When Remedy Entertainment sets out to build on an established game, it doesn't simply add more of the same. Control Resonant, the upcoming sequel to the 2019 supernatural action title Control, demonstrates this philosophy through a fundamental shift: the narrative and gameplay now centre on Dylan Faden, the unstable brother of the first game's protagonist Jesse, rather than following Jesse herself.
Dylan was left comatose at the end of Control after the entity known as The Hiss was purged from his body. Now awakened and fighting to protect Manhattan from supernatural threats, he exists in a state of profound uncertainty. Director Mikael Kasurinen and combat designer Sergey Mohov drew an explicit parallel to Neon Genesis Evangelion's traumatised protagonist Shinji Ikari, whose struggle for self-understanding mirrors Dylan's journey. Unlike Shinji, Dylan is searching for his missing sister whilst defending against otherworldly incursions, creating a narrative tension that extends to every interaction he has.
The team has implemented dialogue choices that feel organic to the player's moment-to-moment experience. Rather than confining conversations to static scenes, Remedy has borrowed from titles like Firewatch to let Dylan discuss his circumstances while moving through Manhattan using traversal abilities. This approach gives players authorship over how Dylan engages with other characters, including his new handler Zoe De Vera, who serves as an outside perspective on events within The Oldest House. Crucially, these choices don't fork into multiple endings; Remedy has committed to one predetermined story conclusion, meaning player agency shapes the journey, not the destination.
Where Resonant truly distinguishes itself is in combat design. Remedy has consciously rejected parry mechanics in favour of last-second dodges that grant momentary time slowdown. This choice isn't arbitrary. A parry would leave enemies vulnerable, contradicting Dylan's characterisation as overwhelmingly powerful. By removing that defensive crutch, Remedy forces players into an aggressive mindset that aligns with Dylan's latent destructive potential.
Dylan's primary weapon, the Aberrant, embodies this philosophy. The shapeshifting tool adapts its form based on the player's chosen abilities and skills, creating what Remedy describes as an ecosystem of synergistic effects. Landing melee hits generates meter for special abilities, which inflict damage or manipulate enemies and the environment. Closing a combo with a powerful finisher boosts the next melee attack, restarting the cycle. Different builds can achieve radically different results: one approach might chain ground pounds, double jumps, and aerial explosions; another could deploy floating turrets whilst the player rushes in with whip-like strikes and status effects.
That flexibility extends to power acquisition. Defeating Resonant enemies, who function as mini-bosses, grants Dylan access to their unique abilities. These can be equipped and modified in The Gap, a metaphysical space reflecting Dylan's psyche. The system encourages players to experiment with different power combinations rather than locking them into a single playstyle.
Remedy has grounded its design choices in clear reasoning. The game avoids the trap of treating new mechanics as incremental additions to familiar formulas. Instead, it asks what a protagonist like Dylan requires narratively and mechanically. An unstable, immensely powerful psychic cannot feel constrained by defensive options or linear storytelling. He must move through the world with agency, making choices that matter, even if they lead to a scripted conclusion. The technical execution of that vision, balancing aggressive combat against meaningful dialogue and player choice, will determine whether Resonant justifies its departure from the first game's formula.