You don’t need to have spent twenty hours in the Oldest House. You don’t need to know what a Hiss is or why a floating janitor named Ahti matters. Control Resonant is a new game in the Remedy universe, but it’s also a deliberate fresh starting point. After spending fifty hours with Dylan Faden’s journey, I can say this without hesitation: skipping this game because you missed Control would be a genuine shame. Here are eight reasons to pick it up right now.
A New Protagonist with No Baggage
Dylan Faden isn’t his sister. He spent seven years in a coma while Jesse became director, and the game treats him as someone discovering this world for the first time. The script doesn’t assume you know the history of the FBC or the Ordinary AWE. Characters like Emily Pope and Langston reintroduce themselves organically. You learn alongside Dylan — and that makes every revelation hit harder, not weaker.
The Combat Is Nothing Like the First Game
Control was a third-person shooter with telekinetic powers. Control Resonant is a melee combat system that plays closer to Devil May Cry or Bayonetta. You wield a shapeshifting Aberrant weapon that can become fast daggers, a sweeping scythe, or a devastating hammer. There is no service weapon here. If you never touched the original, you’re not behind — you’re on exactly the same footing as everyone else.
A Full Recap Is Built Right Into the Menu
Before you even start, the main menu offers an optional story recap that covers every major event from Control and Alan Wake 2. It’s roughly ten minutes long and gives you all the context you need: the Hiss invasion, Jesse’s rise to director, Dylan’s capture and corruption, and the current state of Manhattan. This is not an afterthought. Remedy designed it specifically for players like you.
Assist Mode Lets You Dial in Exactly the Challenge You Want
This feature is practically hidden in the pause menu, and it’s a game-changer. You can adjust outgoing damage, incoming damage, and even power recovery on separate sliders. Want the combat to feel snappier without turning everything into a cakewalk? Set outgoing damage to 150% and leave other settings default. The game never tells you this exists, but once you find it, you can tailor every fight to your skill level. Veterans use this to experiment; newcomers use it to survive.
The Story Is Self-Contained, Even With the Connections
Control Resonant introduces a new paranormal Patterning that is transforming New York into a surreal algorithmic maze. The resonant bosses are former people of power who got fused into their environments — think a factory worker merged with machinery. You don’t need to know who the Board is to understand that these entities are dangerous and must be stopped. The emotional core is Dylan’s relationship with his missing sister and the FBC agents who distrust him. That works without a single hour of prior playtime.
Traversal Abilities Are Unlocked Through Main Quests, Not Lore
You get double jump, dash, wall-running (gravity shift), and a grapple (reach) by completing Jesse-related fault missions. These are not tied to obscure lore or optional side content. Following the main quest for your first few hours naturally unlocks everything that makes the map truly explorable. You never hit a wall that says “you should have played the first game.” The only walls are ability-based, and the game guides you to the ones you need.
The Lore Is a Delightful Bonus, Not a Requirement
Documents, tapes, and notes are everywhere, and they’re genuinely well-written. They explain the FBC, the Hiss, and the broader Remedy universe in the same irreverent, dry-humored tone that made Control memorable. But reading them is entirely optional for the main story. Want to dig deep? Go ahead. Prefer to focus on combat and traversal? You lose nothing important. The game respects your time either way.
Respeccing Is Generous, So You Never Feel Punished for Experimenting
First-timers often worry about picking the wrong weapon or ability. Control Resonant gives you reset items (called reset points) from defeating resonant bosses and even from breaking suspicious vending machines. You can respec your entire loadout — weapons, combat abilities, talents, and artifacts — for a single point. I finished the game with over a dozen leftover. The gap arena lets you test every choice before locking it in. This design is a safety net for newcomers and a playground for veterans.
But isn’t the story confusing without knowing Jesse’s journey? The strongest objection is that you’ll miss emotional context — like why Emily Pope is now acting co-director, or why some FBC agents resent Dylan. The game answers these through natural dialogue and optional files. More importantly, Dylan himself is an unreliable narrator who doesn’t fully trust the Bureau. Every interaction carries tension that works even without backstory. The recap video covers the essential plot points. The rest is texture, not necessity.
You might think a game this deep in the Remedy connected universe requires homework. It doesn’t. Control Resonant stands on its own as a fast, aggressive action game with some of the most creative traversal this side of Gravity Rush. The lore is there if you want it, but the combat, the build-crafting, and the sheer joy of wall-running across a crumbling Manhattan are immediate. This is the rare sequel that welcomes strangers as warmly as returning fans.
