At yesterday's PlayStation State of Play showcase, Remedy gave viewers the first glimpse of gameplay for their highly anticipated sequel to Control, CONTROL Resonant. After going live, the teaser was neatly paired with a new PlayStation Blog article by Sergey Mohov (Lead Gameplay Designer), which expands on the footage shown.
Let's start from the top! The three-minute gameplay snippet, narrated by Creative Director Mikael Kasurinen, is taken from an early mission in the game and showcases one of the first skills and encounters. In the segment, Dylan is tasked with investigating a potential Resonant following distress calls from the nearby Theater.
To help set the scene, we are introduced to a new character, Zoe De Vera, an FBC Field Agent and Dylan's mysterious handler, who communicates remotely as he ventures out into the twisted streets of Manhattan. She is there to offer guidance and advice, though there's more to her; in his article, Sergey hints that "her relationship with Dylan is an important part of the story, pushing him to confront who he is, what he’s capable of, and what it means to hold onto his humanity in the middle of a supernatural crisis."
To get to the Theatre and deal with Resonant, Dylan must cross the West Incursion Zone. A journey that is no easy feat, combining a twisted landscape with brutal enemies on the prowl. Unfortunately for them, Dylan is backed by the Aberant and a set of supernatural abilities... and some things to work out.
Brutalism doesn't just stay with The Oldest House, but carries through to the game's melee combat (Eyy, see what we did there. Yeah, a bit of a stretch.) With close-quarter fighting at the heart of the gameplay, things can get intense and more than a little hairy. To help out, the Aberrant can transform into multiple tools, including Hammer, Blades, Scythe, and Fists, as shown in the gameplay footage.
We've also learnt about two new Dylan's abilities: Reach and Shift. Reach, described in the article, allows him to "navigate spaces that no longer obey regular rules of physics". Whereas Shift was given centre stage in the gameplay teaser, showing how Dylan can now quickly adjust to sudden landscape changes. Both are essential skills when faced with Gravity Anomalies, areas where "gravity and orientation shift entirely".
At the end of the gameplay clip, we get our first look at one of the game's Resonants, the creatures that give the game its name. These bosses are the shells of powerful people, "corrupted and twisted by the same mysterious force threatening reality itself." Feeling weirdly topical there. While dangerous, each defeat grants Dylan a new combat ability.
If you haven't yet, make sure to check out the gameplay teaser below, and read Sergey's full article, HERE!
CONTROL Resonant – Official Gameplay Reveal | State of Play
(In-Game) Dylan: Zoe, I see the spotlights.
(In-Game) Zoe: Then you're getting closer. Listen, Dylan, we're getting distress calls from the theatre. But Research thinks we might have a Resonant on our hands. No one should have survived that.
(In-Game) Dylan: Then I'll hurry.
Mikael Kasurinen: Hello, everyone. I'm Mikael Kasurinen, and I'm the Creative Director of CONTROL: Resonant, the game-changing sequel to CONTROL. What you are seeing here is an early mission, captured from our in-development build. We play as Dylan Faden, our supernaturally gifted hero, in a version of Manhattan like you haven't seen before.
We recently acquired Shift, an ability that empowers Dylan to seamlessly move through gravity anomalies and adapt to the world around him. Here we are showcasing a set of different forms of Dylan's main weapon, the Aberrant, can take, and his supernatural abilities. There are a lot of different ones you can discover to suit your playstyle.
While in combat, we encourage you to play aggressively, balancing between melee attacks and abilities.
(In-Game) Dylan: Any updates for me?
(In-Game) Zoe: Uh, kind of. You'll know it when you hear it. Just try to stay alive out there, okay?
(In-Game) Dylan: Almost there, Zoe... What the hell is that thing?
(In-Game) Dylan: I think I hear something. I know where the Resonant is, Zoe. I'll call you back.
Mikael Kasurinen: Resonants are the dominant threat in what's our most ambitious game to date, and we can't wait to share it with you later in 2026.
