Remedy explains why Control Resonant is steering clear of other big-budget games

Remedy Entertainment has offered a clearer look at how Control Resonant is being built, and the biggest takeaway is simple, the studio did not want it to feel like everything else on the shelf. In a developer diary, art director Elmeri Raitanen said the team deliberately avoided using other AAA games as reference when shaping the sequel’s look.

Raitanen described that approach as a way to avoid an “aesthetic singularity,” where high-budget games start drifting toward the same visual language. Instead, Remedy looked at art exhibitions, film and TV, scientific visualisations, and nature when building the game’s concept work.

The diary also touched on how Control Resonant differs from the original Control. Remedy is moving from the first game’s tighter, oppressive interiors to a wider outdoor setting, while also expanding enemy variety, using performance capture, and relying on audio logs to help sell the world.

Raitanen also said the studio wanted the world to feel mundane, grounded, believable, and lived in before the paranatural elements take over. That balance has been a core part of Control since the original game, and Remedy appears to be pushing it even further here.

Elsewhere, a recent PlayStation Blog post confirmed New Game Plus for the sequel. That mode will let players restart with their progress intact, but traversal abilities will remain tied to story progression. Upgrades and unlocks will carry over, and Remedy said the mode will also raise the challenge in fights against regular enemies and bosses.

It sounds like Remedy is putting a lot of thought into how Control Resonant looks and plays, and that should help it stand apart when the game finally arrives. Share your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram.

Control Resonant

Developed by Remedy Entertainment

With Control 2, we’ll take another leap into the unknown. It’ll be an unexpected journey. It’ll take a while, but to put it mildly, this is the most exciting project I’ve ever worked on. It’s still early days, but it will be worth the wait.

• Genre: Shooter, Adventure
• Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Mac
• Modes: Single player
• Release: 2026-12-31
• Publisher: Remedy Entertainment, 505 Games
• Age Rating: ESRB M

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