Control

Control is another game from Remedy that does exactly what you’d expect from Remedy. It’s a little off-kilter, but thoughtful and meticulously written. It’s a little janky (sometimes a lot janky), but its mechanics amount to solid junk food when everything is functioning as intended. Control is definitely a step back into “AA” territory after the big ambitions that powered Quantum Break, but frankly this is exactly the sort of space Remedy excels in. While it can be rough at times, Control is like a paperback novel you pick up to kill some time, then unexpectedly find a lot of intrigue and charm.

Control feels like the first step in a bigger project for Remedy Entertainment. While it doesn’t reach its full potential in storytelling and there isn’t enough variation in the combat, the powers that are there are great and the creepy atmosphere complement the action well. Traditional single-player games that aren’t bogged down in level-gating or unnecessary role-playing mechanics are a rarity these days, and that alone makes Control worth paying full price for.

The addition of way too many systems as well as mechanics have caused all of the good things in Control, which are a lot, to get shadowed by other elements that are either not appropriately resolved or that do not really add to the overall value of the game. It still is a very enjoyable piece due to its gameplay as well as its visual and artistic level, but it inevitably leaves a bittersweet feeling given that it comes from Remedy Entertainment, a studio that I did not expect to leave this many unattended elements in its narrative.

While some technical issues plague this highly atmospheric action adventure, Control has a highly customizable combat system that is fun and addictive to play.

While Control encourages players to explore its world, it fails to provide the necessary elements to do so, which results in an above average Action Game.

If Remedy just let Control get a little bit weirder, and fully leaned into its Metroidvania inspired gameplay, it could have been something really special. Sadly that never happens, but in spite of itself Control still winds up being an enjoyable unique feeling action game that isn't like anything else on the market right now, and won't take up a ton of your time.

Remedy's Control might eventually be one of the coolest games on the market, but upon release framerate, balance, and popup issues are so rampant that players are forced to change their style of play to work around the bugs. While Control's world-building, performances, and writing are all superb, the difficulties in actually playing through the game to see all that cool stuff leads to a deep sense of frustration.

There’s no doubting that Control is a good experience, but it’s not one that’ll go down in the history books. Its explorative and combat-focused gameplay is a major highlight thanks to abilities that give you the chance to get creative, but the unreliable framerate that goes with it puts a stop to the enjoyment far too frequently. This is most definitely worth playing, but that’s about as far as any substantial praise can go.