"Control" Review

A third-person action-adventure told with confidence, masterful design and boundless creativity, "Control" tasks you with probing the secrets of a dense government bureaucracy, keeping you forging ahead by dangling the next intriguing mystery ahead of you.

With little hype, developer Remedy Entertainment delivered a virtuoso example of level construction and character building.

Ambition has never been in short supply for the developer, which wowed audiences with the likes of "Max Payne," challenged narrative conventions with "Alan Wake" and stretched the boundaries of TV and gaming convergence with "Quantum Break." At times, the available technology restricted Remedy's vision, but that's not the case here.

"Control" is a game thoroughly comfortable in its own skin, guiding you along your chosen path by presenting a linear experience with so much room to maneuver and explore that you sink into the illusion that you're taking on an open-world enterprise, shaping your journey with organic choices that you make.

To reveal much of the story or setup would be to rob the game of its ample sense of discovery. As you delve into the layers upon layers of buried intrigue, the game gradually familiarizes you with the supernatural and metaphysical sensibilities of its world.

Mastering the combat, traversal and environmental manipulation aspects is crucial to advancing. Finding that path is a joy, and the game has a masterful way at pushing you through extended tutorials that feel like organic exploration.

One of the unbridled successes of the 2019 gaming year, "Control" thrives with thrills and chills to spare. A glorious and captivating tale that makes you feel as though you're the co-author, the game shatters your expectations and shows that Remedy continues to tap dance on the bleeding edge of gamedom's evolution.

Publisher provided review code.