Custom PC - UK (2019-12)

I

t feelslikeRemedyEntertainmenthasbeen

workingtowardsControloveritsentire

existence.It takesthebestelementsfromthe

studio’spreviousgames– theactionofMaxPayne,the

horrorandstorytellingambitionsofAlanWake,thestylish

weirdnessofQuantumBreak– andbringsthemtogether

inoneofthemostdistinctive settingswe’veseenina

gameyet.It’sthrilling,gorgeous,incrediblyweirdand,just

occasionally,extremelyfrustrating.Nonetheless,it will

stickinyourmindfora longtime.

ControlseesyouplayJesseFaden,a youngdrifterwho

walksintotheFederalBureauofControl(FBC)toapplyfor

thejobofJanitor’sAssistant.Withinminutesofarriving,she

discoversthattheDirectoroftheBureauisdead,andthat

shehasbeenselectedasthenewheadoftheBureau.If

thatsoundsa bitodd,welcometoControl!Putyourcoaton

thetoasterandstrapyourselfintotheflamingo,because

you’reinforonewildride.

Intruth,yourreactiontothebizarreworldoftheFBCwill

dependlargelyonyourfamiliaritywiththeSCPFoundation –

anonlinecollectionofshorthorrorstoriesframedas

scientific‘reports’froma specialistcontainmentfacility.The

FBCis a reworkingofthesameidea.TheBureauis dedicated

tothecollection,containmentandstudyof‘paranatural’

objects,suchastelevisionsthatfloatintheair,ortrafficlights

thatrandomlyteleportpeoplewhentherightlightflashes.

It’s a wonderful concept, andRemedyhasanabsolute

ball crafting its version of it. As you explore the Bureau’s

beautifully brutalist spaces, you’ll find offices covered in a

post-it note that replicates itself endlessly, and bizarrely

named Bureau departments, one of which is simply known

as ‘Nostalgia’. One side mission sees you exploring an area

piled to the ceiling with ticking clocks, as explained to you

by a traumatised security guard who exclaims ‘It’s clocks

all the way down!’

It’s easy to throw a bunch of random stuff at a creative

wall and see what sticks, but it’s the way Remedy balances

this randomness with the FBC’s own sense of order and

process that makes Control so convincing. The FBC resides

in the Oldest House. Itself a paranatural object, the Oldest

House is only visible to people actively looking for it,

existing at a midpoint between countless other

dimensions. It’s a place where chaos is just another day

at the office, to which it responds with rigid order.

This is evident in the House’s brutalist design, from the

sharp angles and relentless concrete, to the columns of

desks, rows of filing cabinets and prim, glass-fronted

offices. It resembles an accountancy firm from 1979, and

this austere, oppressively logical aesthetic forms a superb

juxtaposition to Control’s tidal wave of strange.

Control’s stark, clean aesthetic serves another purpose

too, namely as a contrast for when the action kicks off.

GAMES / REVIEW

CONTROL

+^ Amazing
production values

+^ Thrilling combat

+^ Lore that
you’ll actually
want to read

ANARCHY

-^ Lacklustre
upgrades
-^ Combat can be
too difficult
-^ Some poor
checkpointing

Control/£49.99inc VAT

DEVELOPER Remedy Entertainment / PUBLISHER 505 Games

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