Control Review

In the world of Control, the supernatural is very real, and the government knows about it. In this Metroidvania-style adventure, you must prevent a global disaster after being placed in a precarious situation. As Director of the Federal Bureau of Control, Jesse Faden must claw her way through hostile forces, gain new powers, and try to stop the supernatural force known as the Hiss.

Despite issues like audio errors and bullet-sponge enemies, Control keeps players engaged with new discoveries. It carries the same tones found in other Remedy Entertainment games while establishing its own identity as a great new IP.

Control stars Jesse Faden, a seemingly normal person searching for her brother who was taken by the Federal Bureau of Control. An organization charged with studying and containing the supernatural. You learn early on that her hometown of Ordinary was the site of a Bureau investigation that ended in her parents' death and the Bureau taking her brother.

After the events, Jesse somehow gains supernatural powers and spends years searching for her brother. Eventually, she infiltrates the Bureau's HQ, The Oldest House, during a lockdown. Things get crazier when Jesse is made Director after finding the former Director, Zachariah Trench, dead.

Then things get worse when you learn that the entire building not only houses dangerous supernatural items called Objects of Power, capable of massive destruction, but it has also been overtaken by a dangerous life form called the Hiss.

The Hiss serves as the primary antagonist in Control. Taking control of the people inside the building, some serve as soldiers who kill any humans on sight, and others chant an unnerving hymn that infects anyone who hears it.

Those with a special device can avoid infection, except for Jesse, who doesn't need one. Now the remaining survivors must contain the Hiss, learn where it came from, and find the protagonist, Jesse, to locate her brother.

Remedy Entertainment has done a great job in the story's narrative. The information about the overall plot and world is delivered at a steady pace that keeps things exciting. Remedy has done a good job developing Jesse into an interesting protagonist, but the supporting cast falls short. Emily Pope, Jesse's information hub for everything about the Oldest House, rarely goes beyond being an information kiosk.

In fact, she sits in a chair for most of the adventure. There's rarely any conflict from the humans within the Bureau. I would've expected someone to go homicidal or lose hope during this takeover. But everyone seems focused on their objective, with only a few moments when someone acts frazzled.

The voice acting is well done for each character. Courtney Hope does an exceptional job playing Jesse, actively conveying Jesse's annoyance, glee, and hope in each situation. Despite the supporting cast falling short in terms of personality, they were all well performed. 

The collectibles in Control are extremely high but very rewarding to collect. Some offer detailed information about the people who work at the Bureau, and others are a bit more mundane. There are a lot of them, and while not all are interesting, they offer great insight into the world. Just be prepared for a lot of redacted documents.

Combat in Control operates like a third-person shooter. Jesse has a unique weapon called the Service Weapon, which can be altered into a pistol, high-powered rifle, grenade launcher, and shotgun. Jesse can only equip two of the Service Weapon's firing modes at a time. The weapon doesn't use ammo; instead, it has one recharging meter.

In addition, Jesse cannot take cover in the traditional sense, like in Gears of War or Mass Effect, but can crouch to get behind lower forms of cover. It takes some getting used to, but combat is meant to keep players mobile. Since Jesse cannot regenerate health and must pick up dropped health from enemies, you're expected to keep moving.

Jesse and the Service weapon can be equipped with various mods that boost certain attributes. Mods come in a wide variety, and you can equip them on the fly, whether she's in combat or not. Jesse can further power up by earning ability points to unlock new abilities and increase their power. These special abilities allow Jesse to throw objects, levitate, and create shields.

All are linked to one energy meter, so you cannot spam it. During the harder challenges, you have to constantly juggle between using the Service Weapon and Energy abilities. Since energy attacks do more damage against shields, Service Weapon projectiles are great for health-based damage. Jesse can become a glass cannon with the right build, but her defenses stay low, regardless of mods.

Control is teeming with Hiss to kill. Most come in your standard cannon fodder, suicidal bombs, upgraded foot soldiers, and heavy brutes. Some enemies use telekinesis to fly, throw objects, and create barriers. The enemy variety isn't unique, but it's healthy and constantly keeps me on my toes.

Sometimes you can trick the AI by keeping it at a certain distance. Some enemies are total bullet sponges and can take an absurd amount of punishment. The boss fights, while an exception in style, can get frustrating because of the heavy use of 1-fall deaths and infinite respawning enemies.

Control is constantly feeding you new objectives to take part in. Even after completing the 7-9 hour campaign, you still get more objectives to complete. Unfortunately, there's no New Game Plus, and starting a new game erases your old save. I learned this the hard way while testing, losing all my progression when I started a new game.

The main story unlocks the more critical abilities and areas, but it still gives you enough room to explore. Some areas house more bosses, dangerous Hiss that go beyond the core adventure's power, and missions to earn special material for more powerful mods. Some story elements are only answered through optional tasks.

However, as you explore The Oldest House, you'll quickly notice that the map isn't ideal. The most common glitch I encountered was that, when you looked at the map, only the location names showed. Even when the actual map appeared, navigating it was still problematic.

When selected, your primary objective is always highlighted, and you're given ample fast travel points, which is great. The areas are separated into sections that you can easily access via elevators.

Control does the Metroidvania genre justice, in both its strengths and weaknesses. You'll have to backtrack through certain areas to collect and accomplish everything. Fortunately, this is only for side content, and the main story doesn't require any backtracking. Instead, it flows in a linear path.

Graphically, Control looks great. Despite being limited to one building, Remedy includes an array of locations that complement the supernatural themes. Twisted areas and reality-bending environments litter Control. The color palette does get a bit old, but given you're in an office space for the entire game, expecting a field of wildflowers would be a bit much. 

Control did have its share of technical issues. Odd animation errors and frame-rate drops were common. During specific end-game scenes, the sound would cut off completely during my 2nd playthrough. In one instance, a glitch cut one of the final battles in half. This let me bypass a certain part entirely after I was forced to restart the game because Jesse refused to move, but enemies could still attack.

The sound design for Control, especially the soundtrack, is noteworthy. Poets of the Fall returns with a few tracks that amplify specific moments, and the original soundtrack complements the overall atmosphere and tone of Jesse's adventure.

Control constantly pushes you forward by enticing you with great bosses to fight and the Bureau's hidden secrets. Each chapter peels back a layer, revealing secrets you can't help but want to learn more about. Meanwhile, Jesse tries to make sense of why her brother was taken and what she may not know about herself.

Bullet-sponge enemies and occasional cheap deaths can be frustrating, but overcoming them and earning your reward makes it worth it. Gain new powers and mods to take down the Hiss.