# Control Resonant vs Control

As of 3 November 2026, 91% of 14,427 player reviews recommend Control Resonant, and 86% of 52,846 recommend Control Ultimate Edition.

> Control Resonant is Remedy’s sequel to Control, and it changes a lot. The lead moves from Jesse to her brother Dylan, the setting from the Oldest House to a warped Manhattan, and the fights from powers and shooting to close-range melee.

## In short

Control suits players who want to explore one strange building, read their way into its lore and fight with telekinesis and a shape-shifting gun, and it costs less with both expansions included. Control Resonant suits players who want faster melee fights and a bigger city, and it plays best after the first game, whose open questions its story answers.

## At a glance

| | Control Resonant | Control Ultimate Edition |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Released | 24 September 2026 | 27 August 2020 |
| Price at launch | $59.99 | $39.99 |
| Developer | Remedy Entertainment | Remedy Entertainment |
| Publisher | Remedy Entertainment | Remedy Entertainment |
| Players recommend it | 91% of 14,427 reviews | 86% of 52,846 reviews |
| Our reading | 40 latest reviews, read 2 November 2026 | 80 most helpful and 40 latest reviews, read 3 November 2026 |

## What players praise

### Control Resonant

- **The combat wins players over.** Players enjoy the close-range fights and the dodge that sets up a counterattack, and many who expected shooting like the first game end up preferring them.
- **The story answers what Control left open.** Players praise the layered story and the performances, and those who mention Dylan now speak well of him.
- **The city bends in new ways.** Gravity-shifting traversal and a Manhattan that folds around the player are among the highlights.

### Control Ultimate Edition

- **The Oldest House is the star.** Players praise its shifting architecture, lighting and destruction, and the mix of office building and cosmic horror keeps them exploring.
- **Powers make the fights.** Telekinesis, levitation and the shape-shifting Service Weapon make fights feel like a power fantasy.
- **The lore rewards readers.** Documents, tapes and Dr. Darling’s recordings fill in the Bureau’s history, and many keep playing for them.
- **The expansions hold up.** Many rate The Foundation and AWE, and players credit AWE’s link to Alan Wake.

## What players criticise

### Control Resonant

- **Fights repeat.** Repeated encounters and late fights that drag remain the main complaint five weeks in.
- **The map doesn’t help.** Some find the map unhelpful and the open structure a poor fit for the game.
- **Bugs stop a few players.** A bug that blocks progress and heavy stutter on some PCs lie behind most negative reviews, though most players say it runs smoothly.

### Control Ultimate Edition

- **Enemies and fights repeat.** Enemy types recycle and rooms refill on a return visit, so fights blur together by the middle of the game.
- **The story hides in notes.** Players say the plot leans on documents, and many find the ending flat.
- **The map gets players lost.** The layout is confusing, and a death sends players back through cleared rooms from a distant checkpoint.
- **Some PCs struggle.** Players report frame-rate dips on mid-range cards and blurry textures on some setups.

## Which to pick

- Pick Control Resonant if you want fast close-range fights, a warped Manhattan to explore and the story that follows Control. https://creativecult.digital/games/control-resonant
- Pick Control Ultimate Edition if you want the strange office world, its lore and power-driven shooting, and the setup for Control Resonant’s story.

## Questions

### Do you need to play Control before Control Resonant?

It helps. Several Control Resonant players advise playing Control first, and its story answers questions the first game left open. Others say the recaps of the first game’s story are enough to follow along.

### Is Control Resonant better than Control?

Players split. Some call the sequel a big step up, and others still prefer the first game. Both are widely recommended. As of 3 November 2026, 91% of Control Resonant’s 14,427 reviews recommend it and 86% of Control’s 52,846.

### How is Control Resonant’s combat different from Control’s?

Control’s fights are built on the Service Weapon and powers such as telekinesis and levitation. Control Resonant moves to close-range melee with a dodge that sets up counterattacks. Most of its players who mention the change welcome it, and a few miss the shooting.

### How long is Control?

Players report about 8 to 22 hours for the main story, and 33 to 57 hours to complete everything. Each expansion adds several hours more.

### How much are Control Resonant and Control?

Control Resonant is $59.99. Control Ultimate Edition, with the main game and both expansions, The Foundation and AWE, is $39.99.

## Sources

10. Steam: Control Resonant, user reviews and review history: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3669870/
11. Remedy: Control Resonant launches worldwide on 24 September: https://www.remedygames.com/article/control-resonant-launches-worldwide-on-september-24
226. Steam: CONTROL Ultimate Edition, store page and user reviews: https://store.steampowered.com/app/870780/

Page: https://creativecult.digital/compare/control-resonant-vs-control