Control Preview – Remedy returns with more action!

Control is the latest Remedy game set for release later this August for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Windows PC. Control is a third-person action adventure game. As the game is from the developers of Max Payne, Alan Wake and Quantum Break storytelling is at the forefront. From in-game footage I get a feeling Control is a lot like previous Remedy games. But with a hint of Mirror’s Edge and Deus Ex.

Jesse Faden

In Control you play as Jesse Faden, the very young director of Federal Bureau of Control (or FBC for short). The FBC seeks out Altered Items which have special abilities caused by otherworldly forces. Normally these objects securely located within the FBC headquarters – the Oldest House – a brutalist-design building in New York.

As Jesse you enter the FBC headquarters with the intention of finding Dylan, your younger brother kidnapped by the FBC. The Oldest House is under attack from an alien species known as the Hiss. The director of the FBC dies and Jesse must replace him – and wield Service Weapon – a supernatural ‘firearm’. Jesse can also use her own innate superpowers.

Non-linear map

Control features a large map that is non-linearly explorable. This means that sections will open up as you progress through the game. The game requires backtracking to reach previously closed off sections. It is thus similar to Metroid Prime, and much unlike previous Remedy games. The game also features plentiful of destructive environments. Yet it remains confined to Oldest House, a building that is larger on the inside than as it appears on the outside.

The player has a considerable amount of freedom of action. Both Service Weapon and her own supernatural powers are upgradable, but they also require energy. The combat system is thus tailor-made for the user. This is also true for the A.I. system. Known as Encounter Director it similarly adjusts to the players location and progression.

The game feature side-quests that become accessible after certain goals have been reached – not unlike the latest Tomb Raider games. All told the game provides a 20+ hours run, which is decent for a single player only game. Below is 18-minutes of in-game footage provided by IGN.com. While the graphics and artwork are superb I feel disappointment with the wonky facial animations.

18 minutes of in-game footage of Control

Some have speculated that Control takes a liberal amount of inspiration from Jeff VanderMeer’s trilogy Southern Reach. The first book of that series is Annihilation, which saw a film adaptation by Alex Garland just last year. That movie also dealt with the supernatural. Although it was not focused on objects with special powers. And it was set in the outdoor environments of Area x – a coastal instead of a high-rise office building. However, both Control and Annihilation do sport female lead characters. The latter seeing Natalie Portman in the film adaptation.

Control is set for an August 27th release. A late summer release I can get by. The game is currently available for pre-ordered from Epic for 59.99 euros, or the equivalent in US currency. If you pre-order the game you will receive an extra in-game outfit as well as in-game crafting materials.