Remedy's best game yet?
Control is the latest effort from Remedy Entertainment, and this is a case where the developer's pedigree shows. If you've played games like Alan Wake or Quantum Break, there's not much I can tell you except that the team over at Remedy took what was great from those games and made it much better.
Control's story is a fantastic piece of freaky-weird sci-fi and is filled to the brim with little easter eggs, stories within stories and little side notes that complement the game's overall plot while serving as a way to get to know more about the game's setting.
Technical issues aside, and there are some if you're playing this on base PS4 and Xbox, you'll have a blast with this game.
The visuals are top-notch, and you can see that a lot of effort was put into building the game's atmosphere. Every little detail was crafted and designed to make the player feel involved in the story.
Sound design is also a high point as it helps to give this game its creepy and otherworldly atmosphere.
As for the gameplay, if you know Remedy's track record, you should know what to expect in terms of movement and overall feel. But if you're new to this developer's work, I would advise you to try it out before you buy, even if it's just for a minute because, while not being clunky in any way, the controls can undoubtedly feel a bit floaty for some.
As for a couple of not so stellar bits: after a while, the combat can start to feel a bit repetitive, but since you're getting new powers as you go, you’ll never get bored with the gameplay loop. But if you're the kind of person that likes to keep mashing the same attack button over and over, this is definitely a game that demands a little bit more from you. Not much, but a bit more.
The puzzles can be a little tricky at times, and you can get stuck because you didn't see what exactly you were supposed to do, but since this is so subjective, I believe that your mileage may vary.
If I had to pinpoint a real flaw, it has to be the checkpoint system. It's kind of terrible making you replay entire areas just to get to a particular boss fight, for example. So, yeah, the checkpoint system? Not so good.
In conclusion:
Control is an absolute gem. Don't get me wrong, it's not flawless, and it has some rough edges, but as games go, this one is pretty awesome!
