Control: Resonant Continues to Look Incredibly Bizarre

As a dedicated enthusiast of the Remedy Connected Universe, my anticipation for Control Resonant has been running high, even though direct hands-on time continues to elude me. That scenario remained unchanged during Gamescom 2026, where Remedy presented an exclusive hands-off demonstration of an unexplored sector. Given the franchise’s bold pivot from supernatural gunplay toward visceral melee combat and light RPG mechanics, observing rather than playing naturally stokes a measure of caution. Yet, what unfolded on screen during the live developer session was undeniably compelling.

While our senior associate editor Marcus Stewart walked away thoroughly impressed after his hands-on session at Summer Game Fest, this presentation provided a deeper look at the atmospheric and mechanical oddities awaiting players.

Surreal Flora and Fractured Manhattan

The narrative finds Dylan Faden—brother of former protagonist Jesse—liberated from the Federal Bureau of Control’s containment, alongside the chaotic Hiss manifestations the Oldest House once suppressed. While previous showcases highlighted familiar Hiss adversaries, this demo ventured into a surreal Manhattan park overrun by a luminescent blue fungal mold.

Dylan’s objective within this bizarre ecosystem is tracking down a “Resonant”—the formidable apex bosses anchoring the campaign. Remedy confirmed an intriguing non-linear structure: while the introductory encounter and climactic showdown remain fixed, players are entirely free to hunt down the intermediary Resonants in whichever order they see fit.

Pursuing this particular mold-borne Resonant requires an unusual preliminary step: consuming the fungus. In typical Remedy fashion, the substance is described as dangerously irresistible and euphoric. The environment is littered with catatonic citizens—trapped not in death, but in a state of tranquil paralysis from willingly indulging. Navigating toward the fungal sample leads past a clandestine FBC Field Research outpost before Dylan manipulates gravity, shifting his perspective perpendicular to scale a sheer vertical wall.

Dynamic Combat, Dominance, and Weapon Morphing

Combat encounters swiftly demonstrate the game’s brisk rhythm. Dispatching basic mob enemies serves a distinct tactical purpose: cultivating “Dominance,” an offensive combat buff that progressively stacks outgoing damage per kill. This accumulated power proves essential when encountering larger threats, such as an enormous, bulbous mold colossus that stalks the perimeter, deploying organic proximity mines through a trunk-like appendage.

Remedy highlighted equipment nuances during this skirmish: Dylan’s dual blades provide a distinct critical-hit advantage, while the drill configuration of his shapeshifting Aberrant weapon inflicts severe “Falter” damage. Falter acts as a stagger gauge situated beneath the primary health bar; filling it completely renders an adversary vulnerable to devastating execution maneuvers.

Exploration also hints at emergent content. Passing a violently distorting traffic barrier revealed a visual marker for spontaneous world events, though time constraints prevented a full diversion. Addressing the environment’s scale, Remedy clarified that the world does not replicate real-world Manhattan geography piece-for-piece; rather, it offers an architectural abstraction filtered through their signature uncanny lens.

Kinetic Abilities and Defensive Aggression

Dylan’s kinetic arsenal maps intuitively to shoulder inputs: R2 triggers Ignite for persistent thermal damage, L2 executes Barrage to pummel targets with telekinetically hurled debris (ideal for stacking Falter), and R1 unleashes a concussive Push reminiscent of force-kinetic blasts.

Notably, defensive play eschews traditional blocking and parrying entirely. Survival relies on precise evasive maneuvers, where landing a “Perfect Dodge” briefly slows time and offers a window for enhanced counterattacks. Aggression is mandated by the recovery system: health is replenished solely by gathering vitality orbs dropped by vanquished enemies.

Narrative Nuance and Multi-Planar Boss Design

Upon finally consuming the fungus, Dylan triggers a sequence of eccentric dialogue prompts. Remedy noted that while branching choices do not alter the single canonical ending, they influence secondary quest resolutions and color how non-player characters perceive and interact with Dylan throughout his journey.

The demo culminated subterranean-deep in the lair of “The Collective”—a towering, undulating mass of mold composed of distorted grimaces. The boss remains completely invulnerable to direct assault at first. Dylan must manipulate gravitational vectors to sprint across vertical arena walls, severing anchoring tendrils while evading incoming artillery and mob reinforcements. Destroying these anchors eventually exposes vulnerable cores, permitting direct damage to the main entity.

While structured around familiar multi-phase boss tropes, the gravitational acrobatics and distinct visual identity make the confrontation feel fresh. Control Resonant continues to embrace the delightfully bizarre tonal identity the studio is celebrated for.

Release Details: Control Resonant arrives digitally on September 24 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. A physical retail edition will follow in October, with a macOS version currently slated for a later date.