If you want better bug frequency
Choose Onimusha: Way of the Sword. It scores 5.0 vs 1.5 for bug frequency, with a 4.1 overall score.
CONTROL Resonant Review
Bottom Line
Choose it for extraordinary world design, fluid traversal, and a character-driven Remedy story. Skip it if repetitive melee loops, spongey late bosses, or occasionally confusing navigation are deal-breakers.
Best for
Players who value inventive world design, fast supernatural traversal, strange side stories, and character-focused Remedy storytelling will get the most from it. It especially suits players happy to experiment with builds and explore off the main path.
Not for
Players who need deep combo evolution, consistently concise pacing, or effortless navigation may struggle with the repetitive combat stretches and map friction. Those strongly attached to the original Control’s tighter Oldest House structure may also prefer its predecessor.
Verdict
Control Resonant is at its best when Manhattan bends, folds, and opens into spaces that feel impossible, then lets Dylan tear through them with fluid traversal and aggressive powers. Its art direction, level design, side quests, and character-driven story repeatedly produce the kind of strange, memorable moments associated with Remedy's strongest work. The tradeoff is combat that does not sustain that same level of invention for everyone: early difficulty spikes, repetitive combo rhythms, unclear progression, and spongey late bosses recur across otherwise positive assessments. Navigation can also become frustrating when the flat map meets layered, gravity-shifted spaces. Even with those rough edges, the sequel's willingness to radically change Control's formula is a major part of its appeal, and its world remains the element most likely to linger after the credits.
Feature Scorecards
Summary
72 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.027 (38%)
-
Positive 3.5-4.421 (29%)
-
Neutral 2.5-3.411 (15%)
-
Negative 1.5-2.411 (15%)
-
Very negative below 1.52 (3%)
Pros highlights
-
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Cons highlights
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Compared With Category Average
Compared with other Video Games, this product is above average in mission variety, endgame content, quest design, near average in protagonist appeal, graphics quality, below average in immersion, economy and resource balance, AI behavior.
Comparison summary
72 compared features-
Above average 0.4+ pts higher32 (44%)
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Same as average within 0.3 pts16 (22%)
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Below average 0.4+ pts lower24 (33%)
Largest category differences
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| immersion | 2.0 | 4.2 | -2.2 |
| economy and resource balance | 1.0 | 3.1 | -2.1 |
| AI behavior | 1.0 | 2.8 | -1.8 |
| platforming precision | 1.5 | 3.2 | -1.7 |
| game length | 2.2 | 3.8 | -1.6 |
| core gameplay loop | 2.6 | 3.9 | -1.3 |
| mission variety | 5.0 | 3.4 | +1.6 |
| facial animations | 2.0 | 3.6 | -1.6 |
Consider This Instead
If you want better fun factor
Choose Saros. It scores 4.9 vs 4.5 for fun factor, with a 4.3 overall score.
If you want better map and navigation design
Choose Ghost of Yōtei. It scores 4.8 vs 2.6 for map and navigation design, with a 4.4 overall score.
If you want better core gameplay loop
Choose SPRAWL zero. It scores 4.8 vs 2.6 for core gameplay loop, with a 4.0 overall score.
Compared in Reviews
Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.
- Better: melee combat quality One critic finds Resonant’s melee combat markedly worse by comparison.
Bayonetta
- Similar: combat responsiveness and style The responsive stylish-action combat is likened positively to Bayonetta.
Devil May Cry
- Similar: combat responsiveness and style The responsive stylish-action combat is likened positively to Devil May Cry.
FAQ
How does the combat hold up over the full game?
It is fast, responsive, and build-friendly at its best, but many sources say the basic rhythm becomes repetitive. Late bosses are the most common combat complaint because large health pools can turn fights into endurance tests.
Is the open world worth exploring?
Yes for players who enjoy discovery. The strongest side quests, environmental stories, hidden documents, warped architecture, and traversal routes make exploration a major strength, although some repeated activities feel like busywork.
Is Control Resonant difficult?
The default difficulty can be rough early and can spike again around bosses or underleveled areas. Assist Mode provides unusually granular ways to adjust the challenge if the default balance becomes frustrating.
How long is the game?
The supplied sources commonly describe a main experience in roughly the 25-to-40-hour range, with longer runs for heavy exploration and completion. Several critics felt the combat repetition becomes more noticeable across that length.
Do I need to play the first Control first?
The game includes recap material and is described as understandable for newcomers, so prior play is not strictly necessary. Familiarity with Control still adds context to Dylan, Jesse, the FBC, and the returning lore.
How is technical performance?
Performance is generally strong on capable PC hardware and PS5 Pro, with that console receiving particular praise for its visual features. Base-console stress scenes, Steam Deck play, and occasional bugs or image-quality issues are the main caveats.
Sample Expert Reviews We Analyzed
These are a few of the reviews included in our analysis.
Video Reviews
YouTube - GamingBolt
- Review score
- 4.1
Article Reviews
gameinformer.com
Dylan Faden's redemption tour is a dense adventure we're still working through. - Game Informer
- Review score
- 4.2
xboxachievements.com
When it comes to sequels, there's usually a tried and tested formula that tends to work, no matter what genre you're dabbling in. If you tak...
- Review score
- 4.4
ign.com
Remedy's follow-up to 2019's Control moves to action combat in an open world and tells a more character-focused story with its paranatural...
- Review score
- 3.8
kotaku.com
The action-RPG sequel shows Remedy Entertainment isn't done pulling from its bag of refreshingly original tricks
- Review score
- 4.1
gamespot.com
Remedy's signature weirdness elevates the best gameplay experience it's ever made.
- Review score
- 4.6
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