Name: Control Resonant First-Look Preview – This Is No Soulslike. It’s Faster
Uploaded: 2026-03-07T21:38:03.000Z
Duration: 11 min 35 s
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The reveal trailer for Control Resonant, the sequel to IGN's 2019 Game of the Year, made a few things clear right off the bat.

First, we wouldn't be playing as Jesse Faden anymore, but rather her brother Dillon.

Advanced passive voice

Second, we'd no longer be confined to the brutalist architecture of the oldest house.

Instead, we'd 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, Dillon isn't wielding Jesse's badass transforming service weapon, or even one similar to it.

Instead, he's got his own badass transforming weapon, the Aberrant, a massive hammer that brings combat into much closer quarters than before.

Remedy showed off a bit of proper gameplay at Sony's recent stage State of Play, but

I've 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.

I adored the first Control, but early indications are that I might like Resonant even more.

It's not just that it's a markedly different and not just samey sequel, but

it's that its melee combat might scratch my Ninja Gaiden style itch.

This is not a soulslike, said lead gameplay designer Sergey Mohov.

It's a push forward, action driven, aggressive playstyle action game.

The player is very much in charge and not simply reacting.

Remedy is calling Control Resident an action rpg, and

while the studio confirmed there won't be a ton of gear or inventory management, it's not a survival game, it's an action game, said creative director Mikhail Kasurinen.

The team did show off some of its systemic depth.

For one, there are talents which Remedy says are the glue that ties your weapons and combat abilities together.

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, backstab damage and sustained assault.

Remedy also made it clear that you can't unlock everything in a single playthrough.

You'll also have ample opportunity to customize your build in the Gap.

It functions similar to Alan Wake 2's Mind Place.

Here you can test out various abilities earned by defeating Resonance the bosses.

The Gap also allows you to tweak your Aberrant, including the primary forms, secondary forms and combo enders or finishers.

A big goal is giving players more choice with their gameplay style.

Like for instance, if you'd prefer to tailor your build to focus on turning enemies to fight on your side, you can do that.

Lots of stats are also exposed in the gap if you want to min max your build.

Less meaningful customization, meaning the cosmetic kind rather than the gameplay kind, happens in FBC field offices around Manhattan.

Remedy describes these as the heart of FBC activity, saying they'll 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.

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 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.

You'll have your choice of two major categories of quests at any given Dylan's Journey, AKA the Golden Path and World Quests, or basically side quests.

In addition, there are smaller action bits and tiny puzzles and seemingly akin to unmarked micro gameplay moments.

Through these you can discover both secrets and lore.

We want the world to be someplace you want to return to, kucernen said in one early mission I got a brief look at.

Dillon enters the central district office of Zoe Devera, a new character to control who speaks to Dillon through his earpiece throughout the campaign.

She she's often found listening to music, and

Remedy promises that music will play a big part in residence world building.

A clip of a conversation between Dylan and Zoe showcased the new dialogue system, which sadly I don't have footage of, but

now not only very welcomingly gives you multiple choices for every answer, but

also lets you carry out these conversations while moving.

Remedy's emphasis on player initiated action even extends to not cementing you in place during dialogue sequences, which I can appreciate.

on this note, Remedy said that while Dillon's dialogue choices are there to give you a bit more agency over character interactions, they're not going to meaningfully alter the story.

In other words, Remedy confirmed there won't be multiple endings to Resonant's story.

While Resonant is only at its alpha stage of development, I wasn't yet able to see a continuous uninterrupted section of gameplay.

Instead, I got a look at a number of one to two minute gameplay clips, but

once Remedy broke out the action, my eyes opened wider.

Control's melee oriented sequel is not only faster paced than its predecessor, it's faster paced than I was expecting.

I was mentally prepared for a soulslight experience, maybe something akin to the Star Wars Jedi games from Respawn, but

In the action I saw, it's got some lightning in its veins.

I won't call it Ninja Gaiden fast, but it's in the Devil May Cry Bayonetta neighborhood for sure.

Dillon was constantly jumping up, floating, attacking, dodging, strafing, performing finishing moves and rinsing and repeating in Rapid Success session.

And I should add, all of this was happening with a lot of enemies surrounding Dillon 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.

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's not enough to make any judgments on just yet, especially not without getting to play them for myself, but

they've certainly got the potential to be memorable moments in the campaign.

In a Q and 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 they'd talk more about narrative and characters later in the year, closer to Resonant's release, but

for now there are nevertheless some relevant new details to share.

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're hitting a solid 60 frames per second on all platforms.

Mohav replied to a degree, yes, but there's more nuance.

Apparently that nuance ties to the narrative that Remedy isn't quite ready to dive into yet.

Next, is a fully range based build possible?

Mohab said the main weapon is the Aberrant, and that's Dillon's preferred method of combat.

It's never going to be ranged only, so that answers that.

Interestingly, Kasarinen said, music plays a huge part.

Zoe's definitely in the middle of that, and it's part of how they bond.

We don't want music to just be a thing you listen to.

The music is part of that experience, and

that's hugely important to us and and we want to find our own way of doing it.

As for influences on Resonant, Kasarinen acknowledged Neon Genesis Evangelion and for the dialogue system, one of my favorite walking simulators.

Firewatch was a big inspiration for this, he said.

Finally, as expected, you certainly do not need to have played the first Control or the Remedy Connected Universe Alan Wake games to enjoy the story or characters of Resonant.

And with that, my very impressive demo of Control Resonant ended, and

I was left wondering if there's a chance we might be playing this sequel sooner rather than later.

No, Remedy isn't ready to reveal a release date just yet, and

I'd still wager it's going to ship in the second half of the year.