The good stuff
- Stunning, inventive level design that turns gravity and geometry into gameplay rewards
- Traversal is polished and joyful — movement often outshines combat
- Excellent audio design and well-placed soundtrack moments that land emotionally
- Lots of side content, lore, and collectibles for explorers who enjoy decoding Remedy’s universe
The rage fuel
- Combat devolves into repetitive melee spamming and limited combo variety
- Many open-world activities repeat and respawn, turning exploration into chores
- Some story threads and character arcs feel under-baked or unresolved
- Early hours are slow: key traversal and fun combat toys arrive late
First impressions: a city that keeps folding into itself
CONTROL Resonant makes one immediate promise and mostly keeps it: Manhattan as a playable Escher print. The city’s districts bend, flip and stack in ways that reward curiosity; opening a new area often feels like unwrapping a handcrafted diorama, not another fetch radius. Several reviews praise the vistas and traversal as some of Remedy’s best level design — the late-game gravity puzzles and inverted spaces genuinely deliver that childlike ‘where’s up?’ thrill (sourceIds: 238105490, 239738958, 236848856).
That payoff, however, requires patience. A number of players note the first hours are naked of the traversal toys that make the game sing — you’ll be strafing through streets and hitting a lot of early combat before the more spectacular movement unlocks (sourceIds: 237856241, 237475216). Stick with it if you like platforming that doubles as a puzzle: once the extra Fault abilities arrive the city becomes an instrument, not a backdrop (sourceIds: 238321156, 239738958).
Combat, finishers, and the button-mash debate
Remedy pivoted here from Control’s Service Weapon to a melee-led, combo-and-finisher system. When it clicks — well-timed dash, gravity trick, hammer slam — combat can look and feel spectacular. Several players loved the sense of power and the ability-driven build variety (sourceIds: 236381635, 239490492).
But the complaints are loud and consistent: many reviewers describe fights collapsing into the same three-hit combo and a finisher, with limited mid-fight swapping and choices punished by menu backtracking. That design breeds repetition, especially because small enemies tend to respawn until big targets are cleared (sourceIds: 237721895, 237609026, 237297300). One reviewer even jokes (and I sympathize) about the game’s finishers being on-demand only after installing a “fix” mod — a lovely little community patch laugh inspired by a report on weapon-swap mods improving the feel for players who couldn’t stand the default finisher-on-everything rhythm (sourceIds: 237475216).
Exploration, side quests, and that taxi with the dog
There’s a lot to explore: documents, altered-item lore, and side arcs that some players found genuinely moving or memorably odd. The dog-and-toy mission and the taxi-related experiments are cited as examples of quests with personality rather than generic busywork (sourceIds: 238577061, 239670139, 238321156).
At the same time, the open-world structure wears thin for others. Numerous reviews call out Ubisoft-style map kits and repeatable ‘world feat’ encounters that respawn, turning what should feel like discovery into work: loot is often crafting mats rather than distinctive cosmetics, and many collectibles feel like numbers on a checklist (sourceIds: 237609026, 237856241, 239734205). Insider joke: yes, if you pull every taxi in Manhattan you’ll eventually be the city’s least paid cabbie — your reward is another crafting material and a griefing mop of spawn points. Credit to the reviewer who first named that taxi loop as a love-it-or-hate-it time sink (sourceIds: 237609026, 238577061).
Story, characters, and Dylan’s emotional freight
The sequel swaps perspective to Dylan Faden and divides opinion. Many players enjoyed the more personal angle and the emotional beats that finally give context to Jesse’s search (sourceIds: 237355936, 238105490, 239670139). Dylan is a softer, apologetic lead and the writing intentionally leans into his guilt and slow redemption. That pays off for some: his arc felt earned and touching (sourceIds: 237355936, 237570884).
Other critics call Dylan oddly under-realized: they argue he’s too well-adjusted for someone with his backstory or that the game misses opportunities for deeper, harder reckonings (sourceIds: 238766641, 237297300). An inside gag ripped from player complaints: Dylan apologizes so often in some conversations that you expect a Bureau memo asking him to stop—signed, "Langston, HR" —a line inspired by multiple reviews noting Dylan’s constant penitent tone and NPC sniping (sourceIds: 237355936, 238766641).
Difficulty, achievements, and the final act oddities
Difficulty is another polarizing area. Some players praise the adjustable sliders and accessibility options that let you tweak aggression, damage and even tackle an easier or harder resonant cycle (sourceIds: 238577061, 239436985). Others say the game becomes too easy as your upgrades stack, making later boss fights underwhelming despite the spectacle (sourceIds: 239436985, 237856241).
Achievements and certain quest requirements drew ire for arbitrariness: obscure timing windows and precision tasks that feel like lottery tickets to completionists. One review nailed it with a perfect salty observation about a baffling achievement ("Love to Deep Dive") that demands an unnecessarily precise three-times-in-five-minutes trick — a specific frustration a few players flagged as unfairly obtuse (sourceIds: 239436985, 237856241).
Bugs, polish, and who the game is for
Stability has improved quickly via patches, but some early reports detail odd dialogue loops, misplaced map markers, and zone rewards that didn’t appear on first playthroughs (sourceIds: 237856241, 237609026). Remedy is patch-happy, and most of the rough edges noted by reviewers were being addressed in the post-launch window.
Audience verdict: if you’re a Remedy fan, open-world explorer, or someone who prizes striking level design and audio-visual set pieces, Resonant will be a satisfying, often brilliant ride (sourceIds: 238321156, 236381635, 239490492). If you prioritize tight, emergent combat or want a mystery that keeps you guessing more than answering, this one will grate — the payoff is spectacle and character, not a clean, puzzle-box thriller (sourceIds: 237856241, 237721895).
Worth your time?
Buy it if you love Remedy’s tone, mind-bending level design, and audio-visual spectacle. Skip or wait for a sale if you hate repetitive melee slogs, infinite respawn busywork, or want tight, mystery-first pacing like the first Control. Mod-friendly players and those who enjoy tweaking difficulty will extract the most joy; completionists should budget time for grind and a couple of obtuse achievement hunts.