You may recognise Remedy from some of their other big releases; the well-loved Alan Wake, and the less well-loved Quantum Break. The company hasn’t been doing much since Quantum Break, which was an enormously ambitious, if ill-advised foray into mixing a live action series with a video game.
Now the studio is back with their latest release; Control. It is a single player action game, with a focus on bizarre, mind bending storytelling, and diverse, fast paced action.
As far as single player games go, it gives everything you could technically ask for. But the question is; does it do it well enough to justify you paying money for it?
The Story
Meet Jesse Faden. She walks into the so called Oldest House, a government facility that deals with paranormal and supernatural activities. She is looking for her brother, or so the endlessly chattering voice in her head tells us. The Oldest House is run by the Federal Bureau of Control, and Jesse seeks an audience with its director. Sadly, upon finding the director, the man commits suicide in front of her. This, for reasons that aren’t entirely clear, means that she must take his position.
If it sounds confusing; it is. Control’s story is bizarre in many regards, demanding that the player accept a world that is far from standard. The architectural structure of The Oldest House shifts constantly, as part of the lore. The characters Jesse encounters are often strange and confusing. The voice in Jesse’s head never shuts up.
To put it another way; if you’re used to plots no more complex that the ones found inbet apuestas Mexico, you may have trouble following what’s going on. Which isn’t to say it’s a bad story, on the contrary. You may just need to take a few notes along the way.
The Action
Sadly, even as Jesse is thrust into the role of director, The Oldest House is under invasion from The Hiss. What are The Hiss? Strange, otherworldly beings, of course, from a parallel dimension. What do they want? Well, you won’t find out until some hours into the game.
The combat is where Control shines. Jesse has a transforming gun, and telekinetic powers. This means that shooting, and throwing environmental objects at The Hiss, is the order of the day. But don’t try taking cover and popping up to shoot, Gears of War style. Control demands you get into the thick of it, and keep moving in order to avoid death.
Conclusion
Control is a great game, but may not appeal to everyone. Its biggest drawback is having a confusing layout, poor map, and being rather bad at indicating where it wants the player to go. The Oldest House is a veritable maze, and a player not good at navigation may just find themselves lost more often than not.
Those more experienced at navigation, and those who delight in smashing up environments, will find plenty to enjoy here. Control isn’t the must buy title of the year, but it is certainly a fantastically good return to form for Remedy.
