Where reality bends, and your mind is the ultimate weapon
Remedy Entertainment has become one of my favorite developers over the recent years. Their trademark is immersive, surreal worlds and tight, well-written stories that intersect between properties; because these days everyones gotta have a cinematic universe. They aren’t lacking in the gameplay department either, being the creators of the well worn bullet-time mechanic and also utilizing time-manipulation and darkness-vs-light. They do a stellar job of crafting games that are just as enjoyable to play as they are to get lost in. Where every twist feels earned and every story beat pulls you deeper into the whacky What’s New Scooby Doo mystery. Everyone, for good reason, lavishes praise over the Max Payne & Alan Wake games, but I want to shine my own flashlight on their, just as accomplished, red-headed little sister.
Control puts you in the shoes of Jesse Faden, who has appeared in the lobby of a brutalist New York City skyscraper, knowing about as much as I did since I played it without researching the plot. Ultimately, it made uncovering the mystery all the more satisfying. After meeting a janitor that may be a ghost, you are ushered to the directors room to find he’s changed his office ceiling color to brain-matter grey without consulting the board, and they wish to take the agency in a new direction. Luckily, you are precisely what they’re looking for. Fresh off your recruitment and armed with a sentient pistol, you are sent out to rescue whatever staff have survived the mysterious incident that’s overrun the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC). Right about now, the game removes its tutorial shackles from you and the fun begins. Turns out now that The Board is on your side, you obtain awesome force powers that allow you to fling objects or people with a flick of the wrist like Darth Vader. For a game called Control, Jesse is surprisingly hands-off in her management style. Instead of taking cover like any regular shooter, instead you can grab a nearby filing cabinet and toss it at a group of bad guys like a frisbee. These powers combined with your morphic weapon that can transform into different gunplay styles; Grip=Pistol, Shatter=Shotgun, Pierce=Sniper, Charge= Energy-Cannon and Spin=Submachine Gun, ensures that neither the movement nor the shooting fall short in their effort to make Jesse feel like a supernatural entity that can beat anything the Hiss throws at her.
If you’ve ever been trapped in a soul-sucking corporate office job that you hate then this might be the kind of therapy you need. As Jesse, you can lift and hurl a 200lb-mailcart at an enemy that looks just like that bitch Allison from HR. The gameplay is a thrilling mix of frenetic gun combat and telekinetic powers that makes you feel like a true force of nature. The (Alan) wake of destruction (fight me) that you leave after you encounter Hiss minions makes it look like a Cat-5 hurricane struck the room. On the other side of the coin, when Jesse isn’t thinning the ranks of the FBC that she is now the head of, she is rescuing the handful of agents that survived the initial Hiss incursion. Surprisingly enough, almost all of them are more than tolerable, unlike a ton of games where you show up and get bitched at by the survivors. Jesse appears and her head of security, psychiatrist and any number of faceless personnel see that she’s been hired as the new director and ask how they can help. FINALLY, a game where I’m offered solutions instead of problems. I’m treated like the director in charge of a federal agency and not a one-man janitorial service. A lot of games have a difficult time making the player and character feel unified. I am pleased to say that Remedy has done an amazing job with how Control controls (*Pause for laughter). Running, dodging, flying, shooting or puzzle-solving feel as natural as if you or I were doing them ourselves. Finally, a player character that feels as capable as the player is. When I tell Jesse to pick up a cafeteria chair and propel it at an enemy, I want some force behind the throw, and because we are on the same wavelength, she launches that thing like a cannon-ball.
This is the first piece of media I’ve ever seen that has made 1970s brutalist architecture not look ugly and awful. Remedy should be credited for injecting color and creativity into an art style that is known for being demoralizing and riot resistant. This remarkable feat is achieved with randomly shifting environments and just a dash of anachronism. The Oldest House is the name of the ghostly structure that the entire game takes place in and it doesn’t just serve as a backdrop, but as a character itself. The featureless government building doesn’t just house the paranormal, it IS the paranormal. The building lives and breathes with a lingering sense of malice in the air and endless mystery that permeates in every hallway, office and stairwell. The building changes through constant floor shifts and rooms appearing and disappearing without warning, to suit its needs. It’s a giant Metroidvania layout that is packed with cheap, easily breakable shit. It’s like IKEA, except it’s fun to be there and it doesn’t make you want to feed yourself to the escalator. Most players aren’t going to investigate every little alcove in the game, but the ones with severe ADHD, like myself, will be rewarded. It’s easy to neglect the smaller parts while focusing on the interesting set pieces, boss fights or any number of other more flashy things, but Remedy didn’t.
My greatest criticism of this game is that it doesn’t have a New-Game+ mode. I wanted to replay it but got discouraged because I don’t want to lose all my earthshaking powers and gun attachments. Control was very well-received upon its release and quickly became one of Remedy’s fastest selling IPs. Fans have been demanding a sequel for awhile, and I believe that actually might be happening now (Score!). Control is worth your time because it was worth mine. What, you think you’re better than me? If you’re ready to throw office furniture like the angriest silverback at the zoo, then this is the game for you. What are you waiting for? You can’t make decisions by yourself? Is your life so out of control? You need to gain some CONTROL in your life! Why don’t you pick up your Controller and install it?! Do it now! You should be uncontrollably shaking in anticipation while it downloads.
Ctrl+Ctrl+Ctrl,
Mikhail
Verdict: 8.5/10