Control is a third-person action-adventure game developed by Remedy Entertainment. Players step into the role of Jesse Faden, who arrives at a secretive government agency in New York and assumes the position of Director after an otherworldly invasion disrupts operations. The experience centers on exploring a shifting headquarters known as the Oldest House while combating hostile forces called the Hiss through a mix of supernatural powers and weapon modifications.
Gameplay
The core loop revolves around third-person combat and exploration within a contained but layered environment. Jesse wields the Service Weapon, an Object of Power that transforms between forms such as a rapid-fire pistol or a shotgun-style blast. These forms support different combat approaches, from close-range crowd control to precise targeting. Complementing the weapon are paranatural abilities unlocked by locating additional Objects of Power scattered throughout the building. Telekinesis stands out as a versatile tool, allowing players to hurl objects at enemies, create barriers, or manipulate the surroundings in real time.
Environments react dynamically to these powers, with debris and furniture becoming part of the battlefield. Progression follows a skill tree that expands both abilities and weapon options, encouraging experimentation with loadouts. Control Points scattered across sectors serve as checkpoints for fast travel, upgrades, and customization. The Oldest House features multiple sectors accessible in a nonlinear order, blending main objectives with optional exploration of hidden areas and experiments conducted by the agency.
Combat emphasizes positioning and ability combinations rather than pure shooting. Weakened enemies can sometimes be seized for temporary assistance, adding another layer to encounters. Side content includes targeted challenges that require eliminating specific threats under restrictions, alongside timed alerts that test efficiency in cleared zones.
Game Modes
Control operates entirely as a single-player experience with no multiplayer components. The main campaign unfolds across ten acts that follow Jesse's investigation and growing command of the agency. This narrative thread is supported by eighteen side quests that delve into individual agent stories, strange experiments, and lingering secrets within the Oldest House.
Additional activities consist of Board Countermeasures, which present structured elimination tasks with varying conditions, and Bureau Alerts, which introduce time-limited objectives in previously visited areas. These elements extend playtime without altering the fundamental single-player structure, focusing instead on replaying sections with new constraints or deeper exploration.
Story and Setting
The narrative follows Jesse Faden's personal quest for answers about her past while she adapts to leadership within the Federal Bureau of Control. The agency itself maintains a vast collection of anomalous objects and phenomena, and the invasion by the Hiss forces Jesse to uncover the building's hidden history alongside her allies. Interactions with other agents reveal layers of bureaucracy, failed containment procedures, and the unpredictable nature of the threats contained inside the Oldest House.
Exploration rewards players with documents, recordings, and environmental storytelling that flesh out the world's rules without interrupting the action flow. The setting blends brutalist architecture with shifting, reality-bending spaces that reflect the agency's ongoing research into forces beyond normal physics.
Is It Worth Playing?
Control delivers a focused single-player action-adventure centered on inventive combat and atmospheric exploration. It suits players who enjoy story-driven titles with strong emphasis on ability experimentation and environmental interaction. The campaign provides a complete experience with meaningful side content that expands on character backstories and agency lore.
Reception has been consistently favorable among those drawn to Remedy's signature style of supernatural intrigue and responsive gameplay systems. The game remains available in its Ultimate Edition form, which incorporates all prior expansions and refinements. Those seeking a self-contained adventure with distinctive mechanics rather than ongoing seasonal content will find the package rewarding, particularly on PC where performance and visual options enhance the reactive environments.
