30th March 2019 Game Informer Concludes Month-Long Control Coverage With Video Interview [Game Informer Coverage]

Concluding their month-long coverage, Game Informer has uploaded their final exclusive piece of Control goodness, a video interview with Mikael Kasurinen (Game Director), Brooke Maggs (Narrative Designer), and Thomas Puha (Communications Director).

As with our previous coverage, we have a breakdown of all the new details released about Control in the latest feature. But of course, we recommend checking out the original article, HERE (archived)!

How long is Control? Why is it exclusive to the Epic Games Store on PC? We answer these questions from the community and more in a special edition of The Game Informer Show. https://t.co/NZmYRmUBWS pic.twitter.com/bD8lKsHcjH

— Game Informer (@gameinformer) March 30, 2019

Following their Control-themed April cover reveal, Game Informer is dedicating the following month to the game with exclusives, interviews and new footage being released throughout March. The latest issue is out now and is available to download or buy (if you're in the US) as a physical magazine.


Our Breakdown: Kickstarting the interview was a question that Game Informer said that they received the most, the decision for Control to have PC exclusivity to the Epic Store at launch. Thomas took that question stating that "we're in a business" and that while Remedy was aware of the controversy it might cause, he also viewed PC platform competition as being good. The developers have had a long history with Epic and the opportunity was seen as "interesting", with the draw of the platform being in its "great content". It wasn't just Remedy's decision though but the game's publisher.

Control will be available in 30FPS (Frames Per Second) on console, but allows for more flexibility on PC. The developers are still looking into resolutions. 

There will be loading screens. 

Unlike Alan Wake, there were no bugs which inspired creative decisions later.

Jesse will have a selection of outfits to wear in the game. 

Similar to Max Payne, Alan Wake, and Quantum Break, occasional key moments will be slowed down to amplify action. 

Seize was the most complex of Jesse's powers to implement into the game. 

You won't be able to go back and look at cutscenes through the in-game menu, but there will be archived footage of the collectable video reports in the game. 

Players who replay Control will have a greater understanding and different interpretation of events with hindsight, but there are also other reasons to return to the game, including "the end game", which Remedy can't discuss just yet. 

The campaign length for Quantum Break is estimated to be eight hours, in comparison, according to Thomas, Control is expected to last "at least" twenty hours. 

Jesse doesn't kill innocent people, those who have been infected by The Hiss can't be helped. 

Content will be released between DLC packs.

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30th March 2019 Exploring The Secrets of the Astral Plane [Game Informer Coverage]

While we still have a podcast featuring a community Q&A with the developers, yesterday marked the final article released in Game Informer's month-long Control coverage. The article was written by Elise Favis and tackles the mysterious Astral Plane. For the piece, she had statements from Thomas Puha (Communications Director, Remedy), Mikael Kasurinen (Game Director, Remedy), and Brooke Maggs (Narrative Designer, Remedy). 

As with our previous coverage, we have a breakdown of all the new details released about Control in the latest feature. But of course, we recommend checking out the original article, HERE (archived)!

The Astral Plane is a mysterious place in Control where you encounter boss battles, acquire abilities, and more. Remedy gives us the details. https://t.co/xsZumSg5AO pic.twitter.com/PX7zvZjRSU

— Game Informer (@gameinformer) March 29, 2019

Following their Control-themed April cover reveal, Game Informer is dedicating the following month to the game with exclusives, interviews and new footage being released throughout March. The latest issue is out now and is available to download or buy (if you're in the US) as a physical magazine.

As we near the end of March, I wanted to do a quick shoutout to all of the wonderful journalists who have written for the Control Game Informer Hub this past month, including Elise Favis (@elisefavis), Leo Vader (@leovader), Ben Hanson (@yozetty), Brian Shea (@BrianPShea), and Jeff Cork (@gijeff)


Our Breakdown: While Remedy is keeping fairly quiet regarding the Astral Plane, the initial teaser at E3 2018 showcased the first glimpse of that world and the Black Pyramid that dominates the place.

Given its location, the FBC is tied closely to the Astral Plane, and Jesse can travel between the two dimensions when needed. Travelling to the other dimension happens when Jesse comes in contact with an "Object of Power". On the other side, she must then encounter a boss battle to prove her worth and learn how to harness the new skill. If you're worried about handholding though, Elise squashes those concerns, stating that it's "more than a tutorial". In one of these boss battles, Elise describes a large tentacle monster whose eye shoots out projectiles

The Astral Plane is described as being aesthetically vague, with no borders and no horizons, it simply descends into fog.

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29th March 2019 Game Informer Showcases Control Concept Artwork [Game Informer Coverage]

This Wednesday, Game Informer showcased a number of stunning pieces of Control concept artwork, in a new article by Elise Favis.

As with our previous coverage, we have a breakdown of all the new details released about Control in the latest feature. But of course, make sure to check out the GI feature for all the gorgeous artwork, HERE (archived)!

Check out our concept art gallery that shows off fascinating environments, enemies, and more in Remedy's Control. https://t.co/RplizMxDwM pic.twitter.com/QB5tXC811N

— Game Informer (@gameinformer) March 27, 2019

Following their Control-themed April cover reveal, Game Informer is dedicating the following month to the game with exclusives, interviews and new footage being released throughout March. The latest issue is out now and is available to download or buy (if you're in the US) as a physical magazine. 


Our Breakdown: Control is described to have a distinct art direction", with the Brutalist FBC building representing normalcy and a ground to the real world, and The Hiss as a supernatural being portrayed as a virus-like entity creeping into the FBC. The enemy is "unpredictable and aggressive", but moves more like a fluid, while acting like a sentient disease which craves power. Their corruption is represented with an intense red glow.

The concept artwork also reveals the "mould threshold", an area covered in spores and infectious mold. As well as the Mailroom featuring old-school postal tubes, with the site mirroring what Elise describes as "natural flora". 

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27th March 2019 Ask Remedy Your Control-Related Questions [Game Informer Coverage]

To conclude their month-long exclusive coverage, Game Informer has asked readers and the gaming community for their Control-related questions which they will be put to the developers and publish in their podcast this Friday!

To submit your questions, all you have to do is comment in THIS (archived) Game Informer post.

At the time of writing, fifty questions have already been submitted for the developers ranging from topics such as unusual bugs which motivated them creatively (similar to the accidental creation of the poltergeist in Alan Wake), to replayability, and even about Poets of the Fall. Have a question? Make sure to let the lovely folk at GI know about it in the article above!

Following their Control-themed April cover reveal, Game Informer is dedicating the following month to the game with exclusives, interviews and new footage being released throughout March. The latest issue is out now and is available to download or buy (if you're in the US) as a physical magazine.

Keep sending us your questions for the developers of Control! We'll be asking them tomorrow in our community-driven Lingering Questions interview. You can post them right here: https://t.co/BGW7OHdHAz pic.twitter.com/CK8cclNtun

— Game Informer (@gameinformer) March 27, 2019

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26th March 2019 Control Pre-Order Editions Announced [Digital & Physical Pre-Order Bonuses & New Gameplay Trailer]

If you read the TrueAchievements article which caught the accidental leak from the Microsoft Store, you maybe would have made a mental note for today. Starting today, pre-orders for Control have started rolling out!

Digital: Included in both the PC and XBOX One pre-order bundles are the "Crafting Resources Pack" and Jesse's "Tactical Response Gear". PS4 owners will gain all that plus additional "rare" Service weapon and character mods including the "Astral Dive" outfit and two-game themes.

Physical: The standard game will cost $60. The Retail Deluxe Edition [for PS4 and XBOX One] will cost $70 and will come with exclusive metal packaging and limited edition art cards. The Digital Deluxe Edition [PS4 Exclusive] will come with items in the standard PS4 edition plus an extra side mission called Isolation and the "Urban Response Gear" outfit. Two DLC packs have now been announced: "The Foundation" and "AWE", both of which are included in the PS4 Digital Edition.

- For more information, check out Game Informer's breakdown of the different physical editions, HERE (archived).

- Confused? The 505Games just published an FAQ on the various digital and physical editions including this handy charts. Check them out, HERE.


Check out Control's pre-order pages on the Epic Store and XBOX One. 


Official Control Synopsis:

After a secretive agency in New York is invaded by an otherworldly threat, you become the new Director struggling to regain Control. From developer Remedy Entertainment, this supernatural 3rd person action-adventure will challenge you to master the combination of supernatural abilities, modifiable loadouts and reactive environments while fighting through a deep and unpredictable world. Control is Jesse Faden’s story and her personal search for answers as she grows into the role of the Director. The world of Control has its own story, as do the allies Jesse meets along the way. Jesse works with other Bureau agents and discovers strange experiments and secrets.

Close up of Jesse's Tactical Outfit [pre-order bonus]. Image from the XBOX Store: 

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22nd March 2019 Game Informer Focuses on Side Missions In New Article [Game Informer Coverage]

Moments ago, Game Informer's Digital Editor, Brian Shea, posted a new article exploring the side missions in Control.

His coverage explores Remedy's new approach to game structure, additional details of the fridge side mission teased last Summer, and how the side missions will add to the game's lore.

As with our previous coverage, we have a breakdown of all the new details released about Control in the latest feature. But of course, if you have time, you should check out the article in full, HERE (archived)!

Remedy Entertainment has traditionally created more linear experiences, but that's changing with Control. Learn more about how the studio is approaching side missions in its newest title. https://t.co/z9BWF0uGyQ pic.twitter.com/ld7LkjRRht

— Game Informer (@gameinformer) March 22, 2019

Following their Control-themed April cover reveal, Game Informer is dedicating the following month to the game with exclusives, interviews and new footage being released throughout March. The latest issue is out now and is available to download or buy (if you're in the US) as a physical magazine.


Our Breakdown: For Control, Remedy has taken a different approach to its gameplay, offering up more "complex scenarios", new abilities, and more freedom in how the player chooses how to fight. With the latter, being impacted by a number of things including combinations of abilities, skill upgrades, and character mods.

For the article, Brian spoke to Mikael Kasurinen (Game Director) and Brooke Maggs (Narrative Lead) to learn more about this new approach.

In the main story, we learn more about Jesse and explore with her a personal arc. While the side missions are optional, the game is an open-ended experience which encourages exploration. In the side missions, we learn more about the world around us including the Oldest House (how various locations have been affected by the invasion), the FBC, and of course The Hiss. Through the side missions, Jesse will discover Objects of Power, leading to boss fights to prove her worth to inherit their skill, and adding an additional technique to defend herself against the Hiss.

While Remedy was still rather secretive about the side missions in the game, they did talk about the optional content teased at E3 last year. In previously released gameplay footage, Jesse encounters Philip, an agent whose duty it is to maintain eye contact with a fridge, a powerful Altered Item. His shift also coincided with the Hiss invasion leading to him pleading with Jesse to help him. The player can choose to help or move on. If Jesse helps, he also asks for her assistance to find Frederick Langston (the panopticon supervisor). Through this side mission, Jesse learns more about Philip, Federick, and the Altered Item which started it all. While Brian at Game Informer didn't want to spoil any surprises he did say that "it culminates in a surprising and massive fight". While other Altered Items are kept secret, the developers have also teased other missions with the word "clock".

Remedy's Narrative Lead, Brooke Maggs, touched on another character (revealed a few days ago during the Nvidia video) called Helen Marshall. While we meet her in the main story, we learn more about her, including her role in the FBC and her specialist teams, in the side missions.

Another type of optional content is the "Bureau Alerts" which are described as an "intentionally crafted sided mission" and "time-bound world events". They're spontaneous timed-events that spawns in the sector that Jesse is in. The player receives a notification of its location but whether they're attempted to up to you.

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22nd March 2019 Game Informer Takes a Look at Remedy's New Mo-Cap Area [Game Informer Coverage]

On Wednesday, Game Informer's Brian Shea (Digital Editor) and Elise Favis (Associate Editor) took an exclusive closer look at Remedy's new built-in motion capture area in a brand new video.

During their thirty minutes in the motion capture studio, with Brian borrowing Matthew Porretta's mocap suit and Elise borrowing Courtney Hope's, the duo worked on some a number of in-game stances as well as some walking and attack animations to get a feel for the process. Near the end, they even tried their hand at recreating some of the animations recorded for Control.

Between takes, they spoke to the game's Principal Gameplay Animator, Ilkka Kuusela, who directed them while they were on set.

After the session, both Brian and Elise sat down to talk about their experiences including a potential in-game scene in which Jesse is outside the FBC building in New York, with the two GI writers portraying bystanders, one of which notices something strange about the protagonist. Take a look at the full video below!

Following their Control-themed April cover reveal, Game Informer is dedicating the following month to the game with exclusives, interviews and new footage being released throughout March. The latest issue is out now and is available to download or buy (if you're in the US) as a physical magazine. 

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20th March 2019 Game Informer Looks At Control's Story in Monday's Article [Game Informer Coverage] Includes Summary

In Monday's Game Informer coverage, the team delves deeper into Control's mysteries as they speak to Sam Lake (Creative Director) and Brooke Maggs (Narrative Designer).

As with our previous coverage, we have a breakdown of all the new details released about Control in the latest feature. But of course, if you have time, you should check out the article in full, HERE (archive)!

Following their Control-themed April cover reveal, Game Informer is dedicating the following month to the game with exclusives, interviews and new footage being released throughout March. The latest issue is out now and is available to download or buy (if you're in the US) as a physical magazine.

Control's story is wonderfully weird, taking inspiration from David Lynch, Mr. Robot, and more. Here's a deep dive on how the fascinating narrative is being built. https://t.co/NOStCdIQio pic.twitter.com/busBzE0JR7

— Game Informer (@gameinformer) March 18, 2019

A little about the story team: Remedy's Narrative team has been the biggest yet for any of their projects, with eight writers working to bring Control's story to life! Leading the team has been Sam Lake (Creative Director), with Brooke Maggs and Eevi Korhonen (left Sept 2018 ) holding down the Narrative Designer title. Anna Megill (left Nov 2018), Mikko Rautalahti (left Oct 2017) were the project's Narrative Leads. With additional story work done by the writing team; Ben Gelinas, Angela Leigh McCoy, and Clay Murphy.


Our Breakdown: For Remedy's latest adventure, the team has taken inspiration from a number of sources including David Lynch (as with Alan Wake), Jeff Vandermeer's Annihilation, Mr Robot, Inception (as with Quantum Break) and the "New Weird" genre. To maintain the authentic "new weird" feel, Remedy knows there's a careful balance between answering mysteries and leaving them open, to maintain that genre sense of bewilderment. Mysteries are at the heart of Control.

Throughout Control, the player will hear Jesse's insights, for instance, following conversations with another individual if she has concerns or is holding something back we will hear her true intentions. The protagonist is described as "closed down and keep things close to her chest" by hearing Jesse's thoughts, we learn more about who the character really is. In their article, Game Informer also hints at some fourth wall breaks where Jesse could be talking to the player from certain perspectives.

Following the release of Quantum Break, the story team reevaluated their approach to their narrative and the lessons they've learnt. With Control's lore, there's more of a mix of media compared to Quantum Break, with information delivered through audio logs, video logs and documentation. The same can be said for live-action, which has been dialled back but continues to make an appearance in the game, as it did with Alan Wake and Max Payne 2. (A demonstration of Control's live-action has been released following the article's release in a recent Nvidia RTX gameplay comparison featuring internal FBC communications by Dr Casper Darling.)

Previously released gameplay footage also showed Trench's ghostly apparitions; live-action recordings overlapping gameplay. While Trench is confirmed to be deceased, Jesse remains in contact with the former-director, helped by some of the "mysterious devices" around the FBC.

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15th March 2019 Game Informer Delves Into The Secrets of The Oldest House [Game Informer Coverage] Includes Summary

In a new Game Informer article, Brian Shea investigates the mysteries of The Oldest House, as part of their month-long exclusive coverage of Control.

In the article, he speaks to Mikael Kasurinen (Game Director) about Jesse's mission and how the Hiss has affected the building, as well as delving into the origins of what The Oldest House actually is. The article also features a selection of never-before-seen screenshots.

As with our previous coverage, we have a breakdown of all the new details released about Control in the latest feature. But of course, if you have time, you should check out the article in full, HERE (archived)!

Remedy Entertainment's Control is set in The Oldest House, a powerful, constantly shifting building in New York. Learn what makes this enigmatic setting so interesting and unique in this exclusive feature. https://t.co/84cEEuu1yd pic.twitter.com/PfsXtkhMqE

— Game Informer (@gameinformer) March 15, 2019

Following their Control-themed April cover reveal, Game Informer is dedicating the following month to the game with exclusives, interviews and new footage being released throughout March. The latest issue is out now and is available to download or buy (if you're in the US) as a physical magazine.


Our Breakdown: Located in Manhattan, The Oldest House was discovered in the 1960s, during a separate mission to discover Altered World Events. Following the discovery of its Place of Power (stored beneath the New York subway), the Federal Bureau of Control moved their headquarters inside, using the location to catalogue the strange phenomena happening across the globe.

The "Place of Power" houses the Objects of Power, which Jesse can use to upgrade her abilities, once she has proved her worth. With each new object, comes a unique logic to them.

From the outside, it's a brutalist building, a setting which later contrasts with the organic and fluidity of The Hiss which becomes attracted to it due to its unusual power. While the game takes place entirely in the one building, it has a wide amount of diversity in the environment, from a basement overrun by plants (and plant-like enemies), to cold rooms compiled of bare concrete blocks, to a shifting maze which looks dragged out of the 1950s. Elsewhere in the building is the organisation's "Black Rock Quarry"; Black Rock is used by the FBC due to its properties to dampen supernatural forces, because of this it is a highly sought after mineral in the Bureau. As the locations are vast, the developers have incorporated a fast-travel system to aid replays.

While The Oldest House is described as a shifting place, there are some areas which Mikael Kasurinen (Game Director) has described as "harmonized", it's these places which The Hiss has infected, an action which the team describes as a "Resonance", and it's up to Jesse to cleanse them.

Screenshot of the Black Rock Quarry:

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13th March 2019 New Details About Jesse's Service Weapon Revealed [Game Informer Coverage] Includes Summary

In a new interview, Game Informer talks to Control's Lead Designer, Paul Ehreth, and Narrative Designer, Brooke Maggs, about Jesse's service weapon, a device which she inherits in her role as the new Director of the Federal Bureau of Control.

As with our previous coverage, we have a breakdown of all the new details released about Control in the latest feature. But of course, if you have time, you should check out the interview in full, HERE (archive)! The interview is approximately six minutes in length and playable on the Game Informer website.

Remedy's Control only has one gun. We show off what makes it amazing in our latest exclusive video. Watch here: https://t.co/mYS2q87foB pic.twitter.com/Qle2yLU1lo

— Game Informer (@gameinformer) March 13, 2019

Following their Control-themed April cover reveal, Game Informer is dedicating the following month to the game with exclusives, interviews and new footage being released throughout March. The latest issue is out now and is available to download or buy (if you're in the US) as a physical magazine. 


Our Breakdown: At the start of the game, Jesse will inherit her service-weapon, an old device which has assumed multiple forms over the course of directors, and which has now chosen her. While players will only have the one weapon throughout the entire game, the weapon can transform into a number of different machines.

As Jesse improves and strengthens her abilities, she will also gain new weapon forms. Four of these forms were discussed in detail during the interview; Grip (the weapon's default setting, almost like a revolver), Shatter (ideal at close range, almost like a shotgun), Spin (rapid-fire, best for mid-range) and Pierce (which can shoot through cover and potentially multiple enemies). While there are a number of forms that the weapon can take, only two of them can be selected to be switched to quickly during combat sequences. 

In addition to the weapon forms, "mods" can also be added to impact weapon stats, for instance, improving range or dealing more damage. It's in these modifiers that players can tailor the combat to fit their own style.  

While enemy shields are best dealt with by Jesse's supernatural powers, the core enemy health is most impacted by her weapon. Both powers and ammo will need time to recharge though, so the player must also take into consideration cool down moments, but ammo will recharge significantly longer than Jesse's powers

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10th March 2019 Game Informer Breakdowns Jesse's Powers [Game Informer Coverage] Includes Summary

As a pre-weekend treat, Game Informer published their fourth piece of exclusive Control coverage, this time breaking down Jesse's supernatural powers!

The new feature has a written breakdown of the powers, a demonstration of Jesse performing each one in-game, and an interview with Game Director, Mikael Kasurinen.



Following their Control-themed April cover reveal, Game Informer is dedicating the following month to the game with exclusives, interviews and new footage being released throughout March. The latest issue is out now and is available to download or buy (if you're in the US) as a physical magazine. 

As with our previous coverage, we have a breakdown of new details released about Control in the latest feature. Of course, if you have time, you should check out their article in full as there's a clear report on all powers plus a nice interview with Mikael. Check it out, HERE (archived)!

Our Breakdown: In addition to her new service weapon, a gun that is capable of numerous transformations, Jesse also possesses a number of supernatural powers, a topic focused on in today's exclusive coverage on the Game Informer website.

GI has revealed that Jesse will obtain seven powers throughout Control; Melee, Launch (telekinesis), Levitate, Evade (similar to Quantum Break's time dodge), Ground Slam, Shield (telepathy), and Seize. Remedy's approach to these powers focused on Jesse having "grounded" abilities that will impact the surrounding environment. For instance, Shield will pull rubble and items towards her to create a protective barrier. Launch will also rip items out of the walls, creating new openings for Jesse to explore. Similarly, Levitate will enable the player to reach new areas of the FBC building.  Remedy's approach to the powers also takes on a "sandbox feel to the combat" allowing the player to combine a number of abilities at once.

As touched on in previous GI articles, Jesse will obtain each power after proving her worthiness in the Astral Plane, which acts as both a boss battle and tutorial for each new skill. Although little has been discussed the Astral Plane, today it was revealed that in obtaining the Seize power, Jesse will encounter new enemies who are impervious to bullet or any of Jesse's other abilities, forcing her to adopt a new tactic.

The interview is one of the first to discuss the various enemy behaviours and types in Control. In their upcoming adventure, Remedy has an enemy who will heal other Hiss creatures in the area. If Jesse uses Seize over these individuals, they will turn their attention to follow the protagonist, healing her for a limited time.

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9th March 2019 Game Informer Show Episode #440 Control Breakdown [Game Informer Coverage] Includes Summary

This week, Game Informer released a new episode of their podcast (episode 440), with hosts Ben Hanson, Leo Vader, Elise Favis and Brian Shea discussing a range of games including Devil May Cry 5, Days Gone, Ape Out, as well as talking to Glen Schofield, and breaking down what the team thought of their exclusive look at Control.

The podcast is almost three hours long and is available to listen to or watch on the Game Informer website, HERE (archived).



Following their Control-themed April cover reveal, Game Informer is dedicating the following month to the game with exclusives, interviews and new footage being released throughout March. The latest issue is out now and is available to download or buy (if you're in the US) as a physical magazine. 



As with our coverage of Game Informer's 94 Rapid Fire Interview, we have a breakdown of everything that was announced during the podcast in regards to Control. Of course, if you have time, you should check out the podcast as there's a really nice discussion about the game in addition to the new teasers.

Our Breakdown: A number of things were discussed in the Control segment of the podcast including "Objects of Power", which unlocks different skills, allowing Jesse is mix combinations together to perform more complex manoeuvres such as air dodge (combining levitation and dodge). Given the open world and "multi-dimensional" nature of the FBC, the Objects of Power can be collected different orders depending on how you explore the world. These Objects of Power have been retrieved around the globe and are stored in the Oldest House to be protected and catalogued, it's this that makes the world of Control packed with lore. The Oldest House is also described as a "place of power" with multi-dimensions existing within one location, and whose architecture of a 1960s office often contrasts with the recent supernatural infestation or modern inventions that have been brought in over the decades.

The biggest surprise for the GI Show hosts was Remedy's breakdown and rebuild of their AI system, now called Encounter Director, which moves Control away from scripted encounters such as the enemy ambushes found in Max Payne, Alan Wake, and Quantum Break. The new build is targeted for use in less linear games and is wave-based with enemy strength dependent on location and progress. It was this new combat approach that Game Informer's playtest focused on, with a hands-on demo taking place in the lobby, previously shown at last year's E3.

As the Hiss spreads through the FBC, taking over the agents, the possession is described as a virus with the employees in various  "phases of a disease", meaning that while some of the agents have only faced a partial takeover and will fight more like humans, there are some which have been more extensively possessed. For these agents, they may have similar skills to Jesse and will appear less human. There are also bigger and weirder fights reserved for battles in the Astral Plane, where Jesse will add to her skill list. It's in these combat scenes where Jesse's powers shine, and she can craft a shield out of rubble or turn weakened enemies into sentries.

Another aspect which stood out for the GI team was the improvements in technology when it came to the environmental impact that the player. Destruction plays a major part in Control with Jesse using the world around her occasionally as a shield or a weapon. The team described it as "sandbox destruction" with a number of items, highlighted subtly to not break immersion, available at Jesse's disposal. Items thrown at the wall creates a concave impression, a detail that the play testers were impressed with and credited to the impressive work of the Northlight team.

From the footage seen, the writers came away with Alan Wake vibes with the approach to mysteries, and connections to the work of Stanley Kubrick and David Lynch, there was also a comparison to Variable State's game, Virginia. Unlike previous games, Control was developed with the "world first, story after" approach.

Throughout the month there will be more things to look forward to from Game Informer's coverage including a video on the developer's new motion capture video, in addition to a closer look at Jesse's abilities, her service weapon, the story, the Oldest House, and side missions. Check out Game Informer's hub, HERE (archived), for a full list of reveals.

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6th March 2019 Game Director, Mikael Kasurinen In Rapid-Fire Interview [Game Informer Coverage] Including Summary Updated 8/3

Last night, Game Informer announced that they're turning their attention to Control this month with a number of exclusives scheduled for the next four weeks. Today, the site released their first video (archived), and spoke to Game Director, Mikael Kasurinen, in an intense rapid-fire interview.

If you've been in the Remedy community for a few years, you may have seen the rapid-fire interview round that Game Informer had with Sam Lake as part of their coverage of Quantum Break. It's a similar situation with short and bizarre questions thrown to the interviewee. They're a lot of fun to watch and offers snippets of what the player can expect...wait, did someone say there's a furnace room? That's not going to be ominous or anything!


In case you missed it last night: Game Informer announced that their April issue will come with an extended feature dedicated to Control, along with a bunch of exclusive Remedy goodness (traditionally released) every Monday, Wednesday and Friday throughout March.

Updated! [8/3] For those who aren't able to watch the video, we have a quick rundown of the game-related points discussed in the interview! First of all, a quick warning for those avoiding spoilers, Jesse's character development is discussed so there are potential spoilers for the ending. If you want to go into the game completely blind, then you might want to miss the opening of the conversation.

Okay, on to the teasers! Perhaps the biggest reveals to come from the interview is the that Control will have DLC but will not include microtransactions. It won't have a photo mode on release, but the team hasn't completely ruled it out in a later update. And finally, contrary to previous rumours there will be no multiplayer, Control is a single-player experience only.

Aspects of Control's level design, story and gameplay were also discussed with Mikael confirming that it's a non-linear game (with 70-80% of the puzzles being solvable straight away) which is also set in one location, The Oldest House with a potential "oldest landlord", and expect shocking story twists along with way. He also added that while there are horror-like elements, it's not specifically a "horror" game but it does take inspiration from horror titles with Kubrick being named as a source of inspiration.  For those looking to replay the title, there will not be a New Game+. And each platform experience will be very slightly different as the game pushes that specific hardware to the max.

If you liked the creepiness of the suspended Hiss victims in the gameplay footage shown so far, you might be interested to hear how the developers managed to create that unsettling illusion. Expanded on in the interview, Mikael discussed how motion capture actors were suspended with wires and stretchers to achieve that otherworldly look, but that creating the impression of hanging lifeless forms was a lot more complicated than might be expected. It's that and the level of destruction that Mikael is the proudest of in the game.

In the interview, Quantum Break came up as a topic both on its own and as a comparison. On the topic of comparisons, it will be revealed audio logs will be available around the FBC, and there will be a continued presence of live action in the title. Automatic crouching makes a reappearance during combat scenes, as will the cooldown on Jesse's skills. When it comes to skills, similar to Jack's powers in Quantum Break, Control will offer a skill tree allowing players to customise their experience and upgrade weapons (although ammo scarcity is not an issue). There will also be collectables and live-action elements, but no distinct level difficulty setting.

Being Remedy's latest released game, the interview also touched on Quantum Break and the developer's views on it since the launch. Mikael expressed his thoughts that he felt that the TV show element could have been stronger and that there was a wish that the title had been released earlier. When it came to the development process, an element which Mikael felt deserved more attention was the transformation scene at Will's Workshop given the amount of time it had taken to come together.

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5th March 2019 Game Informer Reveals Control Cover [April 312] OUT NOW

US-based magazine, Game Informer (archived), has just announced that their April issue will come with an extended feature dedicated to Control, along with a bunch of exclusive Remedy goodness (traditionally released) every Monday, Wednesday and Friday throughout the next month.

Recently, a group of journalists from the Game Informer offices flew to Remedy to get a never-before-scene look at what the developers have achieved with their latest title, and to talk to some of the individuals who had worked on the game since the beginning. A number of upcoming features were already teased in the trailer on the GI website alongside their gorgeous exclusive artwork which will be covering their April issue.

April Issue / Game Informer Cover

If you're subscribed to the print edition, you should be receiving it in the next few weeks. If you're subscribed to the digital edition (or you live outside of the US), the next issue is available today available PC/Mac, iOS, and Google Play. OR you can buy the issue through third-party apps for the Nook and Kindle later in the week.

In their cover reveal article, Game Informer also revealed that Control is due to be released this Summer, a more fixed date than previously given.

As the Control content will be strictly exclusive for Game Informer, we will be updating The Sudden Stop with news of new articles or interviews, but all content will be hosted solely on their website, similar to our updates for their Quantum Break coverage a few years earlier.

Read the full announcement on the Game Informer website, HERE (archived). 

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