Control

Control featured image

Control is a surrealist low-fantasy game about a secret organization that deals with the paranormal activities.

Plot

The game follows Jesse Faden, a woman with superhuman powers. She works with the Federal Bureau of Control, a secret governmental organization that deals with the paranormal phenomena, often by annihilating it as a threat. The Bureau headquarters, known as the Oldest House, is taken over by a supernatural power called the Hiss. The director of Bureau, Zachariah Trench, is killed, and Faden is unexpectedly promoted to his place, while the ghost of her predecessor haunts her. She has to travel the endless corridors of the Oldest House and defeat the Hiss using magical Director's Pistol.

Setting

Most of the game takes place in the FBC building, which is a high-rise on Manhattan. The Oldest House is a non-euclidian space, which is larger on the inside. Its corridors and rooms change shape and positions depending on the rituals its inhabitants perform. The Oldest House stores the magical artifacts called Altered Items.

Gameplay

The player controls Faden from the third person view. To defeat her enemies, she uses various superhuman powers, such as telekinesis or levitation. She also wields the shape-shifting Director's Pistol and the magic artifacts she can obtain as a reward for completing quests. Jesse's skills grow throughout the game.

There is no multiplayer mode.

Release Date

Aug 27, 2019

Metacritic Score

84

Rating

Achievements Count

358

DLCs

3

Play Time

11.5 hours

Games in Series

1

ESRB

Mature 17+: Blood, Strong Language, Violence

System Requirements

Minimum:

  • CPU: Intel Core i5-4690 / AMD FX 4350
  • RAM: 8 GB
  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 / AMD Radeon R9 280X
  • HDD: 42 GB

Recommended:

  • CPU: Intel Core i5-7600K / AMD Ryzen 5 1600X
  • RAM: 16 GB
  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660/1060 / AMD Radeon RX 580, For Ray Tracing: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060
  • HDD: 42 GB

Interesting Facts

  • The game revolves around the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC), a secret U.S. government agency tasked with containing and studying phenomena that violate the laws of reality.
  • Control is inspired by paranormal stories about the fictional SCP Foundation.
  • Control was one of the first games released to take advantage of real-time ray tracing built into the hardware of newer video cards.
  • Control is set within the Oldest House.
  • The player controls Jesse Faden, who has come to the Oldest House seeking answers about her brother after a prior AWE, and becomes involved in the fight against the Hiss.
  • The player gains abilities by finding Objects of Power.
  • Control is built in the Metroidvania format.
  • The core game includes Easter eggs referring to Alan Wake, which shares similar paranormal themes with Control.
  • The Oldest House setting was based on brutalist architecture.

Mod Support

Yes

Cheats support

Yes

Virtual Reality Support

Yes

Number of maps

4

Third/First Person

Third person

Platforms

Nintendo Switch PC PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5 Stadia Xbox One Xbox Series S Xbox Series X

Genres

Action-AdventureAdventureShooter

Game Engine

Northlight Engine

Protagonist sex

Female

Similar Games

Alternative Games

Home > Games > Control