'A Must-Have Day One Purchase': You Only Need to Buy Control Resonant in September, Remedy Reckons

I never understood the appeal for Control 1. I haven't finished it, but its performance was shockingly poor on PS4.

I won't play it even for free, previous entry had a great premise and did absolutely nothing with it, resulting in a bland boring mess. NTE is better Control than Control.

@Dalamar NTE looks like pure weeb slop. Gross.

How about we accept the fact that not everygame will appeal to everyone? If people are interested and have the disposable income, they'll buy it. Simple as that

@ShadowRJ I remember the launch version. Crashed and had a bug that had me permanently aiming with the camera on the wrong shoulder. Awful experience in the first HOUR.

It's good now though. I really enjoyed the game and atmosphere. Personally thought the story was more interesting than AW2 which was a slog. I just hope Remedy aren't as meta in Control Resonant as they were in AW2.

Storytelling prowess of AW2 worries me NGL. I personally liked it conceptually but hated the execution. It felt like a poor mans version of Twin Peaks The Return but without Lynch's heart or brains. I think more people may pick Silent Hill looking at how resurgent it has been in recent years but Remedy's price is very competitive.

If I had to rank the games of August and Sept I'm most hyped for its Wolverine, Zero Company then Control 2.

I thought control was amazing i think all remedy ganes have be great except that rubbish live service game they made alan wake 2 conttol and the best game remedy have ever made is max payne 1 for me a massive shout out goes to sam lake as well

Adored the original, and have my physical copy of Resonant on pre-order! Absolutely pumped =]

I am never going to financially recover from September

Not gonna lie, I completely forgot a new Control was coming out.
I guess I'll check it out in a year or so.

Next month is too busy for me thanks to Onimusha, Trails in the Sky and, oh yeah, the physical version of Culdcept Begins.

Won't be picking this game up at launch as I have other games much higher on my list including Wolverine and Onimusha.

NB calling your own game 'must have' isn't exactly endearing in my opinion.

Wolverine and Onimusha before this one for me.

Vampires, for me. Then probably Wolverine. If i'd played and finished Control i'd be getting it... but I haven't, so this will have to really prove itself during the review stage to make it onto my list as a standalone experience worth picking up regardless. Maybe it will?

It looks like a really good game in a year of really good games, so I hope they do make some profit this time

@Rich33 What are they supposed to say? “Our game is merely mid, but we hope you’ll buy it anyway. I mean, if you don’t have anything else to play, that is.”

To me, Control played like a blurry, smearing mess. The entire art style, along with rendering process looked to me like Vaseline.

However, that was my being stubborn and sticking to 30FPS on base PS5, having now completed it elsewhere at 60 and above frames per second most of my woes were tempered considerably.

I recognise that's a me issue though, wanting the "pretty" yet also the frames for this particular game.

To this day it remains one of the only games I genuinely wanted to experience both the 60 and above frames, and maximum graphics as such, hence playing elsewhere.

Story wise though the entire premise of what Remedy offer is something I am interested in, so I shall never stop giving them an opportunity to grab me. I'll check out a bit of footage, few reviews and see where the wind blows, no doubt purchasing it at some point after release within the first 12 or so months.

Not sure I like that kind of energy, I will buy whatever games I want to in Sept, thanks

@Oram77 Which September games are you leaning towards?

I mean... "our game's going to be arse, don't buy it" sure would have been an interesting strategy.

I dont see one lie in that statement.

@dskatter
I'm clearly not suggesting that they are negative about their own game, but self styling it as 'must have' is a step too far in my opinion.
It also sounds like it is almost asking for people to take the opposite view, ie 'don't need'.

Now, if they were to quote a respectable review site that claimed it to be 'must have', then I think it is acceptable to do this.

This is my GOTY. And presumably everyone else’s too, whether you like it or not 😄

I enjoyed the first game a lot. Really neat, snappy combat. I also bought it for like $7 years after it released. It's not one that I wished I had bought earlier. I also bounced hard off of Alan Wake II - something about having to place a Polaroid on a wall with perfect precision really irked me.

With how stacked September is, I'm fine pushing it off. Onimusha plus two Trails releases is plenty to buy in one month. October should have a few too with Final Fantasy Resonance and possibly Village in Shade.

I'm also looking forward to price drops of games from earlier in this year like Crimson Desert and Adventures of Elliott.

In short - I'm not enough of a Remedy head to get this one at launch. Looking forward to playing it perhaps in 2028.

Shouldn't it be "Of course THEY would say that" as in Remedy, the company

Resonant will be my next platinum.

@Rich33 I echo that thought process.

To bring Microsoft, Nintendo and yes, even Sony as of late especially down in wanting and believing their vision is the best, yet not do the same for others in the industry seems a little off.

If Sony's idea of what they consider "best for the future of gaming on PlayStation" is disputed due to cost, surely a game that also costs money and might not be someone's cup of tea being pushed by the company that made it is to be scrutinised.

When saying it's a must have day one purchase, well, why? If I for example play Control Resonant (could prove to be an interesting title if not resonating with reviewers and public at large), say 5 years after release, how am I getting less value from their proposition?

I read must buy/must have/must own and feel that statement indicates if I don't I'll be lacking something, but if that something is an experience that will be no less of an experience in a years time, where does the "must" come into the equation other than to make a large sum of money to satisfy their Studio Heads?

And if that statement made is due to them wishing to make yet more and more money, surely they should be scrutinised just as much as all other developers, publishers and platform holders for wishing the same.

It's interesting watching people validate the behaviour they would otherwise bring down the moment it benefits them directly. It shows one thing is true, we all have an internal bias.

Personally speaking, I've got Onimusha, Fire Emblem, AC8 and Hollow Knight coming out in the next few months, and I wasn't all too keen on Control 1, so this is not a must have day one purchase for me I'm afraid.

I don’t doubt it’ll be amazing. Control and Alan Wake 2 are two of the best games of this century. CR is also only £50!

@DiamondHands

Day one for me

This game looks so effing good, I'm absolutelly ***** hyped to ass hell and back, will probably even put the tv in the bathroom to play this one even while taking a dump. Control is one of the best games of 2019 and this is shaping up to be one of the best games of this year too.

I'll play it when it hits monthly free PS+ games. I don't have much interest in it really but those Max Payne REMAKES.... those will be day 1.

@ButteredCrumpet
It is an odd one for sure.
As I said, I'm certainly not saying they should be negative about their own game, but it almost feels like it is splitting the audience to claim your own game as 'must have'.

To the part of the audience that is invested, it builds hype - but these people were likely to buy anyway.

To the part of the audience that aren't already invested - whether that be because they didn't like the studios previous work, or because there are games coming out they want more, or any other reason - it almost sounds like a challenge. As you point out, that you would be "lacking something". The statement seems to ask for argument, or a "prove it" response, and is certainly, even if only in a minor way, combative and pretentious.

As I said to the other user, there are ways around this eg by quoting a respected review site.

And I do agree with your general point that Sony (and Nintendo) are held to a higher standard than others, though I would not say this applies to Microsoft (at least not any more).

I feel personally attacked by Control and Silent Hill coming out the same day.

@Rich33 Haha, very good point regarding Microsoft. After my last foray in working alongside their management, I can't honestly say I expect anything from them or their words. Not even in a spiteful way, just a consistently disappointed perspective as both a previous consumer of their products and services and colleague within their ecosystem.

I see this behaviour with the GTA community, same sort of comments from the supporters of the franchise, yet the very same people wasting no time in comment threads beneath other articles pulling down quite literally any company within the industry they can.

If we are all to continue to game, as in enjoy our hobby, then my only hope is that it remains healthy for as long as is financially viable. This saints versus sinners quick fire response from the community regarding the industry just seems so ill thought out at times.

If people say "Well, I can't blame Remedy for wanting to make money ..", surely as a business we can't blame any other either.

So, then as you rightfully point out with regards to your comments on how combative the statements can feel, it boils down to if all businesses are to make money, in what ways are we happy for them to behave whilst doing so?

Interesting thoughts to have, but no doubt ones that will never be meant to expand upon within the confinements of a thread such as this.

I do wish Remedy the best, but old car salesman patter such as "This product I stand to make a profit from by selling is the best for your life right now!" shall not wash.

Now if Remedy told me in a Q & A why they feel that way, funnily enough I'd likely be more sold. The why behind the patter is always more interesting of a story. Like why a sales person is desperate for a sale can likely lead to an interesting life story compared to the inanimate object he's peddling that's destined for landfill in 18 months.

@SeverTheWicked If you purchased both simultaneously, here's the question ... which would you want to play the intro to first?

Control 1's gameplay got a bit stale, but there were some great ideas and moments. Definitely getting Resonant day 1, hoping the change in combat will take Control to the next level.

I got you Remedy. Control: Resonant is my September game, got my steelbook physical preordered and can't f-in wait!

@ShadowRJ Same. Aside from the busted PS4 version, it's just not a very good game.

The enemy variety is poor. The shooting is stodgy (and if memory serves there's no accuracy penalty for hip firing instead of ADS), the story/setting is quirky but ultimately a poor facsimile of David Lynch and The X-Files.

@ButteredCrumpet
You know, I was thinking of the 'stereotypical used car salesman' lol!
There are other games I want more and I'm not the biggest fan of this studios past work - but I don't wish them ill - I hope the game is as good as they say. Then I will buy it at a later date.

@ButteredCrumpet I have both pre-ordered and I'm panicking! I'll probably do Silent Hill first because I imagine it'll be shorter, but maaaaan do I love me some Control.

I'm still not 100% decided on the gameplay shift from a shooter to action/hack-and-slash...

...but as a £50 game in a sea of £65-80 competition, it - along with Zero Company - will be a likely purchase if it reviews well from outlets that I trust.

My most anticiapted game of the year, have a few days off of work booked to really sink into it and enjoy it.
Can't wait!

@SeverTheWicked I think it would no doubt have to be Silent Hill from me too! Despite what I have said in this thread, balance is everything, and I am happy to really get to grips with the next Control in the series.

I think it's just Silent Hill wins for me due to as you say, potentially being a shorter experience, and also for me it's got a history of rarely if ever truly disappointing me that spans so many years.

SH and Resident Evil just hit so hard with me for some reason!

I mean, what else are they going to say? “Nah. You don’t need to buy our game immediately or anything.”

It really sucks that these companies load up these months.

I want: Plague Tale, Onimusha, Wolverine and Control.

I will eventually get them all, but it’s looking like I will end up going with Onimusha and Wolverine.

If one of them would’ve came out in the past month or so I would’ve bought it.

It’s not a money issue for me. It’s just that I don’t have a ton of time to play a ton of different games and there’s no need for me to buy all of them all at once.

Don’t understand the praise for Control. Just mediocre and boring. I don’t remember too much of it.

@BrokenByTheScream each to their own? Michael like apple,does Billy have to like it too? Your comment is stupid. Everyone taste are not same. You hate it but im freaking love it. So move on. No need to say about it

Absolutely day 1 for me. I adored Remedy creativity

Getting this day one. Control and AW2 are great games. AW2 was my GOTY in 2023

@amatmulisha But that’s… the entire point of the comment section…

@Ravix A lock as a 10/10, baby!

I'll be putting my Resident Evil series replay on hold for this. I LOVED Control, in fact after I finish up RE4R I'll be replaying Control in prep for Resonant... Speaking of, we also have Plague Tale Resonance imminently due!

As long as Jesse Faden's brother has more personality and the game's map is easier to navigate, then Resonant will resonate with me.

@BrokenByTheScream Not surprising, Jesse Faden was boring, the environments were a bit too concrete, and the in-game map was hard to follow. Still, so many people enjoyed it, probably because it did a good job of reflecting the TV show-style presentation Remedy loves.

Personally i can't ever get into their games. They always look cool but I just don't gel with them. Fire Emblem shall be my September game with Dawnwalker being my secondary purchase.

Imagine a company saying "Don't buy my product day one"

Don't see this doing well with the new Fire Emblem, Trails 2 Remake, and Wolverine among others releasing so close...

There is just so much that month. However onimusha looks like a boring dud that would get more deserved critique if it weren't being made by Capcom.

Dawnwalker, control, zero company all look great though.

I feel like this title is getting bodied and the next game they work on the initial meeting will start with let’s not release this game alongside 5 other bangers…

Yes, it’s hands down my most anticipated game for Septembe—and all of 2026. The first Control is one of the best games to come out in the last 10 years.

Day one for me.
No game has ever made me feel so anxious whenever I see red appear in a room like in Control. Plus you know Resonant will have some insane ashtray maze like level with great music. It's going to be a blast!

@cainhurst94 Sorry for the late reply, so starting from 28th Aug I have MGS VOL 2, Blood of the Dawn walker, Wolverine and Silent hill Townfall!

@Foxhound Probably didn't need to even mention the new Trails remake. That entire series across over 20 titles hasn't even managed to hit 10 million sales, meanwhile just Control on its own reached over 6 million sales. I think the new Trails won't really impact how the new Control game does lol

I enjoyed the first, (still need to beat it!) and like the whole world building aspect of the series. Would be happy to delve into AW 2 after, and consider this down the line. It's Onimusha for me though, come September. And maybe phantom blade!

It's Dawnwalker, Onimusha, Control and Hot Wheels in September for me. The scary thing is Plague Tale and MGS Vol. 2 drop at the end of this month too (I copped Beast Of Reincarnation on release), and Gears: E-Day, Ace Combat 8, Galactic Racer, Hellraiser, Valor Mortis, Castlevania, Phantom Blade 0, Stupid Never Dies, the physical of Silksong and the Dark Arisen expansion for Dragon's Dogma 2 all follow in October. Do I even need to mention GTA in November as well?! Getting all of these day 1, alongside FC 27 and NBA 2K27 for my brother, who I also need to buy a second copy of GTA for 😂 None of these btw are my most anticipated game of the year - that would be .45 Parabellum Bloodhound which still hasn't made its pre-ordering available for yet.

After all that, it's then respite until January, and then it will get very, very expensive again.

Its Silent Hill Townfall, Halloween The Game and Dune Awakening for me in September (welp) Loved the first Control but waiting to see how the reviews turn out for Resonant, the melee only combat has me "unsure" on it.