Control

<This game/art deserves a direct sequel/trilogy.>
<We are pleased/happy with the resonant trailer/teaser.>
<Performance/Quality is exceptional, even on low end/potato machine.>
<Can't wait for the next installment/cake.>

This game is a flawed masterpiece.
The fingerprints of Remedy's unique writing is found everywhere here. Slick slow paced mystery narrative drip fed to you bit by bit with excellently written dialogue constantly peaking your interest as you progress the game. And as you slowly connect the dots of jesse's character, your fed a constant barrage of gorgeous visuals beautifully framed with every set piece so well designed, so rich in creativity and beautiful art, it'll leave a lasting impression on you long after you've completed the game. The colors, the level designs, the animations. This game's art direction is so superb, it is only matched by its world building.
The gameplay follows suit in this regard with a combat system that mixes a combination of third person shooting with pseudo-magic abilities. It features intricate skill trees, a diverse selection of weapons, and some very satisfying powerful moves that all serve to keep the moment to moment gameplay as varied as possible. The result is a compelling power fantasy akin to a super hero simulator that is sure to leave you having a blast until you roll credits. The enemy types do well to compliment this system, with boss encounters being particularly impressive.
But this is a flawed masterpiece. And the longer you play control, the more those flaws seep through the cracks of shiny art direction and superb narrative dressing. The combat, with all its variety in weapons, abilities and skill tree unlocks, eventually does become extremely repetitive owing to a lack of end game unlocks to motivate progression. The combat system is all middle and no end, all creativity and no scaling, all flash and no depth. It feels good, but it doesn’t last long.
And just like how the combat loses its novelty quickly, so do the enemies that rely on it. At a certain point they all play the same. Not because they have similar mechanics or design, but because they are all dealt with the same. Shoot or throw until they are dead. Interesting for maybe 10 hours, but soon loses its spark. And so does Control’s story.
The story is fascinating, complex, mysterious, intriguing. It latches to your ears and mind the minute it begins, promising a world of intrigue and a protagonist with limitless potential. It delivers on many of those fronts, but that’s what makes its failures so glaring. A lack of memorable characters (aside from jesse), an absence of a compelling villain, and a deliberate pacing that leaves more to be desired.
But it’s biggest sin, a lack luster and underwhelming ending that completely sabotages all the build up carefully constructed leading up to it. No boss fight, no insane twist, no much needed answers. It resolves the story, but at the cost of ruining a good one.
This game, by all definitions of the word, is art. It is art. But it is flawed art. The kind of art you look at and marvel at its wonder and achievements. Only the more you stare, the more you notice it's glaring imperfections as they stick out like a sore thumb. It's the kind of art that reminds you how human it is to not be perfect. How you can love something, even with all its imperfections.
This game is not perfect, and yet I still absolutely love it. And that's why I recommend Control.
8/10

In the game, we play as Jessica Faden, who, following a dramatic event from her past, arrives at the Federal Control Department to find her missing brother, and is simultaneously appointed as the department’s new Director a unique individual with paranormal powers
✅ I recently managed to finish Watch Dogs, where hacking was the main “weapon.” Control is another game where firearms aren’t the primary tool, because the real “weapon” here is throwing various objects at enemies-lamps, chairs, rubble, tables, and even bodies. Practically anything nearby can deal more damage than a gun, provided you acquire this ability, which you actually gain almost at the very start of the game and is mandatory
✅ In the game, we also have additional paranormal powers. For a more enjoyable experience, I recommend acquiring all the powers available. Some, such as the shield (which protects you from enemy damage) or the ability to take over enemies (which allows you to control an enemy to fight for you for a limited time when your HP is low), need to be found yourself-you have to explore rooms carefully and read the notes. Other essential powers, like levitation (which lets you throw objects while in the air) and dodging enemies, are discovered naturally as the story progresses
✅ There are five weapons in total, each with unique features:
✅✅Handle- The basic weapon, available almost from the start; effective at any range.
✅✅Shatter - Shotgun, effective only at close range.
✅✅Spin -Machine gun.
✅✅Pierce- Sniper rifle, suitable for distant enemies (I don’t particularly recommend this weapon because the game’s action is often too chaotic for sniping)
✅✅Charge- Fires sticky bombs (my personal favorite)
✅ Side missions are worth doing because they grant extra points for upgrading your paranormal abilities, making you stronger-for example, increasing energy for throwing objects, prolonging time in the air, intercepting more enemies, extending enemy survival time, and boosting health
✅ Weapon upgrades (which require finding materials and crystals-dropped by enemies or found in chests) allow you to expand weapon slots and apply enhancements such as improved accuracy, increased damage, and reduced energy consumption. Personal upgrades work similarly but don’t require materials. As the story progresses, the quality of upgrades improves significantly
Tung Tung Tung Sahur
✅ The graphics are of very high quality. This is especially evident during combat and explosions, highlighting the effects and destruction. Even in calmer moments, the environments are meticulously designed, dark, and mysterious
✅ The game’s physics are top-notch. Interacting with the environment and throwing objects causes furniture to topple realistically, which makes using telekinetic powers feel genuinely satisfying
✅ Side missions are varied. Apart from repetitive office tasks that involve going to a specific room and defeating enemies, there are missions like the power object (shield) mission, the mirror mission, the mold mission, the fridge mission, and the boss fight against Mr. Tommasi. Each of these missions looks and feels different
✅There are also hidden areas in the game that require careful exploration, such as places accessible only by levitation or fragile walls that aren’t immediately noticeable.
✅The game contains a wealth of documents, case files, and audio recordings that shed light on the plot. These are divided into several categories:
✅✅Case files- Descriptions of specific paranormal phenomena, including research reports
✅✅Research and records -Scientists’ notes and analyses of objects of power and paranormal events
✅✅Correspondence -Letters and messages exchanged between staff members
✅✅Hotline calls - Recordings from Zachariah Trench
✅✅Multimedia -Various sketches and material featuring Dr. Casper Darling
✅ I really liked that the recordings featuring Dr. Casper Darling were filmed with a real camera rather than using a 3D model from the game; it creates an interesting blend of live-action film and the game world
✅ There are plenty of checkpoints where you can save your progress, accept tasks from the office, and receive rewards
✅ The Altered World Events story expansion references the excellent game Alan Wake
✅ The long story expansion The Foundation continues after the main game’s conclusion
❌ In my opinion, the plot isn’t easy to follow without reading notes and similar materials, as I mentioned earlier.
❌ Another minor drawback is that monsters frequently reappear in areas where you’ve already cleared enemies. It feels like the developers artificially extended the game’s length. For example, I cleared a certain area, returned to a previous one to check for missed items, and found a horde of enemies waiting for me again
❌ The map is technically confusing, with multiple levels, elevators, passages, and floors, making it hard to know if you’re in the right place
❌ Locations are monotonous; most of the game takes place in office environments, so variety is limited
❌ Office alert missions are very repetitive, typically involving going to a specific room and clearing it of enemies
❌ There is too little interaction with other people in the game. It lacks everyday reactions, side conversations, or independent NPC behavior, which could have enhanced immersion and made the world feel more alive and responsive
✅✅ Verdict: Terrible , Bad , Mediocre , Decent , Good , Very Good , Excellent , Masterpiece
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The Board:
< We Suggest / Insist >
< That Directors / Players >
< Incapable of Reading / Comprehending >
< Choose another Experience / Game >
Seriously, there's a lot of reading and listening involved in fully enjoying this game. It's sci-fi SCP extravaganza first, and third-person shooter second.
If that's not your cup of tea, you might want to look at other options!
However, if you do like diving deep into worldbuilding and storytelling, Control is a treat. Well worth the time and money, just like all Remedy games :3

Watching the end credits, I didn't know what to think of the game at first. I just spent 57 hours to 100% the game, so it must be good, right? Well, it's complicated.
Just like every game from Remedy I played, it's more about journey than conclusion. I definitely loved the gameplay loop, but oh god is it a loop - sometimes it gets unbearably repetitive due to the nature of the setting, especially if you want to 100% the game and kill a certain amount of a very specific enemy type.
So, if you plan to do that, make sure you do this specific challenge as you go along and NOT after endgame.
The setting is wonderful. I think it's the closest we've come to AAA game in an SCP-esque universe. Environmental storytelling is superb and definitelly adds to the atmosphere, humor and overall feeling of supernatural business-as-usual bs. Loved that.
So what about that other thing people expect now from games? Story and characters.
For me it was that thing where everything kinda fell apart. I would have probably understood if there were no great characters but the story was serviceable, like in Max Payne. Or the other way when there are many great and quirky characters but the story made no sense, like in Alan Wake. This game took the best of both worlds - basically no story and plot devices instead of characters. Aside from Darling's spiral into madness and Jesse's tiny-nano-micro ark when she admits FBC is better than her previous life, there's really almost nothing to work with. These are not even spoilers, you kinda see where this is going with Darling from the start and Jesse says her thoughts out loud!
The story goes nowhere - that's my biggest gripe really.
I know Tetramore already made that comparison, but bear with me here - imagine you're on a plane. The takeoff was just a bit bumpy but overall very smooth. You watched a great movie during the flight, read a book, had a good conversation. It's a very long flight, but you had something to do, you weren't bored out of your mind, it was actually pretty great. Now the captain says we're about to land in 30 minutes and you're like ok we're on time, very good. And as you land you realize you're in the wrong airport, and it's like 600km to your original destination. It's not ridiculously far away, but now you have to search for transportation or something, or argue with the airline, it's a huge mess.
That's what I felt during the Foundation end credits. Like, I wasn't promised a perfect landing with everything explained. But I didn't expect to be that far away from any kind of resolution.
So yeah, fun gameplay loop albeit a bit repetitive, environment is absolutely stunning and intriguing, characters are nonexistent and story is underwhelming. I still recommend it because of the first two.
If you have read it until here - why?
you are very strange and beautiful person
play good games and have a very nice rest of your day

Control is a stylish, atmospheric game with strong visuals, great sound and a mysterious story that rewards careful observation. Combat feels really good, though it can be repetitive and somewhat hard at times. The game tells much of its story through documents, audio logs, the environment and subtle visual storytelling, with plenty of surprising “WTF” moments in a good way.
🎚️ Difficulty
🔲 My grandma could play it
🔲 Easy
☑️ Normal
☑️ Hard
🔲 A challenge to be reckoned
🔲 In the heat of confrontation, (Only PVP games)
🗺️ Graphics
🔲 MS Paint
🔲 Bad
🔲 Meh
🔲 Normal
☑️ Very Good
🔲 An original artistic direction
🔲 Beautiful
🔲 Masterpiece
📚 Story
🔲 This game has no story
🔲 Basic element of the contractual requirements
🔲 It's there for people who want it
☑️ Well written
🔲 Leading to more in-depth researches/thoughts
🔲 A model to get inspired by
⌛️ Length
🔲 0 (No story)
🔲 Short
☑️ Average
☑️ Long
🔲 To infinity and beyond
🎶 Music
🔲 Just filling noises/No music
🔲 Trivial and uneventful
☑️ Good and/or fitting the game's artistic dispositions
🔲 Memorable
🔲 Transcending whispers of a forgotten world
🕹️ Interest
🔲 I would rather watch paint dry
🔲 Hard to enjoy
🔲 Repetitive and/or uninspired
☑️ A good moment
☑️ Sticking out of the pack
🔲 You will remember it long after
🔁 Replayability
🔲 A one-time experience
☑️ For achievements
🔲 If you wait a few months/years (or with mods)
🔲 Definitely
🔲 Infinitely replayable (or almost)
🐛 Bugs
☑️ Never heard of
🔲 Minor bugs
🔲 Can get annoying
🔲 Impacts the player's experience badly
🔲 The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs
⚙️ Requirements
🔲 You can run it on a microwave
🔲 Low
☑️ Average
☑️ High(ish)
🔲 NASA computer
💰 Price
🔲 Free
🔲 Underpriced
☑️ Perfect Price
🔲 Could be cheaper
🔲 Overpriced
🔲 Complete waste of money
🤑 Worth Buying
🔲 No
🔲 If you have nothing else to play
☑️ Wait for sale
☑️ Yes
🎯 Expectations
🔲 It's a completely different game
🔲 This game is a scam
🔲 It's missing many features they announced
🔲 Looks very similar to the steam page
☑️ Better than expected and/or announced
🔲 Masterpiece, no patch or feature has to be added.
✒️ Final Rating
🔲 1
🔲 2
🔲 3
🔲 4
🔲 5
🔲 6
🔲 7
☑️ 8
🔲 9
🔲 10
Thank you for taking the time to read and think about this review.

Absolutely incredible and well-made game. Everything about it just clicks: gunplay, telekinesis, levitation, and all the other powers feel fantastic. And don’t even get me started on the RCU lore. I was invested in the story and all the wacky stuff going on around me 100% of the time, and I had a blast reading absolutely every collectible I came across.
Control definitely has some flaws, but I’m willing to overlook them since I had so much fun playing it that I don’t really care about them.
This game won’t be for everyone, but it’s definitely one that deserves to be played.