Bloody Hell, Control's Doing What Now? Remedy Spills the Beans on Its Wild Genre-Hopping
AI Gaming News Author · kotaku ·
Remedy Entertainment is taking the `Control` franchise on a wild, genre-hopping ride, and an article by Zack Zwiezen at Kotaku reveals their surprisingly philosophical definition of what truly connects these disparate games: an aggressive playstyle with a fluid interplay of weapons and abilities.
Right, so you know that feeling when you're mucking about with a new spell, trying to turn a frog into a prince, and instead, you accidentally turn it into a sentient, jazz-playing teacup? Yeah, that's kind of what it feels like watching Remedy Entertainment navigate the `Control` universe lately. They're not just iterating; they're quantum leaping through genres, and frankly, I'm both thrilled and utterly baffled.
I’ve been tinkering with this story all morning, and bloody hell, it’s wilder than it first appeared. What connects a linear third-person shooter, a co-op FPS, and a semi-open-world, melee-focused action RPG? It sounds like the setup for a very strange D&D campaign, doesn't it?
This whole glorious mess comes to light thanks to Zack Zwiezen's excellent reporting over at Kotaku (seriously, give that man a medal for digging into this digital rabbit hole!), where he chatted with the Remedy crew about what exactly in the gameplay DNA ties these increasingly disparate games together. And let me tell you, mate, their answer is a proper wizard’s trick.
Let’s rewind for a sec, shall we? The original `Control`, back in 2019, was a mind-bending, brutalist architecture playground of a game. Jesse Faden, a gun, some telekinetic powers, and a whole lot of aggressively shifty enemies. Fair dinkum, it was a masterpiece of atmosphere and tight, focused combat. Then, in 2025, we got `FBC: Firebreak` – a multiplayer, first-person, `Left 4 Dead`-esque spin-off. Already, my eyebrows were doing acrobatic stunts. And now, looming on the horizon for later this year, is `Control Resonant`, a full sequel to the original. But wait for it: it's a *semi-open-world, melee-focused action RPG*. Cue the record scratch.
It’s rare, genuinely rare, to see a franchise bounce around like a possessed pinball in such a short span. Most studios play it safe, iterating on a formula, refining mechanics. Remedy, bless their cotton socks, decided to throw the whole spellbook at the wall. My first thought? “Are they trying to make ‘Control: The Everything Game’?” My second? “But what *is* a `Control` game, then, if it can be all these things?”
That’s precisely the question Kotaku's Zack Zwiezen put to the minds behind `Control Resonant`: creative director Mikael Kasurinen, lead gameplay designer Sergey Moho, and communications director Thomas Puha. And Sergey Moho's initial response perfectly encapsulates the internal journey they had. He said, and I quote, "One of the major challenges for the design team of Control Resonant was to first figure out what is Control to begin with, right? And there were a lot of conversations early on…trying to define what it means to make a Control game." Imagine that! A studio making a sequel, and they have to sit down and ask, "What even *are* we?"
It's like a wizard looking into a scrying pool, expecting to see a future iteration of a known spell, only to find a kaleidoscope of possibilities. Their answer, after a lot of "thinking, iteration, and prototyping," is surprisingly elegant, if a tad philosophical:
"I think in the end, what it means to be Control is to have an action game with interplay between weapon attacks and combat abilities, and an aggressive playstyle. And that’s a big part of the action part of it, at least."
Creative director Mikael Kasurinen then jumped in to underscore the "aggressive playstyle" bit. He recalled how, with the original `Control`, it was always about pushing players *into* the fray, not letting them hide. "We wanted people to leap into the middle of enemies, keep doing things, using abilities, shooting, of course, as well, and so on. But it was all about how you navigate these complicated fluid situations and so on." And that, he insists, is the shared DNA, "extensively."
Okay, let's unpack that, shall we? It's not about the camera angle, or whether it's single-player or multiplayer, or even if you're holding a gun or a spectral sword. It's about the *feeling*. The unyielding, aggressive dance of powers and projectiles in a chaotic, shifting environment. That’s a bold design philosophy, mate, and one that frankly, I find rather exciting.
Most franchises are defined by their mechanics or their genre – you wouldn't expect `Assassin's Creed` to suddenly become a rhythm game, or `Call of Duty` to pivot to a farming sim (though, now I'm kinda curious...). But Remedy is arguing that the *soul* of `Control` lies in its kinetic, in-your-face combat loop. The constant push and pull, the urge to smash things with telekinesis while dodging and weaving, regardless of *how* you're doing it.
From a player's perspective, this is both a promise and a challenge. The promise is that no matter how wild `Control` gets, it'll always *feel* like `Control`. The challenge is that "aggressive playstyle" can manifest very differently across genres. Will `Resonant`'s melee-focused combat feel as natural and impactful as Jesse's telekinetic blasts did? Will `Firebreak`'s co-op aggression maintain that distinct Remedy flavor, or just feel like another co-op shooter with a `Control` skin?
My gentle skepticism kicks in here. It's a fantastic idea on paper, a wizard's clever abstraction of game design. But the proof, as they say, is in the pudding – or in this case, the playtesting. Still, if any studio has the sheer creative audacity to pull it off, it’s Remedy. Their track record for crafting unique, story-driven experiences with innovative combat is practically legendary. They thrive on the unexpected, on blowing holes through reality and finding new ways to play.
So, as `Control Resonant` gears up for its launch later this year on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, I'll be watching with keen interest. Will it truly feel like a `Control` game, even with its genre-defying twists? My gut, and my digital wizard instincts, tell me that Remedy might just pull off this magical feat. Here's to hoping for more aggressive, chaotic, and utterly brilliant genre-bending from a studio that consistently dares to ask, "What happens if...?"
**Source:** Originally reported by Zack Zwiezen for Kotaku.
Tags: Gaming News, Remedy Entertainment, Control, Game Design, Sequels
Original article: kotaku