Last Updated on Aug 30, 2026 @ 18:45:30 PM.
At Gamescom 2026 I got the chance to take a look at Control Resonant, the latest mind-bending adventure from Remedy. Known for their connected titles Alan Wake, Alan Wake 2, and Control, as well as Max Payne, the studio has more than doubled down on the weirdness in Control Resonant.
In the first game you took Control of Jesse Faden, as she looks for her missing brother Dylan. Now, seven years after that, we continue the story as Dylan, and the main character isn’t the only change. Whereas the previous title was more of an telekinetic, ranged third person action adventure game, the sequel brings things a little closer to home with a focus on melee combat. Dylan has access to a staff that he can imbue with a range of abilities. During the demo I was shown, he could upgrade this in a variety of ways to change his combat style, meaning we have a range of different builds at our disposal, as players.
Drill was the first ability shown off, where Dylan would use the Aberrant Staff literally as a Drill, stabbing it repeatedly and letting it twist into the mold-afflicted enemies at will. Growth and Spore Burst, both learned from beating the large, multi-headed and awful-looking boss called The Collective, were the next two I saw. Growth spawned two mold entities that fired at enemies automatically, similar to a gun turret in any number of FPS titles, whilst Spore Burst worked in a similar fashion, except it was Dylan himself shooting those infected ‘bullets’. The combat, from basic melee combos to abilities earned for clearing out each district and beating the Resonant boss, looked both intuitive and deep. It’s unlikely two separate players will play the game in the same fashion with the same build.
Beyond the abilities, there’s also some action-adventure combat staples. From status effects you can put on enemies, to execution animations, and then some rarer (at least in today’s landscape) features too. There’s no block or parry mechanics, ensuring you always have to be aggressive and on the front foot, and you’ll directly regain health when you kill enemies, so even if you’re low on health, running away isn’t always the best course of action.
Another departure from the first game is the method of traversal. As you progressed in the first game, you’d gradually unlock more powers making Jesse stronger, and her telekinetic powers would allow her to float throughout the world in front of her. Dylan, on the other hand is more about different axis. He can also float, although for a far shorter time and it’s akin to a longer jump than float, but he can shift gravity allowing him to walk on what was the walls, or ceilings. It’s frankly a ridiculously impressive feat, and something that will likely be the main draw and focus for a lot of players. During my chat with the devs, they said that whilst this was an important facet of the game for them, it also proved to be a huge hurdle for them to overcome, both from a level design perspective and also a practical perspective. When you see it in action, with the real time Gravity Shift occurring, you’ll quickly figure out why.
In lesser expected news, Control Resonant also features a dialogue tree, which will allow you to choose how to respond to various comments and conversations. The developers on hand did confirm this won’t affect the story and there’s no consequences to which option you choose, but it’ll “allow you to be the Dylan you want to be”, and they also followed that on with the confirmation that there will be plenty of lore collectibles for players to find, if they want to expand the story beyond what the main events show.
Past all that though, my favourite part of Control Resonant’s demo was just how weird it all was, and I mean that in the best way. I gave Alan Wake 2 a 10/10 when I reviewed it in 2023, and part of that was due to how unusual it was and the big swings it took. After seeing everything I have for Control Resonant I can safely say that not only is it incredibly weird in so many ways, but the big swings that Remedy is taking in a time where the industry isn’t always rewarding ingenuity or taking a chance, is good to see. It also looks to be paying off judging by the final product.
Control Resonant releases on September 24th on PlayStation 5, XBOX Series X|S, and PC.
What do you think about Control Resonant? Will you be picking it up on release? Let us know in the comments below!
For your next read, check out our preview thoughts on SAW: Genesis, or our review of Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy.
Luke Addison is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Thumb Wars. Having previously been a part of multiple outlets over the years, including building an entire gaming team from nothing to something, he thought it best to forge his own path and answer only to himself. As likely to be found playing the latest game as he is in the kitchen relaxing (by cooking), he always brings the same bold and brash attitude to everything he does, with a heavy leaning on sarcasm and dry wit!
