Introduction

Control is a semi open-world story-driven 3rd person action shooter. Quite simply, this is an amazing game. It's one of those games that makes you remember what video games are all about. It's not a rehash of a series with a hundred instalments. It's a new IP with new mechanics and a new way of looking at games as a whole. Control innovates through its dedication to a gripping and immersive storyline with convincing acting and story direction. Control brings new meaning to immersive gaming. The story has emotion, drive, twists, and continuity. Coming out of each cutscene you get the feeling of having a mission rather than another meaningless task. You want to keep playing because you want to discover more about the world and the situation you're in. 

 

Story - 10/10

As previously stated the story in control is an incredibly immersive one. The story follows Jesse, a woman searching for answers about the mysterious disappearance of her brother. She finds herself inside The Federal Bureau of Control, which is an organisation that investigates paranormal and supernatural occurrences on earth. When Jesse enters the bureau she realises the office is infested with an evil presence. Throughout her journey, she develops supernatural powers which allow her to fight the corrupted. The story has a cloud of confusion and uncertainty that hangs over Jesse and the player. The story does a beautiful job of creating an ominous and creepy atmosphere out of the mundane environment of a bureaucratic office infested with evil. 

 

Gameplay - 10/10

The gameplay is the best part of the game as every game should be. The powers you get make you feel like a god, but a god that can bleed. Control is not an easy game. It's not stressfully hard but it's challenging. The exciting and constantly evolving gameplay and abilities stop the game from feeling repetitive because you are always excited to go out and get to work and advance the story. The main gameplay is centred around these telekinetic powers you inherit. There’s a force push, pull, levitate, shield, ground slam, mind control and most important telekinesis. All of these matched with a few different gun types makes the combat unique and exciting at every moment. Control allows you to play the game in any way you want (but stealth) and lets you come up with creative new ways to get around challenges. 

 

Graphics / Audio - 9/10

The graphics are amazing, especially on the upgraded PS5 edition. The game feels like an immersive interactive film and the ultra-realistic graphics are a key part of that. The world is also almost entirely destructible and the graphics hold up well when telekinetically taking chunks out of the walls. The game is just really visually satisfying when using all of your abilities.

The audio in the game adds to the feeling of uncertainty and fear you feel while playing perfectly. From Jesse’s footsteps on the marble floor to the screeching of the enemies, the sound design in Control is perfect and only adds to the immersion of the game.

 

Performance / UI - 9/10

Smooth gameplay. No real glitches, crashes or any major issues. Very polished game. The only drawback of this game for me was the navigation and the map. I would constantly get lost and spend more time than I would like finding the next objective. It could’ve been that I’m not smart enough to understand the system but I think the map and navigation system could’ve been slightly more user friendly.

 

Fun Factor - 10/10

Constant fun. Never Dull. Near perfect game.

 

Overall Score - 10/10

 

Conclusion 

Control gives me the feeling I had when I was a kid playing a new game. It is refreshing, innovative, creative and just tons of fun. Everything about this game is new and original which makes it a joy to spend roughly 20 hours playing. I wish more game devs trusted themselves to take risks like Remedy does, rather than just constantly making sequels to games that used to be groundbreaking. I fell in love with this game and now consider it one of the best games I’ve ever played.