Okay, I’m going to start this off by saying that the new DLC for Remedy Entertainment’s Control called, The Foundation, was not surprising in the slightest and was exactly what you would expect… near perfection. As incredible, well-made, and mind-bending as the base game of Control was, Remedy certainly did not skimp on their DLC. For me personally, I judge downloadable content differently than I judge base games (check out my Control base game review!). While DLC that just contains a couple of new missions with some different characters can always be fun in games with enticing content, I think that the best DLC generally finds a way to mesh with the main story of the game itself in order to build upon the universe and work as an extension of previously gained information. This is exactly what the player gets with The Foundation.
Remedy has always had a gift for making beautiful games that astound visually as seen in previous tittles like Quantum Break, but Remedy has even more of a talent for going above and beyond video game creation as a whole to being more than just entertainment, but rather being art. I felt like I was being guided through an origin story of a game that I already loved and while I tried my best to remain unbiased, it was difficult for me to go into The Foundation without having high expectations. Luckily, my expectations were not only met, but greatly exceeded by this amazing DLC. When it comes to game design, however, the player is taken from the monotone shades of grey and black that are everywhere in The Bureau and taken to a new realm of black/gray crystal-like pillars and muted red sand. I seriously think that Control was one of the most beautiful games in recent history and I loved how the developers play with color and light in order to contribute to a sense of confusion in the story as a whole.
The Foundation maintained all of the quality of the main game while incorporating more information regarding the formation of The Bureau and the Oldest House, frequently giving us new information about what powers the building and the Bureau (among other secrets that I can’t share because no spoilers), giving deeper insight and creating more of a sense of lore that may not have been as central to the main story. The main focus of The Foundation is to get rid of the Hiss from the foundation of the Oldest House once and for all and finally free the employees of the Bureau from the terror that it brings.
The Foundation can only be accessed, however, once the main story has been completed since the events of the DLC take place after the events of the main storyline in addition to building upon previous information gained in the main missions. In addition to gifting us players with new takes and perspectives on an already incredible game we were also given some new abilities such as breaking crystals, which can block your path or creating crystals in order to block the path of others (or just decimate Hiss-infested bad guys).
I cannot recommend buying this DLC enough considering how much more content it gives players (about 3-5 hours of additional content for a 20-hour long game) for an already outstanding video game. I actually don’t really care about the price of the DLC nearly as much since I would pay for 10 minutes of Control DLC if it was offered. I was so concerned that I would be disappointed by mediocre DLC in a game that I really enjoyed (cough cough, Fallout 4) because many times DLC simply comes across as a cash-grab… I should’ve known better than to expect anything less than exceptional from Remedy as they have proven time and time again that they are the crème-de-la-crème of the video game development community.
Control made me an admirer of Remedy entertainment, but The Foundation has made me a lifelong fan of this company and I plan to follow their work for years to come as they have proven to me that they can not only create something spectacular, but build upon excellence to make something even more special. To all my Control fans out there, do yourself a courtesy and buy this amazing DLC and for all of you who haven’t had the opportunity to play Control yet, do yourself a favor and buy this masterpiece.
Rating: 10/10
Check Out the CONTROL The Foundation DLC Trailer:
The Foundation DLC can be purchased from the Microsoft Store digitally for Xbox One and Xbox One X for $14.99. The Control season pass for Xbox One is available for $24.99 from the Microsoft Store and includes The Foundation, and a second expansion, AWE, releasing this year.
Control is available now for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One and will be coming to next-gen home consoles PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. For more information and regular updates on Control, please visit www.controlgame.com and follow on Twitter @ControlRemedy.
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I've been playing video games since I got a Playstation 2 when I was about 5 or 6 years old. The original Star Wars: Battlefront series and the Spyro series initially ignited my interest in gaming, but it wasn't until I got older that I truly appreciated the subtle details that make video games such a unique form of entertainment. My favorite type of video game would have to be any lengthy and plot-driven open world game, with my favorite games of all time being Batman: Arkham City, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Assassin's Creed: Revelations, and Firewatch.
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