Remedy’s Control Resonant hits PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on September 24, and the reviews suggest the studio’s big gamble paid off. The sequel swaps Jesse Faden’s gun for her brother Dylan’s shapeshifting melee weapon and moves the action from the Oldest House to a warped Manhattan. It currently sits at 84 on Metacritic, making it the best-reviewed Control game yet. Here is what changed, what critics think, and what you need to know before launch.
A Very Different Kind of Control
Control Resonant is a narrative sequel to 2019’s Control, but it plays like a new game. You play as Dylan Faden, Jesse’s brother, who the Federal Bureau of Control releases from captivity to deal with an extradimensional entity that has taken over downtown Manhattan.
The biggest changes:
- Combat is now melee-focused. Dylan’s weapon, the Aberrant, shifts between forms, and you can equip three at once.
- It is a full action RPG, with character stats, multiple talent trees, and customizable weapons.
- Instead of one big building, you explore large, open zones across Manhattan filled with side quests and hidden encounters. Remedy stresses it is not a true open world.
Remedy built the game in its Northlight engine and has called it the studio’s most expansive project to date, with its largest gameplay team ever behind it.
What the Reviews Say
Control Resonant sits at 84 on Metacritic and 85 on OpenCritic, with roughly 92 percent of reviews positive. Remedy lifted the review embargo nearly a week before launch, which is usually a sign of confidence.
Critics consistently praise:
- The story and art direction
- Level design, with several reviewers calling it among the best of the year
- Audio and the way the city itself warps around you
The complaints are smaller but real. Several reviewers say the RPG systems are fairly basic, the camera can struggle in close-quarters fights, cutscenes can feel generic, and the PC version needs optimization work. Scores range widely, from 40 up to perfect marks, so this is not a unanimous darling.
Launch Details
- Digital launch: September 24, 2026, at 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET
- Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC via Steam and Epic Games Store
- PS5 Digital Deluxe Edition: 48-hour early access starting September 22
- Physical editions: delayed to October 15 on PS5 and Xbox
- GeForce NOW support at launch
- Mac version: later in 2026
Resonant shares its launch day with Silent Hill: Townfall, something Remedy has openly called challenging. The studio answered with its biggest marketing campaign ever.
Control Resonant looks like the rare sequel that takes a real risk and mostly lands it, trading gunplay for melee and a single building for a whole city. If you can live with some PC performance rough edges, Thursday is shaping up to be a big day for Remedy fans, and the October 15 physical release gives collectors a second chance to jump in.
Are you picking up Control Resonant this week? Come talk about it in the NerdBlocks Console Gaming forum.
