Remedy Entertainment has announced Control: Resonant, the sequel to IGN’s 2019 Game of the Year, Control, during the 2025 Game Awards. It’s set to launch in 2026 for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X and S, and it’s aiming to be anything but a straightforward sequel.
For one thing, you’re no longer playing as Jesse Faden. Instead, it’s seven years later and you’ll be taking control of her younger brother, Dylan. He was taken by the Federal Bureau of Control at age 10, ending up in a coma after being inflicted by The Hiss. And speaking of The Hiss, it’s escaped The Oldest House where the first Control was set, spilling out onto the streets of Manhattan and turning it into a very bizarre place-as you can see in the trailer-overrun and quite literally twisted and folded by supernatural forces.
New Protagonist and Setting
But the protagonist and setting aren’t the only significant departures for Control: Resonant. The style of combat differs too. You won’t be wielding Jesse’s transforming Service Weapon. Instead, Dylan gets up close and personal with a crude, transforming melee weapon called the Aberrant, which will be augmented by Dylan’s supernatural special abilities.
At first glance, it reminds me a bit of the lightsaber/Force powers combo in Respawns Jedi Fallen Order and Jedi Survivor games.
Combat and Gameplay Details
I asked Remedy about the combat feel of Control: Resonant, and creative director Mikael Kasurinen told me: “Our combat is quite unique, and it has that Control DNA. It’s push-forward, fast, and proactive. You master the combination of weapon blows and supernatural abilities, and chase enemies down. Dylan is nimble and light on his feet; movement is integral to our combat loop.”
“Preparation is also key, making a build that clicks with you; a huge part of the experience is tactical thinking: How to combine shape-shifting melee attacks with supernatural abilities while in motion.
There are a lot of complexities in how you build your character, and a lot of different ways in which progression systems unfold; you can become stronger and more versatile.
So yes, you will be able to customize your builds. You will also stumble upon side quests and other factions to deal with. Meanwhile, enemies will have paranatural attacks, and they can navigate the environment as fast as you can.
A Bold New Direction
Remedy actually says that you don’t need to have played the first Control to know what’s going on here, and that the two games are well. siblings. “This is not a safe sequel,” Kasurinen promises.
