After I gave Alan Wake 2 my GOTY I decided to go back and play Remedy’s other games to become familiar with their connected world. It was fortunate that the PlayStation Store had Control on sale for about $7. I bought it and I have been playing it since. Control is pretty good and this week I am going to talk about all the aspects that I love and hate about the game.

Pros!

• Great looking video game. The Federal Bureau of Control is a huge space and every room is filled with an amazing amount of detail.
  • I really really really really like the detail of all of the powers that Jessie has. dismantling the floor every time you want to use the shield? Dashing creates a pushback that breaks the concrete behind you, no objects to throw? then take some of the floor and throw it.
• The overarching story is pretty linear, but when looking deeper into the story, it gets wonky. There’s an infinite space that allows for a massive government sector that experiments on events and objects/gifted people that reside within our world.
  • The Hiss is not a great name.
  • Knowing where Jessie’s brother is placed in the story is easy to foresee. It does not give that wow factor when they introduce him
• I like that there is an Alan Wake appearance. Alan Wake is such a versatile character because he can just author up some ridiculous story about the Bureau and have it kinda make sense.
• “Fridge Duty” is by far my favorite side mission. RIP Phillip
• The combat is so fucking fun. The onboarding that teaches the player all of the game mechanics is great and the result is chaotic, fun encounters with baddies EVERY SINGLE TIME.
  • Enemies drop in randomly even in areas that you have already been through
  • Enemy types vary from small and flimsy to huge and tanky. There is usually a good variety that keeps combat fresh.
  • All of the abilities are super fun to use. Environments are obliterated every single time a battle ensues. Chairs, desks, and people are flying everywhere while fighting is going on.
• I personally like the looter shooter vibe that Control gives off.
  • It isn’t heavy-handed and the game can be completed with upgrading much.

Cons!

• The map is awful.
  • Getting to areas is an absolute coin toss and it is awful.
    • You don’t ever really know if a side mission’s area is accessible until you can get there (or look online, which I did a few times).
• Some encounters are littered with enemy spam, which drives up the difficulty a little bit.

Control is a really good video game that I put to the side, which I should not have done.

Great game.

8 of out 10!