The reveal trailer for Control Resonant, the sequel to IGN\u2019s 2019 Game of the Year, made a few things clear right off the bat. First, we wouldn\u2019t be playing as Jesse Faden anymore, but rather her brother, Dylan. Second, we\u2019d no longer be confined to the Brutalist architecture of The Oldest House. Instead, we\u2019d be trying to navigate our way through a Manhattan that had literally folded up on itself, Inception-style, as a result of The Hiss getting out. And third, Dylan isn\u2019t wielding Jesse\u2019s badass transforming Service Weapon, or even one similar to it. Instead, he\u2019s got his own badass transforming weapon: the Aberrant, a massive hammer that brings combat into much closer quarters than before. <\/p>\n
Remedy showed off a bit of proper gameplay at Sony\u2019s recent State of Play, but I\u2019ve had the pleasure since then of getting an extended hands-off look at more gameplay, along with learning more information from the lead gameplay designer and the creative director. What I came away with surprised me: I adored the first Control, but early indications are that I might like Resonant even more. Why? It\u2019s not just that it\u2019s markedly different and not just a same-y sequel, but it\u2019s that its melee combat might scratch my Ninja Gaiden-style itch. \u201cThis is not a soulslike,\u201d said lead gameplay designer Sergey Mohov. \u201cIt\u2019s a push-forward, action-driven, aggressive-playstyle action game. The player is very much in charge and not [simply] reacting. The main driver of combat is you.\u201d Tell me more, Remedy.<\/p>\n
Buildcrafting<\/p>\n
Remedy is calling Control Resonant an action-RPG, and while the studio confirmed there won\u2019t be a ton of gear or inventory management \u2013 \u201cIt\u2019s not a survival game, it\u2019s an action game,\u201d said creative director Mikael Kasurinen \u2013 the team did show off some of its systemic depth. For one, there are Talents, which Remedy says are \u201cthe glue that ties your weapons and combat abilities together.\u201d One such example is Perfect Dodge, which grants you a temporary boost to your next attack if you, as the name implies, time your dodge perfectly. Others include Extended Dash (self explanatory), Backstab Damage, and Sustained Assault. Remedy also made it clear that you can\u2019t unlock everything in a single playthrough.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll also have ample opportunity to customize your build in The Gap, which functions similar to Alan Wake 2\u2019s Mind Place. Here you can test out various abilities, earned by defeating Resonants. The Gap also allows you to tweak your Aberrant, including the primary forms, secondary forms, and combo enders. A big goal is giving players more choice with their gameplay style. Like, for instance, if you\u2019d prefer to tailor your build to focus on turning enemies to fight on your side. Lots of stats are also exposed in The Gap if you want to min\/max your build. <\/p>\n
You can\u2019t unlock everything in a single playthrough.\u201c<\/p>\n
Less meaningful customization \u2013 meaning, the cosmetic kind rather than the gameplay kind \u2013 happens in FBC field offices. Remedy describes these as the heart of FBC activity, saying they\u2019ll evolve over time as the Hiss crisis overtaking Manhattan deepens. As everyone there is trying to figure out how to deal with the disaster out the window, you can customize your outfit.<\/p>\n
City Life<\/p>\n
Out in Manhattan, which is split into several districts, aims to be visually distinct from zone to zone. Remedy wants to have more visual variety across the world. The team also knows that the map was frustrating in the first game, and so they showed off a work-in-progress version of it that clearly delineates each zone and seemed easy enough to follow along with.<\/p>\n
But what of the markers on that map? You\u2019ll have your choice of two major categories of quests at any given time: Dylan\u2019s Journey (i.e. the golden path) and World Quests (aka sidequests). In addition, there are smaller action bits and tiny puzzles, seemingly akin to unmarked micro-gameplay moments. Through these you can discover both secrets and lore. \u201cWe want the world to be some place you want to return to,\u201d Kasurinen said. In one early mission I got a brief look at, Dylan enters the Central district office of Zoe de Vera, a new character to Control who speaks to Dylan through his earpiece throughout the campaign. She also assigns him missions. She\u2019s often found listening to music, and Remedy promises that music will play a big part in Resonant\u2019s world-building. <\/p>\n
A clip of a conversation between Dylan and Zoe showcased the new dialogue system, which now not only very welcomingly gives you multiple choices for every answer, but also lets you carry out these conversations while moving. Remedy\u2019s emphasis on player-initiated action even extends to not cementing you in place during dialogue sequences, which I can appreciate. Oh, and on this note, Remedy said that while Dylan\u2019s dialogue choices are there to give you a bit more agency over character interactions, they\u2019re not going to meaningfully alter the story. In other words, Remedy confirmed, there won\u2019t be multiple endings to Resonant\u2019s story.<\/p>\n
Fast Action<\/p>\n
As Control Resonant is only at its alpha stage of development, I wasn\u2019t yet able to see a continuous, uninterrupted section of gameplay. Instead, I got a look at a number of 1-2 minute gameplay clips. But once Remedy broke out the action, my eyes opened wider. Control\u2019s melee-oriented sequel is not only faster-paced than its predecessor, it\u2019s faster-paced than I was expecting. I was mentally prepared for a \u201cSouls lite\u201d experience \u2013 something akin to the Star Wars Jedi games from Respawn. <\/p>\n
Control Resonant Screenshots<\/p>\n
But no, in the action I saw, it\u2019s got some lightning in its veins. I won\u2019t call it Ninja Gaiden fast, but it\u2019s in the Devil May Cry\/Bayonetta neighborhood, for sure. Dylan was constantly jumping up, floating, attacking, dodging, strafing, performing finishing moves, and rinsing and repeating in rapid succession. And, I should add, all of this was happening with a lot of enemies surrounding Dylan at once. These are clearly not going to be one-on-one fights, which I admit is what I was expecting based on the gameplay clips teased at the end of the debut trailer. <\/p>\n
Oh, and speaking of fights, I also got a slightly less brief look at the Dancer Resonant fight very briefly featured at the end of the State of Play gameplay trailer. It\u2019s not enough to make any judgments on just yet \u2013 especially not without getting to play them for myself \u2013 but they\u2019ve certainly got the potential to be memorable moments in the campaign. <\/p>\n
Extra Info<\/p>\n
In a Q&A session after the gameplay presentation, I learned a bit more about what Remedy has planned for this sequel. The team did preface the conversation by saying that they\u2019d talk more about narrative and characters later in the year, closer to Resonant\u2019s release, but for now, there are nevertheless some relevant new details to share.<\/p>\n
First, on the technical side, Remedy has tuned its in-house game engine Northlight to enhance draw distance and support more enemies on screen at once. They also want to make sure they\u2019re hitting a solid 60fps on all platforms. <\/p>\n
Second, will enemies respawn? Mohov replied, \u201cTo a degree, yes, but there\u2019s more nuance.\u201d Apparently that nuance ties to the narrative that Remedy isn\u2019t quite ready to dive into yet.<\/p>\n
Next, is a fully range-based build possible? Mohov said, \u201cThe main weapon is the Aberrant and that\u2019s Dylan\u2019s preferred method of combat. It\u2019s never going to be ranged-only.\u201d<\/p>\n
Interestingly, Kasurinen said, \u201cMusic plays a huge part. Zoe\u2019s definitely in the middle of that, and it\u2019s part of how they bond. We don\u2019t want music to just be a thing you listen to. It becomes part of the overall flow. The music is part of that experience, and that\u2019s hugely important to us, and we want to find our own way of doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Remedy wants to make sure they\u2019re hitting a solid 60fps on all platforms.\u00a0\u201c<\/p>\n
As for influences on Resonant, Kasurinen acknowledged Neon Genesis Evangelion and, for the dialogue system, one of my favorite walking simulators. \u201cFirewatch was a big inspiration for this,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Finally, as expected, you certainly do not need to have played the first Control \u2013 or the Remedy Connected Universe Alan Wake games \u2013 to enjoy the story or characters of Resonant. <\/p>\n
How Long Must We Wait?<\/p>\n
And with that, my very impressive demo of Control Resonant ended, and I was left wondering if there\u2019s a chance we might be playing this sequel sooner rather than later. No, Remedy isn\u2019t ready to reveal a release date just yet, and I\u2019d still wager it\u2019s going to ship in the second half of the year, but if the studio is showing off behind-closed-doors gameplay right after its first gameplay trailer, which itself came very shortly after its reveal trailer \u2013 combined with the looming meteor impact that will be Grand Theft Auto 6\u2019s release in November \u2013 I can\u2019t help but be left with a healthy dose of optimism that this could land closer to Control 1\u2019s August release month than Alan Wake 2\u2019s late October window. Is this just wishful thinking on my part? Quite possibly. And with how packed this year\u2019s slate of big games is, I\u2019m not sure there\u2019s really a quiet time that any game will get all to itself. But after seeing Control Resonant\u2019s aggressive, fast-paced combat for myself, I\u2019m even more fired up to get my hands on it.<\/p>\n
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s executive editor of previews and host of both IGN’s weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked<\/a>, as well as our semi-retired interview show, IGN Unfiltered<\/a>. He’s a North Jersey guy, so it’s “Taylor ham,” not “pork roll.” Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan<\/a>.<\/p>\n