Control Resonant Wiki
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Launch and datesRelease date and unlock time48-hour early accessPhysical release dateDemo and beta
Editions and priceEditions comparedPrice by platformPre-order bonusSteelbook EditionNVIDIA RTX 50 bundleKeys and where they come from
PlatformsPlayStation 5Xbox Series X|SSteam and Epic (PC)Game PassSwitch 2Steam Deck
PC and performanceSystem requirementsFrame rate and modesDenuvo and DRMLanguages and dubbing
Reviews and videoWhat the reviews sayThe review embargoOfficial trailers
Story and the first gameIs it a sequel?Play Control first?Resonant vs ControlThe premise, spoiler-freeDylan FadenJesse Faden
How it playsHow long to beatAberrant weapon formsDifficulty and Assist ModeIs it open world?Multiplayer and co-opDLC and Season Pass
FAQ
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About
How it plays

Is CONTROL Resonant open world?

The lead gameplay designer says: “Control Resonant isn’t an open-world game, but it is built around large, distinct, and expansive zones filled with side activities, hidden encounters, and optional discoveries.” Said in PlayStation Blog: New gameplay details on Control Resonant's supernatural action

What it is and what it is not

What the studio says it is

  • Manhattan split into zones, “each with its own vibe, encounters, lore and secrets”.
  • A central story that guides you through, with room to explore around it.
  • Two main kinds of story quest: Dylan’s Journey, the main campaign, and World Quests, self-contained stories.
  • Combat encounters, environmental challenges, hidden discoveries and optional activities inside each zone.
  • Gravity Anomalies, where you can walk on walls and ceilings.

What the studio says it is not

  • “We are not into an open world where looking at the world map causes anxiety.”
  • A map to clear. The studio says the goal is to explore on your own terms.
  • A grind: it says it wants interesting things to do “instead of tons of grind”.

Most of those lines come from the studio’s PlayStation Blog post on combat and buildcrafting. Written in PlayStation Blog: A deep dive into combat, buildcrafting and player choice. The central story and the Gravity Anomalies come from its earlier gameplay post. The Steam page says the game lets you grapple with “gravity anomalies that distort the vertical and horizontal plane”. Listed on Steam store page (appdetails API)

Zones you can name, and ones you cannot

One zone has a public name: the West Incursion Zone, which the studio calls one of the areas you can explore early in the game. Named in PlayStation Blog: New gameplay details on Control Resonant's supernatural action. The studio has not given a total number of zones, so none is given here. Zones are visually distinct from one another, and it describes fast travel between them as near-instantaneous. Described in PlayStation Blog: Control Resonant: PS5 features detailed

World Quests and Bounties

The studio names World Quests as one of the two main story quest types. On a second run, it says, “It’s an opportunity to revisit World Quests, bounties, and collectibles you may have missed”. Said in PlayStation Blog: Remedy shares first details on New Game+. The post names bounties without describing them. What a second run changes is on the length page.

What reviewers call it

Reviewers reach for both words. Rock Paper Shotgun calls it an open world and describes areas that level up as you clear side missions there. Reviewed in Rock Paper Shotgun: CONTROL Resonant review. Pure Xbox calls the city an open-world playground. Reviewed in Pure Xbox: CONTROL Resonant review (Xbox Series X). Push Square says the game plays out like an open-zoned game. Reviewed in Push Square: CONTROL Resonant review (PS5). Their word is a description of how it feels to play. The studio’s word describes how the levels are built.

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