Remedy’s CONTROL Review for Xbox One

Remedy Entertainment’s Control is not a good game – it is an excellent one! I had an incredible time navigating this masterpiece of a storytelling and game design. The few faults of this outstanding accomplishment were incredibly minor and would be easily overlooked by most gamers.

            Control is a game that focuses on Jesse Faden, a woman who ventures out into the world with the purpose of discovering the truth behind a secretive organization simply called “The Bureau of Control.” After years of searching for the headquarters of the mysterious group, Jesse finally uncovers the group’s headquarters in a brutalist skyscraper hidden in the middle of Manhattan that is called “The Oldest House.” Part of what makes Control such a unique and interesting experience is the supernatural aspect of much of the game. The Oldest House is much bigger on the inside than the outside and almost seems to possess a sort of personality of its own as the sprawling edifice is constantly changing to reveal new secrets and missions for the player to explore.

Jesse is thrust into her adventure within the Bureau when the director of the group seems to commit suicide and his magical gun called “the service weapon” latches onto Jesse and chooses her to be the next director of the bureau. After she is appointed as the new director, Jesse must find the truth behind a mysterious essence that takes over the building simply referred to as “the Hiss.” The Hiss is a supernatural entity that managed to infiltrate the Oldest House and has the ability to take over the minds of the Bureau’s employees. Jesse then embarks on an action-packed journey through the bowels of the Oldest House in an attempt to find out more information about the bureau while simultaneously trying to fight off the Hiss from taking over her mind and the minds of all of those that work for the Bureau.

Beyond the incredibly compelling and highly original storyline that anchors this magnificent game, the graphics are simply breathtaking. The Northlight Engine that Remedy used to create this game (and also their previous title, Quantum Break) creates crystal clear and highly realistic graphics along with incredibly fluid movements and actions that only add to the phenomenal quality of this game. The abilities and combat of the game are also exceptional. Over the course of the game, Jesse attains new supernatural powers such as telekinesis, mind control, and levitation. “The Service Weapon” is the only weapon that the player can use, however, the magical qualities of the weapon allow it to morph into different forms depending on the type of combat that the player needs in each situation. The service weapon also has different modification slots such as deeper bullet penetration or slower reload time which can be attained through finding blueprints on the bodies of slain enemies or in loot boxes which can be found around the Oldest House.

The only negative thing about Control that I can possibly think of would be the combat scenarios. All of the combat is wave-based fighting against different levels of enemies. This type of combat can grow to be a bit stale after awhile, but is very easy to ignore due to the exceptional nature of every single other aspect of this game.

Control is an outstanding game that I could easily see being a contender for Game of the Year and a future classic in storytelling within video games that many more games will be modeled on in the future. Remedy Entertainment and 505 Games have outdone themselves with Control, I highly recommend that everybody who enjoys a compelling video game narrative buy this game.

Score: 8.5/10

Check Out Remedy’s Control Launch Video:

Control launches tomorrow, August 27th for PC (Epic Games Store), Xbox One and PlayStation 4. To celebrate the launch of the game, 505 Games will host a stream on Tuesday, Aug. 27 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. PDT in an effort to raise money for the St. Jude Children’s Hospital, a hospital and research facility working to change the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. To watch or donate, please visit: https://tiltify.com/@505games/505-games-for-st-jude.

For more information and regular updates, or to pre-order Control, please visit www.controlgame.com.

Hayden Vassey

+ posts

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.

• DYSMANTLE Review for Xbox One
• Omen of Sorrow Review for Xbox One
• TRIGGER WITCH Review for Xbox
• Pile Up! Review for Xbox One