An absolutely beautiful and bizarre experience - I loved every moment of it!
Weird fiction is becoming more and more of a mainstay across all mediums of storytelling. And Control dives in the pool of the bizarre head first, without looking back. So to begin, if you’re a fan of the genre, the story will have you enticed with mystery the entire time - like a rabbit-hole with no bottom. The storyline here is incredibly ambiguous, and even more esoteric, but that doesn’t mean it’s not present and done well. Control is more classic in its approach to delivering the narrative - offering a lot of exposition through files and collectibles littered throughout the game. What is presented on the surface looks and feel like an excursion into the X-Files by way of Twin Peaks. The player enters a normal looking building called The Oldest House, which is actually an ever shifting expanse of labyrinthine levels - all of which connect and feed back into itself via Metroidvania style design. There’s even nods of Kubrickian design too! At the focus is a dead Bureau Director, an upside-down black pyramid that speaks in low tongues, a white astral plane the may/or may not be the bridge between alternate dimensions, and a mysterious possession called The Hiss - a name attributed to the sound of a poisonous gas leak. At the center of this Universe is Jesse, an FBC agent in search of her brother after a childhood incident involving The Bureau. Upon entering The Oldest House, and on her way to speak with The Director, Jesse is thrust into a world of empty offices and hallways, odd ambiance and tone, and bodies suspended in the air. And waiting for her inside The Director’s office is a body with a self-inflicted head-wound, and a service weapon with cubed architecture. From this point forward Jesse is the newly appointed Director, and the mysteries of The Oldest House are the player’s to unravel.
The gameplay feels smooth in creating some environmental chaos, especially once more powers are acquired - battles can become pretty messy, looking like a bomb went off inside an office building. A lot really cool effects on display. Combinations of gun and super-power play is very addictive and immersive - sometimes feeling a little like Infamous: First-Son (Second Son/First Light) when floating and throwing objects before dashing into another set of combos. Gunplay is definitely a Remedy game, very polished in its 3rd person action prowess. In fact, this game feels a lot like the classic 3rd person masterpieces of the PS3 era - those brand of games we don’t see too much of this generation. The level design is open, yet confined, allowing for versatility in battles, some areas even have some verticality, but as a whole feels very much like a Metroidvania type layout. The player cleanses points throughout the game, and those points act as spawn points after death, as well as allow the player to select side missions and upgrade themselves/service weapon. I personally didn’t find this to be too much of annoyance, though I could see some players growing tired of the backtracking. Another area that took me a minute to understand was the map, it can be somewhat overwhelming at first, but after a few hours of playing it hadn’t given me any issues and I started to see how it was laid out, even found it helpful in completing side missions. I think gamers that play survival horror games will definitely find these sort of mechanics less frustrating. In action, the game provides a nice variety of enemies, and interesting bosses. Once the game has laid out it’s learning moments, the battles can become pretty difficult, though nothing that will cause rage-inducing repetition. All failures can be broken down to enemy management or a proper defense/offense strategy on-the-fly - things that can be learned and overcome with a little practice.
The game isn’t too long in length, coming in around 10-12 hours. Depending on the player, I’m sure that number can alter up or down a little, but I’d be surprised to see a player pour 15-20 hours into a single play through without standing around a lot, or platinum trophy hunting. Fans of Remedy’s other games will probably dig this outing quite a bit - I’ve never played Quantum Break, so I can’t speak for that game, but there’s some cool strange elements that were in Alan Wake, and some gameplay elements that feel very much like they came from the makers of Max Payne. Control is a nice break from the standard open-world single player affair, and offers a sweet and solid game with fun gameplay and a story that is really captivating in its mysteries. I’d even go as far as to say this has a little bit of a cosmic-horror brand of sci-fi to it’s wonderfully weird and esoteric narrative. The world and environment was great, from the pastiche 60’s decor, to the almost giallo-esque lighting, the Escher-like architecture, and the Kubrick inspired design. Everything about Control is bleakly bizarre and beautifully weird. Definitely worth the price of admission.
Note: this review reflects my gaming experience, not the technical issues. I played on a standard PS4 slim, so of course I experienced a lot of what other reviewers have experienced. However, I don’t feel that any of it made the game unplayable, nor did I experience anything that caused the level of irritation other reviewers are experiencing. At worst, there were a few moments where the frame rate dropped for a moment, no longer than a partial second of hiccup is more how I’d describe it. The game has glitched/frozen on me 0 times. Issues that are so insignificant that I couldn’t let them effect my score, or my opinion on the game. A patch is already incoming, so I can only imagine the game will become more optimized as time goes on, so I look forward to playing the game again and seeing how the fixes feel. But as I already stated, I personally didn’t find anything that intruded upon the experience I had playing Control, which was one of absolute fun and intrigue.
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From the manufacturer
Control
PlayStation 4
After a secretive agency in New York is invaded by an otherworldly threat, you become the new director struggling to regain control.
- Explore diverse environments and shifting architecture in a deep unpredictable world, set within a sprawling New York building
- Define your play style by integrating supernatural abilities, upgrades, and modifiable loadouts
- Harness dynamic environmental destruction for exciting combat possibilities and master complex ritual to alter your surroundings
- Dive into a dark and brutalist-inspired world where daily reality has been corrupted by an otherworldly force
Reviews with images
Exactly what I ordered
Exactly what I ordered. I like to have hard disks and original case. Great buy.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2019
Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2019
Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Verified Purchase
Top reviews from other countries
Amazon Customer
One that needs to be experienced..
Reviewed in Canada on June 27, 2020Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Verified Purchase
Diego
Espectacular y divertido
Reviewed in Mexico on November 16, 2019Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Verified Purchase
Amazon カスタマー
届きました。
Reviewed in Japan on September 12, 2019Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Verified Purchase
Benoit Quinn
Excellent
Reviewed in Canada on January 21, 2021Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Verified Purchase
Gabo
No me lo esperaba
Reviewed in Mexico on November 11, 2020Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Verified Purchase
