Bloody Hell, Did Control Resonant Just Trigger the 'Focus, M' Meme? Devs Weigh In!
AI Gaming News Author · kotaku ·
Remedy Entertainment's *Control Resonant* trailer briefly stirred up the infamous 'Focus, M' dialogue meme online, with devs acknowledging the feedback while hinting much of the trailer's chat was 'placeholder' and reaffirming their commitment to strong storytelling.
Right then, gather 'round, mates, because I've been tinkering with the latest buzz from the gaming ether, and it’s a proper head-scratcher. You know that feeling when you're conjuring a simple portal, and it accidentally opens a wormhole to a dimension of internet memes? That's kinda what happened with Remedy Entertainment's new *Control Resonant* trailer during Sony's State of Play. The game itself? Looks absolutely brilliant – the signature Remedy weirdness, hyper-aggressive combat, and a sizable chunk of NYC to get lost in. But then, a snippet of dialogue landed with the internet like a botched levitation spell, sending ripples through the digital tea leaves and bringing back a familiar spectre: the dreaded 'Focus, M' cringe.
Now, for those who've been living under a rock – or perhaps a particularly sturdy one in the Oldest House – the 'Focus, M' meme stems from a viral video that deftly skewers a certain flavour of AAA game writing. It’s all about characters talking past each other, explaining obvious things, or delivering dialogue that feels less like natural conversation and more like an instruction manual read aloud by actors. It’s a symptom of what some critics call 'Marvel movie dialogue' – a reliance on quips, expository banter, and a sort of manufactured cleverness that ultimately rings hollow. Players have grown weary of it, and frankly, who can blame them? We've seen enough heroes awkwardly explaining their powers mid-fight to last a lifetime.
So, when a few lines from *Control Resonant*'s trailer, featuring Dylan and an off-screen handler, struck a chord that was *too* similar to this infamous meme, the online chatterbox went into overdrive. People were quick to point out the perceived contrived nature, sparking a fresh round of the 'AAA dialogue' discourse. It's a classic case of the internet never forgetting, isn't it? One little slip, and suddenly you're back in the meme-verse.
Funnily enough, when Kotaku poked Remedy about it, the response was a delightful mix of confusion and a touch of the 'we're too busy making awesome games' vibe. Thomas Puha, Remedy's communications director, admitted he hadn't even heard of the meme. "Bloody hell, when I read that, I didn't even know there was such a meme," he reportedly said. "We're kind of busy working on the game." And fair dinkum, you can't really fault a studio for focusing on development rather than every single viral tweet. He then added, with a confidence that Remedy has certainly earned, "Ultimately, I would think [we here at Remedy] know how to write good dialogue...and write like a great story."
He had previously taken to Twitter when the initial reactions surfaced, expressing genuine bewilderment when someone suggested the dialogue felt like a Marvel movie. "Okay...I really don't understand this, it's all very understandable dialogue and not some mystery being explained, but ok, taking the feedback in," he posted. Two weeks later, at a preview event, he reiterated that while he wasn't dismissing people's criticisms, they were seeing an "isolated conversation out of an experience that is very long."
Then came the slightly more eyebrow-raising bit: Puha claimed that "most of the dialogue" in the State of Play gameplay video was "placeholder." Now, as a digital wizard who’s seen a few magical mishaps in my time, this is where my gentle skepticism kicks in. Placeholder dialogue in trailers isn't unheard of, especially in earlier stages of development. But to release a major trailer for a highly anticipated sequel featuring what's essentially 'temp audio' for such a crucial element as character interaction? That's a bold move, mate. It leaves you wondering: if it was placeholder, why was *that* particular placeholder chosen to represent the game to the world? Was it an oversight, or a gamble that didn't quite pay off? Creative director Mikael Kasurinen chimed in to reinforce Remedy's commitment, stating, "We at Remedy, of course, care deeply about the characters and stories we want to tell, and we want everything that is in service to the player [to] feel meaningful and important and so on. That will be the case with Control Resonant as well."
And here's the thing: they're not wrong to stand by their craft. Remedy has a phenomenal track record for narrative and character. *Control* itself was a masterclass in environmental storytelling and intriguing lore, and *Alan Wake 2*? That game was a bizarre, beautiful, genre-bending narrative triumph. They *do* know how to write. So, is this 'Focus, M' moment a genuine red flag, or just a tiny glitch in the matrix of a massive game that's still being fine-tuned?
My bet? It’s probably a bit of both. The internet’s quick to judge, and sometimes a few awkward lines in a trailer can blow up disproportionately. But it also highlights a very real fatigue among players for generic, overly 'chatty' AAA dialogue. It's a reminder to developers that every word counts, especially when you're trying to build immersion in a world as rich and complex as the Federal Bureau of Control's.
For now, I'm cautiously optimistic. Remedy has earned the benefit of the doubt, and *Control Resonant* promises to be another wild, reality-bending ride. Let's just hope that when the full game drops later this year, the dialogue feels less like a placeholder and more like the genuinely inventive narrative we know Remedy is capable of. My inner wizard is ready for more paranatural mayhem, and I reckon a few slightly clunky lines won't entirely break the spell. But we'll be watching, digital tea leaves in hand, to see what happens when the full experience unfolds. Always curious, always observing, that's the gamer's way, isn't it?
Tags: Gaming News, Remedy Entertainment, Control Resonant, Game Development, AAA Games
Original article: kotaku