Review
Played on: Xbox One X
Released: 2019
Released: 2019
Introduction
Remedy always have that something special in their games, usually a distinctly unique and original setting. While Quantum Break didn't quite resonate with my taste, I found it to be heavily interrupted by constant cutscenes, titles like Alan Wake and Max Payne are forever cemented into my gaming experience as fantastic experiences. In recent months we've arrived at their next big title: Control. A simple title, yet a complex world to dive into.
Can Remedy get my attention back after Quantum Break and pull me into another original story and, most importantly, deliver entertaining gameplay?
Can Remedy get my attention back after Quantum Break and pull me into another original story and, most importantly, deliver entertaining gameplay?
Let's dive into the weird and dark world of Control.
Plot and setting
As much as I want to dive into the complex story and setting, I'll have to limit myself as I want this review to be spoiler free. Plus, it's that kinda game that's best played without much knowledge prior to a playthrough. You'll constantly be intrigued, wanting to know what happens next and craving more knowledge about the massive building the game is located in.
The story goes straight to the point in it's opening: the main protagonist, Jesse Faden, arrives at the Federal Bureau of Control, in New York. A skyscraper with it's own nickname, "the oldest house". Arriving at the reception, Jesse notices something is off, as there are no people whatsoever in the building. From here, you enter deeper into the building to find out what is happening.
The oldest house has a wonderful, concrete, brutalist design, with endless and massive, open office spaces and a bureaucratic building style. The large rooms, with artificial lighting, give this lonely and eerie feeling to them. It's a world that reminds you of something from a dream or entering a office building at night. It's amazingly designed and has a unique look to it.
The story goes straight to the point in it's opening: the main protagonist, Jesse Faden, arrives at the Federal Bureau of Control, in New York. A skyscraper with it's own nickname, "the oldest house". Arriving at the reception, Jesse notices something is off, as there are no people whatsoever in the building. From here, you enter deeper into the building to find out what is happening.
The oldest house has a wonderful, concrete, brutalist design, with endless and massive, open office spaces and a bureaucratic building style. The large rooms, with artificial lighting, give this lonely and eerie feeling to them. It's a world that reminds you of something from a dream or entering a office building at night. It's amazingly designed and has a unique look to it.
Gameplay and features
In typical Remedy fashion, this is a third person shooter at it's core. It controls, no pun intended, fast and responsive like most shooters in that genre. Control eases you far better into it's gameplay and abilities than Quantum Break did. It's less button heavy to remember. Switching between the various abilities feels smoother and more streamlined to play.
At you disposal is a shape shifting pistol. It has infinite ammo, but relies on being refilled if the magazine is emptied, somewhat alike the cooldown mechanics of the first Mass Effect. Adding parts to the gun allows it to gain stronger powers, like faster reloading, less power consumption etc. You can also upgrade the gun to have different forms, transforming it with a button press from a classic pistol to a shotgun or sniper rifle.
Killing enemies, a creepy zombie like state of humans called the Hiss, will grant you points to upgrade your equipment. The enemies also drop player and gun upgrades. Activating these in designated slots will enhance either your movement and attack abilities or even the weapons firepower. It's a fairly simple system, that you quickly get used to.
At you disposal is a shape shifting pistol. It has infinite ammo, but relies on being refilled if the magazine is emptied, somewhat alike the cooldown mechanics of the first Mass Effect. Adding parts to the gun allows it to gain stronger powers, like faster reloading, less power consumption etc. You can also upgrade the gun to have different forms, transforming it with a button press from a classic pistol to a shotgun or sniper rifle.
Killing enemies, a creepy zombie like state of humans called the Hiss, will grant you points to upgrade your equipment. The enemies also drop player and gun upgrades. Activating these in designated slots will enhance either your movement and attack abilities or even the weapons firepower. It's a fairly simple system, that you quickly get used to.
Video
Control builds further on the Northlight engine that powered Quantum Break, especially noticeable in the fantastic and advanced lighting. There are light sources literally everywhere, that illuminate things in a believable and atmospheric manner. It's incredible to see how well the world is designed and how it's lighted up. The only omission is that it has no HDR support, albeit it does support ray tracing on PC.
The advanced destruction physics in the world are impressive, yet very demanding, so Control settles for 1440p on the Xbox One X. While it's not the sharpest image quality, it's a pretty game nonetheless on the X. Disappointingly, it's a 30fps game, that sadly doesn't sustain itself stable when things get heavy with the physics, or when large number of enemies attack.
The advanced destruction physics in the world are impressive, yet very demanding, so Control settles for 1440p on the Xbox One X. While it's not the sharpest image quality, it's a pretty game nonetheless on the X. Disappointingly, it's a 30fps game, that sadly doesn't sustain itself stable when things get heavy with the physics, or when large number of enemies attack.
While it's the best of the console bunch and it rarely lingers with framerate drops, it's a shame to see the game not optimised to a locked 30fps. It's definitely a thing to remember if you go for the base console versions, as they suffer greatly in framerate when things get hectic on screen.
As a package though, Control is visually very impressive. The world has unique look to it and the representation of an office building is spot on, with lots of small details in furniture and objects filling in it's rooms. Aesthetically, it's goes for a style that it just perfectly executes. You'll be roaming around, just looking, and soaking in the atmosphere. The way everything can get damaged too, really helps visualise some intense battles with destruction of the environment.
As a package though, Control is visually very impressive. The world has unique look to it and the representation of an office building is spot on, with lots of small details in furniture and objects filling in it's rooms. Aesthetically, it's goes for a style that it just perfectly executes. You'll be roaming around, just looking, and soaking in the atmosphere. The way everything can get damaged too, really helps visualise some intense battles with destruction of the environment.
Audio
The audible side of things in Control retain the eerie and vast feeling of the oldest house. With appropriate, distant, ambient sounds from a massive building and emptiness. The same, less is more, minimalist background sound usage the first Tomb Raider, so brilliantly did, all those years ago. Music score suits the style of the game well, while not standing out so much on it's own, it simply helps to build atmosphere and tension.
Sound effects are heavy and punchy, with nice gun sounds and satisfying hit sounds on enemies. Chunks of concrete smashing and debris falling, have just the right crunchiness to them. Surround sound seems well done, with a nice spatial feel to things around you. All in all, the sound compliments mostly the visuals, rather than standing out on it's own.
Sound effects are heavy and punchy, with nice gun sounds and satisfying hit sounds on enemies. Chunks of concrete smashing and debris falling, have just the right crunchiness to them. Surround sound seems well done, with a nice spatial feel to things around you. All in all, the sound compliments mostly the visuals, rather than standing out on it's own.
Summary
I always connect Remedy with something unique when it comes to games, but I wasn't expecting Control to be this unique. It's been years since I've played something so original. The story does an incredible job of pulling your curiosity straight into it's dark and weird world. You'll be eagerly craving more and more information about the oldest house.
I also love the main characters coolness to the situation too, Jesse isn't arguing why she is there, she accepts the situation quickly, but she is eager to explore more. Her dialogues, especially with Emily, are really well done. I love the inner dialogues Jesse has too, during conversations, giving the player an insight into her thoughts.
There are some aspects that shed some negative light though, such as the lack of polish when it comes to performance, resulting in framerate drops. There's also a very limited variation to enemy types and I would enjoyed some deviations to the visual appearance of the building. Albeit beautiful, the brutalist architecture style gets a bit repetitive in the long run.
Clearly, one of the best games I've played this year and it really isn't like anything else either. The developers are in top form, so if the setting seems visually appealing in the screenshots to you, or if you try the first half hour of the game and you're completely sucked into it's world, well then I can safely say this is a must buy!
Clearly, one of the best games I've played this year and it really isn't like anything else either. The developers are in top form, so if the setting seems visually appealing in the screenshots to you, or if you try the first half hour of the game and you're completely sucked into it's world, well then I can safely say this is a must buy!
