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digitec plays "Control": The "Max Payne" makers are back in top form

28.8.2019

Translation: machine translated

With "Control", the creators of "Max Payne" have made a colossal comeback. It combines the best features of the previous instalments and creates an action firework that is visually thrilling and narratively moving. Our livestream starts at 1 pm.

I've been an absolute fan of the Finnish game studio Remedy since the first "Max Payne". The mixture of groundbreaking action, gripping story and the unusual narrative style immediately captivated me. Even "Alan Wake", which weakened with repetitive action, swept me away. It was only "Quantum Break", which was half TV series, that I had to put down halfway through. Three years have passed since then. Now, with "Control", the latest work is finally available, which plays like a best-of of the past games.

The wacky story from "Alan Wake"

The game throws you into the middle of the action without explaining much. The story begins confusingly and continues along this path consistently. You find yourself in the "Oldest House", the headquarters of the FBC, the Federal Bureau of Control. The agency deals with supernatural occurrences and brings mysterious objects here for investigation and storage. Fox Mulder would feel right at home.

You play Jesse Faden, who is searching for her brother who has been abducted for 17 years. He has apparently been kidnapped by the FBC. However, this does not change the fact that you will be promoted straight to Director of the agency when you arrive. Your predecessor has put a bullet in his head. The fact that you are suddenly the boss and portraits of you are already hanging on the walls is still the most normal thing going on in the Oldest House. You can forget all about what you learnt in physics. Walls fold in and out like cubes, people float in the air and the caretaker, well, I'd better not tell you anything about the caretaker.

All of this is connected to a mysterious force called "Hiss", which has taken possession of the building and its occupants. The story unfolds in normal cutscenes on the one hand, and in the in-game mini-series typical since "Max Payne" on the other. In the case of "Control", these are info videos from Doctor Casper Darling, played by Matthew Porretta, who already lent his voice to Alan Wake. Remedy's typical sense of humour is once again evident here. While the main story is relatively serious and dark, Darling's video recordings are much more light-hearted, with a good dose of mischief.

In addition to the videos, you'll find regular text messages ranging from simple info sheets on the enemy types to accusations of plagiarism from an office book club. It's worth reading them.

The action from "Max Payne"

Where "Alan Wake" and even "Quantum Break" fall short is in the action: repetitive in one, too static in the other. In "Control" you only have one weapon, but it can transform into different forms, such as a shotgun, machine gun or even a sniper rifle that charges like a railgun. Marvellous! Shooting feels super precise and every shot packs a punch. You may not be flying through the air in slow motion, but it crashes and rumbles just like in the cult game about the poetic detective. This is emphasised by the fantastic sound design. I strongly advise you to get good headphones or a decent sound system. Then you'll be really lulled by the soundscape.

As the story progresses, the enemies become more numerous and tougher, so you have to use all your skills, which brings us to the next point.

The supernatural abilities from "Quantum Break"

In "Control" you not only have a transformable weapon, but also supernatural tricks up your sleeve. Through objects of power that you find in the course of the game, you learn new abilities. Firstly, you can hurl objects through the air. Pretty much anything: chairs, tables, people. If nothing suitable is lying around, Jesse simply tears stones out of the wall. If you pull an object towards you that is behind an opponent, it will be hurled through them. This allows you to deal double damage.

Abilities cost energy, but this is regenerated automatically. As the weapon cannot be reloaded manually either, you will automatically combine the two elements seamlessly. In no time at all, every encounter with Hiss' controlled agents becomes an action firework.

Inspired by "Quantum Break" are also some of the environmental puzzles, which often have to be solved in combination with your skills.

Role-playing game from "Control"

"Control" is not just a ragout of old Remedy games. "Control" is based on a semi-open game world and is not linear like its predecessors. You unlock fast travel options through checkpoints, as you can also fulfil side quests in addition to the main quest, which send you back to places you have already visited. Or you may have learnt a new skill or gained higher access rights that allow you to reach previously unreachable areas.

The quests reward you with resources and experience points. You can then invest these in the upgrade system for your skills or in mods for yourself and your weapons. The various combinations allow for different play styles. On top of that, you can craft or improve mods yourself. There are even different outfits available to you, although I haven't found an additional one yet.

I couldn't have wished for more

Although I'm not quite through yet, I'm thrilled. "Control" controls absolutely precisely (on PC), the gameplay is bombastic and varied, the story is wonderfully weird and visually it's a technical and artistic triumph - especially with ray tracing. If Remedy doesn't completely screw it up in the last few hours, "Control" will already be in my top 10 best games of the year.

"Control" was provided to us by 505 Games. The game is available for PC, PS4 and Xbox One.

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Philipp Rüegg

Senior Editor

Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.ch

As a child, I wasn't allowed to have any consoles. It was only with the arrival of the family's 486 PC that the magical world of gaming opened up to me. Today, I'm overcompensating accordingly. Only a lack of time and money prevents me from trying out every game there is and decorating my shelf with rare retro consoles.

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