release: 27 August 2019
When I got word about Control and how well liked it was, I thought I was going to be in for something special. I almost was convinced to purchase it for the full price. Something I very rarely do. Then as luck would have it they offered the game on PSNOW. See sometimes subscriptions like these are handy. So what do I think of Control?
Somehow I had imagined this was going to be a hybrid of Quantum Break and Max Payne where you would have these special telekinetic abilities you could use in bullet time. As someone who loves slow motion in general especially John Woo style that sounded awesome to me. Then after playing a few missions it hit me. There is no bullet time mechanic. Honestly that hurt a little. But wasn't something that put me off the game. I actually enjoyed the core mechanics and especially the launch ability. Only I realized that apart from some other abilities you gain and can expand on, the core mechanics are the meat of the game. I know they want you to get immersed in the story and that the gameplay is in service of this story. However here is where Control completely fails.
Yes. the story was compelling at the start. Soon though it became obvious that there wasn't that much to the story. Yes like with Dark Souls there is a lot of lore and world building in the collectibles and dialogue. But honestly in my opinion you should be able to get immersed in the world without having to read and explore every thing. I myself do like to explore in games. And very likely I am not done with the game yet even if I have finished the main story and a majority of the side missions. But what did I accomplish with this game? The last missions basically puts you in situations where you have to fight wave after wave without getting the chance to save in between. You die,tough, start over. Ok, fine. Then when you finally are able to finish the mission you get the confirmation you stopped the threat and that you are the new director now. Jeez, didn't the game make you the director like at the very start of the game already? Sure often the journey is more important than the destiny. If only the journey was really worth it. Jesse basically is the same person as when she started out. Only now she has gained some abilities and skills to deal with enemies.
And you are going to need them if you are planning to clean up the remaining hiss. The difficulty spike is enormous and more a case of having patience. Up until this point there is no real reward (apart from gaining ability points) for completing the main game and these side activities. And for me that is problematic. Especially if people are praising the hell out of this game. I mean what did this game really offer that was so special and amazing? Sure it has some lovecraftian elements. Immensely bare bones and superficial. If you aren't familiar you won't even recognize it. Then what's the point? Keeping things abstract and open ended is laziness of the highest level. If you have a point of view or something to tell then do so. Don't make me go on a goose chase and not offer something in return. This exactly is the case here.
I played a little more and it is getting harder and harder to put in time and energy into this game. It had real potential to be more than it is. But ultimately lets down considerably.
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