LV1 Gaming had the opportunity to go to Summer Game Fest and take part in the interactive Play Days. The three-day event that took place separately from the showcase housed playable demos of much-anticipated upcoming titles. While there, we headed to the Annapurna Interactive area, which, as usual, was one of the coolest-looking areas at Play Days. They designed a bar area to look like a movie rental store, but we were not there to rent a movie but to check out Remedy Entertainment’s latest title. We were ushered down a hallway decorated to mirror a distorted Manhattan and led to stations to gain hands-on experience.
Developed and published by Remedy Entertainment, CONTROL Resonant (Resonant) is the sequel to 2019’s Control. One of the key differences between Resonant and Control (2019) is the combat. Resonant’s combat focuses on fast-paced, high-intensity melee. Using the shapeshifting weapon, called the Aberrant, we were able to play through the first act of the game. The first act included a deep combat and movement tutorial that gave a solid foundation to all of the wild combat. Verticality will be a core part of the gameplay loop; aerial enemies, high locations, and platforming took up a lot of the demo.
I would rather not talk much about the story, but you are Dylan Faden, brother of the current director of the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC). Due to an extreme paranormal crisis taking place, you are freed from your confinement and now looking for your sister. Now the combat has you flying around the screen similar to character action games but with a heavier feel to the attacks. After the tutorial and fighting our way to a hotel to meet with the only other human we know of, the first boss fight takes place. Imagine a ginormous medusa’s head, but instead of snakes, her hair is made of concrete, street signs, and much more.
This boss fight (that I beat in one try) pushes you to utilize all of the movement and combat skills you’ve unlocked so far. It tries to crush you with street signs and throws cars at you as it moves around the area. The coolest moment of the boss fight is when the entity elevates in the sky and raises chunks of earth with it. You then use those makeshift platforms to get closer to the medusa head to do some aerial combat. Not going to lie, it reminded me of Spider-Man: Web of Shadows for a brief moment.
If you enjoyed Control (2019), you shouldn’t let the switch to melee-focused combat in CONTROL Resonant put you off. Remedy Entertainment opened up the world, increased the vertical combat, and kept the original’s otherworldly feel. You can preorder CONTROL Resonant for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, and the Epic Game Store.
