Remedy's genre gamble pays off: Control Resonant reviews are in
Control Resonant launches September 24, and early reviews confirm Remedy's bold experiment largely worked. The sequel scores 84 on Metacritic across platforms — PS5 at 84, PC at 84, Xbox Series at 82 — edging past the original Control's 82. With 1.5 million Steam wishlists already logged, there's a real audience waiting.
The pivot
Where Control (2019) was a third-person shooter set inside the brutalist corridors of the Oldest House, Resonant is a melee-focused action RPG that drops protagonist Dylan — Jesse's brother, freshly emerged from a seven-year coma — into a sprawling, distorted version of Manhattan. It's a significant shift, and critics aren't entirely united on whether it works.
The combat draws favorable comparisons to Devil May Cry, per Notebookcheck. PC Gamer praised the expanded setting for giving Remedy room to get stranger: "The world and lore are as captivating as ever, and exploring the distorted streets of Manhattan is a genuine delight." IGN called it "a wonderful addition to the Remedy universe," though noted the combat edge blunts over time.
The criticism
The open world is where reviewers push back. Push Square put it bluntly: when the game forces repeated location-cleansing loops to grind upgrade resources, "the surrealist Remedy magic rapidly fades, replaced by mundane live-service-action routine." It's a familiar complaint about open-world bloat, and Resonant doesn't fully escape it.
The narrative and art direction draw near-universal praise. Dylan holds his own as a lead — Jesse appears in visions — and the multilayered story, strong voice performances, and direction are consistently highlighted as the game's best qualities.
What to know before buying
Control Resonant hits PC (Steam and Epic Games Store), PS5, and Xbox Series on September 24. Standard edition is priced at $59.99 / £49.99; Digital Deluxe runs $69.99 / £59.99. If you want a physical copy, you'll wait — disc versions are delayed to October 15.
macOS support is confirmed but arriving later. Digital pre-orders are open now across all platforms.