"We didn't want the brooding hero out for revenge": How quiet lulls and a bird-sketching lead make Control Resonant a more introspective kind of action game
Like the repeating pattern effect afflicting its warped Manhattan, Control Resonant threw me for a loop. One minute I would be brutally slashing and smashing my way through hordes of inhuman enemies, enacting a never-ending chain combo of bellowing violence with my Aberrant, and the next minute I would be scanning nearby rooftops for signs of a squeaking purple dragon plushie to give to a very…
Control Resonant, an action game, presents a perplexing blend of intense combat and moments of melancholic tranquility. The game's warped Manhattan setting initially confuses the player, as they switch between brutal slaughtering enemies with their Aberrant and searching for a squeaking purple dragon plushie to give to a dog. While the combat often feels desperate and bloody, with chaotic brawls leaving the protagonist limping like John Wick after a messy gunkata, it is often followed by an unexpected sense of peace and quiet.
This juxtaposition has left me contemplating the game's design intensely after finishing my first playthrough.
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