a slight change in genre from the previous game. In practice, Control Resonant looks quite different from its predecessor, feeling more like a character-action game like Devil May Cry mixed with the open-world city-stomping of Infamous and gravity-bending movement of Gravity Rush.

In a new hands-off preview of the game attended by Polygon, we got a deeper look at how Control Resonant will play ahead of its release later this year. The new protagonist, Dylan Faden (played by Sean Durrie), has a wealth of combat tools, special abilities, and weapon forms to build a play style around, all of which are tied to progression and meaningful choices, Remedy says.

Remedy's Mikael Kasurinen, creative director for Control Resonant, explained during our preview that while the first Control was about being isolated within the Oldest House, the sequel will "turn things upside down" and let players explore a much larger, zone-based, and twisted version of Manhattan. New York City will be divided into discrete zones that offer a sense of visual and quest variety, Kasurinen said, confirming that the game isn't fully open-world. (Kasurinen also noted that Remedy has worked hard to improve upon Control's in-game 3D map, an acknowledged source of frustration for players.)

On his adventure across Manhattan, Dylan won't be alone. There are still New Yorkers who have managed to survive the Hiss invasion of the city, and he'll cross paths with some familiar faces — like Simon Arish, head of security at the Federal Bureau of Control. Dylan's main point of contact at FBC, though, is Zoe De Vera (played by Frankie Kevich) who will act as our hero's handler and "key emotional anchor."

Remedy showed off some interactions between Dylan and Zoe, highlighting the dialogue system that's "designed to be as unobtrusive as possible" and "shape how you interact with the characters and story," Kasurinen said. We saw a handful of simple dialogue trees that players will be able to pick from quickly to advance the story and personalize how their version of Dylan navigates the narrative events of Control Resonant.

Just as players will be able to engage with the game's story through dialogue choices, so too will they be able to find personalization in what Dylan can do in combat in Control Resonant. Dylan will have three pillars of character customization in Resonant: combat abilities, weapon upgrades, and talents.

Some of those upgrades become available when defeating Resonants, which Remedy describes as “former persons of power transformed by the Pattern changing the world.” In a reductive sense, these Resonants seem akin to the bosses of Mega Man games, offering distinct power-ups that flesh out a player’s build. But it sounds like players will be able to pick multiple ability options from a single Resonant, which Remedy describes as “lasting choices” to suit a particular style of play.

For example, one Resonant reward shown during the preview offered a trio of options:

• A shield that creates a telekinetic barrier that absorbs damage
• A summoning ability that fires Seekers, an “increasingly volatile telekinetic entity that attacks enemies and can be thrown and detonated”
• A third, unrevealed ability

To engage with character customization, Dylan enters a realm known as The Gap, a metaphysical place that represents his psyche and follows a dreamlike logic. In practice, entering The Gap sees Dylan faint and immediately recover in a surreal liminal space.

In The Gap, Dylan will likewise be able to customize his malleable weapon, the Aberrant. The weapon’s sprawling skill tree includes primary forms (for core attacks), secondary forms (for tactical variation and chargeable attacks), and powerful combo finishers for his melee tool. Furthermore, unlockable talents (aka perks and passives) will offer synergies and compounding effects that will make Dylan a threat to the Hiss.

Remedy says that players will not be able to unlock all of Control Resonant’s Resonant rewards, weapon customizations, and talents in a single playthrough of the game — a good argument for a new game plus run of the action-RPG. The developer also promised to expose many of the stats for combat customization options, letting players min-max their builds.

In a new slice of gameplay, Remedy showed off two very different builds for Dylan. The first was a melee combat and juggle-heavy build that focused on up-close action and stunning enemies. The second was described as a more tactical build, in which Dylan used summoning abilities and debuffing status effects to inflict damage over time, letting him poke and degrade enemies from range.

According to Remedy, these compounding and interlocking combat systems reward “specialization over universal mastery” to make each player’s version of Dylan “feel mechanically unique.”

Remedy describes the core gameplay loop of Control Resonant thusly: “Melee hits restore ability resources. Abilities stun enemies for executions. Executions temporarily boost melee damage.” In other words, players will likely find themselves in a flow state, looking for the next combat encounter and staying engaged to keep the action going.

Based on each new look at Control Resonant, it appears that Remedy is building a very different game compared to the first Control. While the aesthetic, atmosphere, and dark humor of the first seem to still be present in Control Resonant, it will likely appeal to a different type of player, one who likes fiddling with skills, stats, and a variety of combat styles. It’s refreshing to see Remedy swerve with its sequel, welcoming a potential new audience into its impressive, surreal sci-fi thriller world.

Control Resonant doesn’t have a more concrete release date than 2026. When it finally arrives, it will be available for PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.