Control Review

Remedy Entertainment has established itself as a developer of quality titles. Their games, including Quantum Break, Max Payne, and Alan Wake, are known for gritty stories with paranormal and psychological elements. Control is no different in that sense. Like Remedy’s other games, this 2019 action-adventure features a mysterious story and is played from a third-person perspective.

The question is whether Control is an evolution of Remedy’s work or just a rehash of some of their older concepts. Does Control differentiate itself from the developer’s previous work and introduce new ideas to the fold?

Story

As with their earlier games, Control has a strong focus on storytelling. The narrative is front and center of the experience throughout. You take on the role of Jesse Faden. She experienced something called a paranatural event in her hometown when she was a child. These Altered World Events are supernatural phenomena that bend normal reality and can have profound consequences for humanity. The narrative focuses on these events as well as the organization set up to investigate them. This secretive group is called the Federal Bureau of Control.

Without going into too much detail, as I wouldn’t want to spoil it for any readers, the story is fantastic. After witnessing an Altered World Event, the FBC take Jesse’s brother. Seventeen years later, she turns up at their headquarters to try and discover exactly what happened to her missing brother. Not long after entering the Oldest House, Jesse finds the head of the FBC dead and a powerful gun. The Service Weapon gives her a variety of new powers and puts her in control of the shadowy organization.

Although it might sound like a rather rehashed story, how the action unfolds is magnificent. The pacing is excellent and draws you into the lore and secrets hidden away in the Oldest House. Beautifully crafted cutscenes help get the important narrative points across. Yet, even little snippets of dialogue with minor characters prove just as interesting.

Moreover, Control oozes with atmosphere. The creepiness of the events taking place bleeds through and causes a real sense of unease. Everything about the game’s story is superb.