Remedy makes games that resonate with me (pun intended). Something about their peculiar nature, the psychological thriller atmosphere, leaves me titillated. Nothing out there is like the games they make, so when one comes around, I’m all over it. I’ve had several hands-off sessions with the team to take a look, but today at Summer Game Fest, it was my turn to grab ahold of a controller. Now that I’ve taken in an hour or so of gameplay on PlayStation 5 Pro, I can freely say that CONTROL Resonant is firmly in place as my most anticipated game of the year, and a winner of our Best Of Summer Game Fest award.
My preview opened to the very beginning, featuring Dylan still in a coma and his cage, and Jesse stressfully taking in the situation. It’s been seven years since the Oldest House has locked down, and things have not gotten better. Jesse knows she has to make a move, but before leaving Dylan’s side, she… stabs him. Yup, sticks Dylan’s eventual weapon right through his chest. Thankfully, something about it not only doesn’t pierce him, but also wakes him from his slumber.
The unfortunate part of waking up has nothing to do with a lack of Folgers (Sam Lake would be crushed by this thought). After two thousand and fifty-five days, The Hiss has finally found a crack in reality to break out. In Dylan’s initial moments, he proceeds through the Oldest House, uses the Aberrant to dispatch a couple of grunts, and comes across the broken stone wall – originally the last barrier between The Hiss and Dylan’s escape into Manhattan. With The Hiss taking over, things are about to get hairy, and Dylan wants to be of help.
Taking to the streets, he hears a nearby radio, still holstered to a levitated and quite deceased FBC agent. Zoe De Vera, a field handler and special agent, is under attack and needs someone to give her a hand. While I’m still unsure of Dylan’s motives, he moves to assist, putting you out in Manhattan for the first time.
Dylan Faden is an interesting character in comparison to his sister. Where she was looking to break in and find him, she still managed to live her life to that moment. Dylan, meanwhile, has the opposite journey, being a prisoner of the FBC until this very instant. This dyad makes for a fantastic spin to the CONTROL coin, bringing new perspective. His trauma, everything he’s been through, has led him here. What he does with it will be a sight to behold over the course of Resonant, but this initial look shows me a man that is broken to the point he doesn’t feel valuable. He’s a tool, and to him, that’s all he’ll ever be. How Remedy explores those themes will be of great importance.
Exploring this “Hissified” version of Manhattan won’t be easy, so it’s a good thing Dylan has the skills necessary to navigate it. Between his movements and combat abilities, it’s clear the FBC had more in mind for Dylan to do for them – especially when in a live-action cutscene, Doctor Darling shows up talking about how Dylan was possibly a “Prime Candidate”, meaning he could have been the next in line to replace Director Trench. He also mentions that Dylan was “going places”, which is a fascinating plot thread to be pulling on.
Juxtaposing Dylan and Jesse’s movement capabilities, it’s clear Remedy has given a lot of thought to the personalities of these characters. Jesse was much more subdued and deliberate. Her levitation power was smooth, perfectly placing her wherever you wished. Dylan’s similar skill matches his aggressive and brash nature, a quick and wobbly apex that enters a rushed descent. He may be the more powerful of the two, but he flings himself into it without care or precision. I love seeing these kinds of intentional designs; it shows Remedy knows their characters and wants them intricately represented.
By the same token, Dylan throws himself into battle in a reckless manner. Resonant is ferocious – Dylan moves in fast and furiously. The first version of the Aberrant you receive is chosen by you, which is a cool idea given Remedy’s move into action-RPG territory. No matter which one of these you go with, however, you’ll still be engaging hostiles up close and personal, wailing away at them in order to take them down. This is quite different from the original CONTROL; Jesse gave you the ability to stay back and pop enemies from a distance if necessary.
Although Dylan’s style might have you thinking combat could be clunky, guess again. Resonant is fast, but it’s also fluid. There’s a wonderful flow to it, with Dylan building a sensational amount of momentum as he hurls himself into enemy encounters. Think Devil May Cry, but a tad slower. It’s more of a ballet than a sprint, and that’s a big part of the beauty of the combat. Resonant’s use of secondary weapons and power offer a buffet of options as well – I found myself launching enemies into the air, juggling them until defeated, and then hitting a cooldown that had Dylan roaring into a groundslam to damage Hiss below. I didn’t get the best look at all the abilities and skill trees, but there are plenty of options to choose from, and it’ll be fun to see what builds players gravitate towards.
Enemy variety is something I can tell Remedy really worked on, alongside improving boss battles. Your run-of-the-mill grunts and the Elevated return, and I fought the Distorted a time or two. That said, there were several new ideas in play, like a heavy that looked to clobber you with his mutated upper body and a flying beetle-esque creature that fires a long laser beam. One of my favorite qualities to combat in regards to the enemies is the finishing moves, especially as you can trigger them from a distance. Dylan will swoop over and take them out in brutal fashion, which is sublime.
As I played through my demo, I was able to take on one of the bosses, which I assume is the first one available. In the first screenshots for the game, you may have seen a half of a woman’s gigantic head. As you enter an art exhibit, this monstrosity pulls you into another dimension, floating around a city area and using the environment against you. Between throwing rubble, trying to smash you with lightpoles, and more, it’s an outstanding fight that leaves you satisfied. I can’t wait to see the next behemoths the team has waiting, as this has been a weak point in Remedy games that seems to be improving. Beyond just this, several of these Resonants are people of power that have been transformed by The Hiss (I think it’s The Hiss?), so they aren’t even in control of themselves in these forms.
Lastly, let’s talk about the world and atmosphere Remedy has built in Resonant. First, this isn’t your usual level-based title. While not open-world, the locations Dylan will discover are much more open and filled with tasks to accomplish. It’s also an intriguing move as Dylan’s skillset has him needing to get in close, and this larger area forces you to make up ground, and fast. During my gameplay session, it felt natural, which is all I need to know.
Second, the atmosphere. Remedy is never going to stop making unique experiences, and that doesn’t change in CONTROL Resonant. Manhattan makes me think of Inception on steroids, super weird and wildly entertaining. I want to see a bit more on the psychological thriller side, but that will come as more of the story comes to light. The bizarre nature of the Remedyverse is on full display here, don’t worry.
I cannot stress enough how incredible CONTROL Resonant’s initial hands-on impression has been. While I’m not going to be hard to please as a fanboy, I know if something isn’t going to work as a game, or if a team is in over their heads. Even with a switch-up in protagonist and genre, Remedy has nailed the feel and flow of their gameplay and crafted a captivating new main character. The moment CONTROL Resonant hits shelves – physical or digital – I’m there. CONTROL Resonant arrives on September 24th, 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series consoles, and PC.