Compare Death Stranding 2: On the Beach vs CONTROL Resonant

Facial animation evidence is uniformly positive, with reviewers highlighting detailed faces, capture, and rendered human contact.

Facial work is one of the visual weak spots, with some expressions looking stiff or strange compared with the quality of the environments and effects.

Immersion is strongly praised, with reviewers describing effortless absorption and deeply lingering experiences.

One critic found repeated combat and progression interruptions strong enough to pull attention away from the world and story, reducing immersion despite the striking setting.

Grind level is rated positively by one reviewer who felt the game can be enjoyed at the player’s own pace without grinding.

One critical take finds progression too dependent on repeating activities and combat to keep pace with enemy scaling, turning advancement into unwanted grind.

Resource balance is mixed because plentiful building materials make construction smoother but also reduce challenge.

Upgrade materials are criticized for being overcomplicated and awkwardly distributed, making some desired upgrades harder to complete than the rest of the progression system suggests they should be.

Horror tension is mixed to weak because BTs can still feel tense, but several reviewers say the sequel reduces their fear factor.

The strangest spaces still generate strong cosmic-horror unease, using impossible geometry, isolation, and paranormal imagery to make exploration feel unsettling.

The delivery loop is often called addictive, satisfying, and more approachable, with dissent focused on repetition rather than the basic loop itself.

The combat-exploration loop can be exciting once a build comes together, but repetition is a persistent concern. Several critics felt the same encounter rhythm and combo patterns wore thin well before the campaign ended.

Enemy AI is a repeated weak spot, with reviewers noting it is not especially sharp even when combat remains fun.

Enemy behavior draws a sharp complaint for leaning on hectic pressure rather than convincing intelligence, making some fights feel artificially chaotic.

Pacing is mixed: many reviews praise improved mission or story momentum, while others call the narrative slow, muddled, or filler-heavy.

Pacing is a recurring weakness: the opening can be slow, progression sometimes stalls the story, and several late sections drag. Other sources find the game accelerates impressively once it opens up.

Upgrade systems are praised for flexible perks and incentives that help tailor traversal, stealth, and combat approaches.

Upgrades provide plenty of specialization on paper, but restrictive respecs, material requirements, and number-focused improvements can make the system feel cumbersome or less transformative than expected.

Frame-rate stability is consistently positive, with reviewers citing smooth 60fps, high PC frame rates, and handheld stability.

Performance is generally smooth on stronger hardware and PS5 Pro, while base-console stress scenes and Steam Deck play can show dips or compromises. The overall picture is solid rather than flawless.

Enemy variety is mostly praised for new forms and loadouts, but at least one review felt bandits and BTs were too familiar.

The roster has memorable supernatural designs and multiple factions, but ordinary encounters can still feel repetitive. Reused archetypes and endless smaller enemies weaken the sense of variety over time.

Environmental detail is consistently praised for texture, variety, visual density, and natural effects.

Manhattan is packed with strange signage, abandoned interiors, warped streets, and small physical details that reinforce the setting, though some sewers, warehouses, and city blocks repeat too visibly.

Writing quality is split sharply, ranging from career-best praise to criticisms that the script and finale do not land.

The writing is strongest when it balances human vulnerability, bureaucratic absurdity, and strange lore. Some dialogue and thematic beats are less elegant, but the overall character and world writing earns substantial praise.

Fast travel is useful and convenient through the Magellan and waypoint systems, though some restrictions and grading tradeoffs remain.

Requiring physical fast-travel points can be inconvenient, but it also nudges players to stay in the world and stumble into side content rather than teleporting past it.

Haptic/DualSense integration is praised as highly immersive through controller feedback, speaker use, and adaptive triggers.

DualSense feedback is used effectively to reinforce powers and supernatural moments, adding tactile texture without being treated as a defining feature.

The main noted learning curve is movement weight, which takes adjustment before it becomes satisfying.

The opening can be daunting because movement, builds, enemy pressure, and RPG systems arrive before the combat fully blossoms. Once more tools unlock, the learning curve becomes far more rewarding.

Visual effects are praised as incredible, with weather, landscapes, and special effects repeatedly singled out.

Reality warping, particles, reflections, shadows, and large combat effects create spectacular scenes, though the sheer visual noise can occasionally hurt clarity or expose platform-specific image issues.

Skill-tree and APAS-style systems are praised for rewarding playstyle choices and allowing situational re-specs.

The skill tree supports multiple builds and can be satisfying to optimize, yet several critics find its apparent depth overstated or its upgrades less transformative than the sprawling layout suggests.

Polish is praised through refined systems, a smooth PC port, and an almost flawless technical presentation.

The game generally feels polished for its scale, but scattered technical hiccups, stuck enemies, audio cuts, and other small scuffs prevent it from feeling immaculate.

Dynamic weather, terrain hazards, and reactive routes add life and variety, though one critic felt some additions gesture at depth without enough substance.

Physics, destructible scenery, telekinesis, and gravity manipulation make the environment feel like part of the action rather than a static backdrop.

Difficulty balance is one of the more divisive areas: some praise fair harder settings, while others say combat, BTs, or traversal became too easy.

The default difficulty is one of the most disputed elements, especially in the opening hours and against tanky late bosses. Better builds and extensive Assist Mode settings help, but progression walls can still feel abrupt.

Reviewers generally describe the broader mechanics as substantially refined and more approachable, though one review found the gameplay disappointing despite the spectacle.

The strongest mechanical moments come from combining traversal, gravity shifts, powers, combat, and environmental ideas in ways that feel purpose-built for this world.

Lore support and depth are praised through the Corpus encyclopedia, which helps handle the dense terminology and proper nouns.

Documents, recordings, side stories, and environmental details keep the FBC mythology rich, with the best optional material adding texture to Manhattan and the broader paranatural world.

Animation quality is strongly praised through motion capture, character animation, and facial/body performance work.

Movement and combat animation generally look polished and energetic, with finishers and traversal selling Dylan's speed and force. A few rough character-animation moments keep it from being uniformly pristine.

Emotional impact is usually strong, driven by sincerity, human stories, and moving payoffs, but not every reviewer felt affected.

Dylan's guilt, childhood trauma, bond with Jesse, and search for redemption produce some of the game's most affecting scenes. Several critics describe moments that hit harder emotionally than they expected from a Control sequel.

Combat is widely seen as tighter and more viable than before, but several reviewers still found it basic, intrusive, or less compelling than traversal.

Combat is responsive, aggressive, and capable of spectacular build-driven highs, but opinion splits sharply on its staying power. The strongest criticism targets repetitive strings, damage-spongy enemies, and a system that can feel shallower over a long campaign.

One reviewer praised the sequel for preserving the franchise’s heart and soul while expanding its systems.

Despite changing protagonist, setting, and combat style, the sequel usually retains Control's strange humor, paranormal logic, lore, and visual identity. A smaller group feels the open-world structure leaves too much of the original's magic behind.

Mission variety is praised for fresher cargo conditions, hazards, and delivery setups, though some reviewers still noted simplification.

The best missions keep escalating into strange, memorable scenarios, giving the campaign a strong sense of surprise beyond standard combat objectives.

Character development is praised where reviewers saw Sam relying on others more and the sequel deepening characterization.

Dylan's growth from damaged FBC test subject to a more self-directed person lands strongly, and his evolving relationships give the story a clear emotional spine.

Onboarding is praised for clearer instructions, a stronger opening, and a better job of pulling players into the systems.

Newcomers get helpful recap material and can follow the core story without exhaustive Remedyverse knowledge, though the early combat and build systems are not always explained as clearly as they could be.

Originality remains high, with reviewers praising bold creativity, even as some say the sequel is safer than the first.

Even skeptical critics repeatedly call the game singular. Its collision of character-action combat, non-Euclidean Manhattan, paranormal comedy, and art-house spectacle gives it an identity few other open-world games resemble.

Graphics quality receives near-universal acclaim, with reviewers repeatedly calling it gorgeous, stunning, or among the best-looking games on PS5/PC.

The game is widely praised as a visual showcase, especially for lighting, surreal geometry, and dense effects. Lower-end modes can introduce softness, artifacting, or weaker lighting that undercuts that presentation.

Accessibility-adjacent options, especially boss skips and a more accessible sequel structure, are treated positively by reviewers who mentioned them.

Assist Mode is a major strength, with granular sliders and presets that can soften damage, dodge timing, resource pressure, and other difficulty spikes. It gives story-focused players unusually fine control over the experience.

Dialogue quality is mixed, with one review praising clarity while others complain about long or nonsensical speeches.

Dialogue is uneven: the best exchanges give Dylan and Zoe warmth and personality, while snarky banter and some overt thematic writing can feel forced.

Exploration is strongly praised for making Australia exciting, scenic, and rewarding to traverse, especially when routes and vistas click.

Exploration is a major draw thanks to vertical movement, hidden routes, bespoke side stories, and dense environmental storytelling. Confusing entrances and map limitations occasionally turn discovery into circling the same blocks.

Reviewers praise expanded tools, weapons, boots, and unlockable options, making the sequel feel broader than the first game.

Side stories, altered objects, puzzles, bosses, and strange one-off scenarios keep the world varied, though a layer of repeated activities and combat encounters can feel like busywork.

Fun factor trends positive, with many reviewers calling the sequel more fun, though some still did not personally connect with it.

Most sources found the game highly enjoyable once its systems open up, especially when traversal, powers, and side quests click together. A few harsher takes found the repetitive combat too intrusive to sustain that fun.

Art direction is strongly praised, especially the detailed vistas and rugged depiction of Australia.

The warped Manhattan, Patterning effects, impossible architecture, and surreal set pieces are among the game's clearest triumphs. Its visual identity is repeatedly described as bold, gorgeous, and unlike almost anything else in the genre.

Reviewers praise the sequel’s inventive systems, unusual world, and a gameplay structure that few other games attempt.

The sequel earns broad credit for refusing to repeat the original: its melee focus, warped open zones, gravity traversal, and structural experimentation feel unusually bold for a major sequel.

Movement and hiking retain a distinctive physical weight that many reviewers loved, even when vehicles reduce how often players need to walk.

Traversal is one of the game's most consistently celebrated strengths. Double jumps, air dashes, hovering, grappling, and gravity shifting make moving through Manhattan fast, expressive, and frequently exhilarating.

Progression is praised for faster unlock pacing and more forgiving advancement that keeps deliveries rewarding.

Zone leveling, skill points, powers, and build choices often make exploration feel purposeful and Dylan's growth tangible. Criticism focuses on opaque power-level tracking, restrictive respecs, and progression that can become busywork.

Narrative quality is highly divisive: many praise the story as memorable and emotional, while others find it muddled, messy, or unsatisfying.

The story is broadly praised for Dylan's redemption arc, surreal set pieces, and powerful character moments, but the central plot is less consistently loved. Some critics find the overarching tale, finale, or emotional transitions weaker than its best individual scenes.

Weapon balance is mixed to weak, with several reviewers calling Sam overpowered or finding many weapons redundant, despite some praise for variety.

Weapon forms offer different rhythms and build possibilities, but critics disagree on how meaningfully those choices change combat. Some forms feel expressive, while others seem like variations on the same basic loop.

Supporting characters are often praised for nuance and memorable moments, though one review felt they were underused.

Zoe is the standout supporting character, with her radio banter and evolving bond with Dylan giving the journey warmth. Some sources find that relationship rushed or uneven, but the supporting cast is usually viewed positively.

Atmosphere is a major strength, ranging from meditative and haunting to warm, strange, and emotionally resonant.

The sequel keeps Control's uncanny blend of cosmic dread, bureaucratic absurdity, and offbeat humor alive across Manhattan. A minority feel the broader city setting dilutes some of the Oldest House's concentrated unease.

User interface design is praised for thoughtful fictional UI and a radial menu that makes road management easier.

Progress and power-level information can be buried too deeply in menus, making it harder than necessary to understand whether upgrades are meaningfully changing Dylan's strength.

Map and navigation design gets strong praise from the Route Simulator and more convenient route planning.

Navigation is one of the most consistent pain points. The flat map, unclear entrances, multi-level spaces, and gravity-bent geometry can leave players lost even when the world itself is visually compelling.

Fetch-style questing remains a pain point for one reviewer, who found ferrying boxes back and forth exhausting.

Side quests are a major strength, often delivering the funniest, strangest, and most memorable stories in the game. A smaller layer of repeated tasks and weaker rewards keeps the optional content from being uniformly excellent.

Mission design is mixed: reviewers liked forward momentum and variety, but some criticized forced backtracking or insufficient challenge.

Routine world events and chore-like objectives can clash with urgent story beats, making some mission structure feel like open-world padding rather than purposeful adventure.

Boss design earns frequent praise for spectacle and improvement, though some reviewers found bosses simple or out of place.

Bosses are visually memorable but mechanically divisive. Some fights are inventive spectacles, while many others are criticized for huge health pools, limited move sets, and late-game battles that turn into endurance tests.

The open world is repeatedly praised as varied, beautiful, and more densely interesting, with Australia seen as a stronger setting than before.

The zoned Manhattan is admired for feeling hand-crafted, vertical, and distinctly Remedy rather than like a generic checklist map. Still, some critics see bloat, repeated activities, or a loss of the first game's tighter spatial focus.

World-building is praised as bizarre, imaginative, and distinctive, though one review criticized gaps in cultural representation.

The FBC's bureaucracy, Manhattan's altered neighborhoods, scattered documents, and small survivor stories deepen the setting at nearly every turn. World-building remains one of the sequel's most dependable strengths.

Level and environment design is praised for being more thoughtful and confident in how it leverages traversal.

Level design is a standout, from folding streets and gravity-shifted city blocks to stranger interior spaces that turn perspective itself into a traversal and puzzle mechanic.

Sound design is very highly rated for immersive environmental audio, rain, wind, footsteps, and overall atmosphere.

Hits, metal transformations, spatial ambience, and supernatural effects are repeatedly praised for giving combat and exploration weight. The audio mix helps sell both spectacle and unease.

Menu usability is improved overall, especially radial menus and reworked menus, though some still found systems fiddly or clunky.

One source specifically criticizes loadout management for making important changes more cumbersome than they need to be during an action-heavy game.

Voice acting is one of the strongest consensus positives, with performances frequently called excellent, memorable, or world-bringing.

The cast is usually praised for grounding the strange material, especially the supporting performances, but Dylan's delivery is unusually divisive and receives a few pointed complaints.

Controls are mostly praised as more refined, smoother, and less cumbersome, including PC input support, with only minor complexity caveats.

Inputs are consistently praised for immediacy: attacks, dodges, air movement, and cancels respond quickly enough to support the game's fast, aggressive action.

One reviewer found Sam especially well cast and suited to the game’s semi-silent protagonist role.

Dylan is deliberately awkward and damaged, and most sources warm to his vulnerability, guilt, and dry personality. A vocal minority strongly dislike his writing, voice, or demeanor and would rather have stayed with Jesse.

Platform-specific support is excellent in cited reviews, covering deep PC settings, controller support, and full DualSense implementation.

PS5 Pro receives especially strong praise for ray-traced reflections, shadows, reconstruction quality, and a cleaner presentation, while Steam Deck support is notably less convincing.

Replay value is supported by one reviewer eager to return for more missions after finishing the story.

Build experimentation, postgame exploration, missed side content, Resonant cycles, and New Game Plus-style interest give enthusiastic players clear reasons to return after the credits.

Soundtrack quality is strongly praised, from licensed tracks to Ludvig Forssell/Woodkid scoring and emotionally timed music.

Music and licensed tracks remain strong and often memorable, but some critics miss a single transcendent set piece on the level of Remedy's most iconic musical moments.

Performance optimization is praised across PS5 and PC, including smooth performance mode, strong PC scaling, and polished port work.

Technical performance is usually strong, particularly on high-end PC hardware and PS5 Pro, with ambitious effects running smoothly in many accounts. Some platforms and heavy scenes still show frame pacing, image-quality, or optimization compromises.

The only clear aiming criticism was the absence of gyroscopic aiming, despite the game pushing ranged weapons more heavily.

Technical bugs are not portrayed as constant, but the glitches that do appear can be disruptive, including enemies getting stuck, traversal oddities, and occasional postgame or loading issues.

The camera and targeting can struggle when arenas get crowded or fights move vertically. Mis-targeted attacks and awkward framing around large or airborne enemies are recurring frustrations.

The cast/character roster is widely praised as excellent, quirky, memorable, and performance-rich, with a few mixed views on newer characters.

Documents, recordings, hidden reports, and other collectibles make exploration feel worthwhile by feeding the world's mysteries rather than functioning as empty checklist filler.

Community features receive strong praise for likes, shared structures, monorails, roads, and the sense of helping unseen players.

Dollman’s companion role is strongly praised for scouting, advice, and personality, making the journey feel less lonely.

Vehicles are praised for handling better and arriving earlier, though several reviewers felt driving can trivialize the hiking-focused identity.

The postgame gives completion-minded players room to keep exploring, finish side stories, refine builds, and chase remaining discoveries after the main campaign.

The roughly 25-to-40-plus-hour scale gives the world room to breathe, but the campaign can outlast the combat system's depth. Late repetition makes the length feel excessive for some players.

Handheld play is viable but compromised, with Steam Deck running at low resolution while ROG handheld play was issue-free.

Load times receive a perfect single-review score for near-seamless transitions between menu, cutscenes, and gameplay.

Loot and world rewards can make exploration satisfying, especially when discoveries feed upgrades, but some reward placement and generic material boxes feel less thoughtfully integrated.

Precision platforming becomes frustrating when gravity changes, tight trajectories, or awkward geometry demand more exact movement than the traversal system comfortably provides.

One reviewer praised the sequel for letting individual playstyles feel legitimate through its expanded systems.

Social features are praised where likes and player feedback create a warm, positive network of encouragement.

Stealth is broadly praised as deeper, more flexible, and more fun, with many reviewers comparing the expanded toolkit favorably to Kojima’s stealth legacy.

VR Training/tutorial support is praised as both useful and fun for refreshing mechanics.

Vehicle roster evidence is limited but positive, with one reviewer praising the usefulness and variety of vehicles across missions.

The Portuguese localization is received positively overall, including the dub, but the reviewed build had enough missing or inconsistent localized lines to keep it from being fully seamless.

Positive value comments point to the substantial campaign, side content, replay potential, and localized pricing, making the package feel generous to players already invested in its style.

Asynchronous multiplayer is one of the clearest strengths, making players feel connected through structures, roads, likes, and shared effort.

Puzzles can be clever and visually inventive, especially when gravity and perspective are involved, but they also produce some of the game's most confusing or progress-stalling moments.