The CONTROL Resonant story: Dylan Faden’s premise
CONTROL Resonant follows Dylan Faden out of the Oldest House and into a Manhattan the paranatural has broken open. This page stops where the studio’s own store text and announcements stop, before anything that happens in the game.
The setup in three official lines
“After years in confinement at the hands of the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC), Dylan Faden emerges into a warped Manhattan at the peak of a paranatural crisis.”
Listed on Steam store page (appdetails API)
“With his sister Jesse Faden missing, Dylan must step into a role he was never prepared for - humanity's last line of defense.”
Written in Remedy: the worldwide launch announcement
“Watch our brand new story trailer to see Dylan taking control for the first time in his life, after years of imprisonment by the FBC. Now, he’s the only hope humanity has amidst a paranatural disaster.”
Written in Steam announcement: the release date announcement
What threatens Manhattan
The Steam description names a mysterious cosmic entity that alters fundamental aspects of reality, along with the Hiss, an invasive micro-organism called the Mold, and other twisted threats. Listed on Steam store page (appdetails API) Remedy’s launch announcement adds that “A new form of resonance, alongside the Hiss and the Mold, is warping Manhattan as a mysterious cosmic force reshapes reality itself.” Written in Remedy: the worldwide launch announcement
The game’s bosses are called Resonants. The PlayStation Blog post by the Lead Gameplay Designer describes them as “remnants of people who once held great power, now corrupted and twisted by the same mysterious force threatening reality itself.” Written in PlayStation Blog: New gameplay details on Control Resonant's supernatural action
How the first game fits
Steam sets Resonant up as a handoff between the two Faden siblings: “Jesse Faden walked into the Oldest House to confront the threat within. Now Dylan must walk out of it to contain the threat beyond.” Listed on Steam store page (appdetails API) The same text says the lockdown around the Oldest House is failing: “FBC Director Jesse Faden's lockdown is no longer holding.”
The timeline is spelled out on the sequel page: the game takes place after Control, and the studio puts the lockdown seven years back. New players can start here, according to the studio’s entry-point answer.
Who you meet
- Dylan Faden, the only playable character, who spent years in the Bureau’s confinement.
- Jesse Faden, FBC Director and the sister Dylan seeks. The store text says he “will also seek out his sister, FBC Director Jesse Faden”. Listed on Steam store page (appdetails API)
- Zoe De Vera, a field agent who, per the studio, “acts as Dylan’s handler in the field, offering guidance and context as events spiral out of control.” Written in PlayStation Blog: New gameplay details on Control Resonant's supernatural action
- Emily Pope, who returns from the first game “in a slightly different role”. Written in Steam announcement: Paranatural Manhattan Trailer Out Now
Where the story text stops
Reviews and previews describe events from inside the game, and they are left out here on purpose. If you want the marketing-level picture of the first game before you start, the studio made a five-minute recap, embedded on Play Control first?. Official videos are gathered on the trailers page.
Related
- Is it a sequel? for the studio’s FAQ wording
- Resonant vs Control for what differs from the first game
- Trailers, Dylan Faden and Jesse Faden