Remedy Entertainment
I wish Remedy could make even more games, because Control reminded me of this studio’s knack for crafting engrossing, oddball worlds with an incredible sense of place. Control is perhaps Remedy’s weirdest yet, with the talking upside down pyramid who’s also your boss being about the sixth-strangest part. But thanks to sharp writing, a set of awesome and varied psychic combat abilities, and an impressively thought-out world, it was easy to wrap my head around what made this adventure tick.
Infiltrating the Federal Bureau of Control as Jesse Faden and her blue wavy spirit buddy, I found myself fascinated. The Bureau’s headquarters seem like a drab, nondescript office building at first, and Jesse’s search for answers to events in her past were equally mundane. But Control quickly reveals what lies behind those concrete walls: within the first chapter I became both the janitor’s assistant and the new acting director of the Bureau.
Jesse’s search is then sidetracked by solving everyone’s problems. And while taking over the bureaucracy of a federal institution may sound like a dull time, when it’s filled with as many weird and distinctive characters and overrun by an inter-dimensional force known as the Hiss, it rarely ever is in practice.
Jesse’s telekinesis is the best of the bunch. With a wave of her hand a crate, table, or ever-reliable chunk of concrete snaps to your side with satisfying urgency, followed by being hurled at foes and the destructible environment, with just as much of a thrilling zoom. I easily relied on this form of attack the most, and while it’s not quite the same level of tactile satisfaction as Kratos’ Leviathan axe in God of War, the oomph of hurling heavy objects around with my mind is as close as I’ve felt since.
The other abilities aren’t quite as handy but mostly still fun to use. Late-game hovering allows for even more mobility, and Jesse’s shield is great when enemies with telekinesis of their own force you to go on the defensive. Control’s combat encourages constant movement, and finding cover is frequently necessary to survival, even if you have to summon it yourself. The standard difficulty level isn’t unfairly hard, but I died a fair number of times when I didn’t think to balance both offensive and defensive skills and got too cocky with jumping into the fray, for example. Getting up close and using the psionic wave force melee ability can be advantageous when you’re down to just a couple of foes, but anymore than that and short-range combat usually led to a swift death, in my experience.
Control is set in an engrossingly weird paranormal world that I couldn’t help but explore. Jesse’s versatile psychic skills and main weapon make for thrilling ranged combat. And thanks to a strong supporting cast, a well-written script, and plenty of intriguing breadcrumb trails, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my adventure through the shifting rooms of Oldest House. Jesse’s personal story feels like an afterthought next to that, but there’s enough to Control’s world that I remain invested in uncovering every secret, even though the story’s over.