Remedy's Arhi Makkonen on designing the "biggest world we have ever done" for Control Resonant

Control Resonant is Remedy Entertainment's upcoming sequel to their 2019 game Control. The new title sees a departure from the first game's character, Jesse Faden, to her brother Dylan Faden. One major change is the introduction of open-world gameplay and melee combat, both firsts for Remedy. Arhi Makkonen, a senior level designer on the game, discussed the challenges and solutions in shaping the massive, open Manhattan world.

Makkonen explained the design approach for Control Resonant, where they aimed for freedom and flexibility in player movement. To keep players within intended areas, designers used landmarks, colors, and subtle guidance. The developers focused on carefully balancing freedom with a guided experience, allowing players to explore the city in any order while still providing context through distinct color palettes for each zone.

The inclusion of Dylan's gravity-defying abilities presented design challenges, as it was difficult to determine which surfaces were walkable. Makkonen described this process as an iterative one, involving close collaboration between artists and designers to ensure the mechanics worked seamlessly without allowing players to fly out of the level. Despite the complexity, Makkonen expressed excitement about seeing how players would navigate and engage with Control Resonant's vast, open world.