Review: Control (PlayStation 4)

After a secretive agency in New York is invaded by an otherworldly threat, you become the new Director struggling to regain control. From developer Remedy Entertainment, this supernatural 3rd person action-adventure will challenge you to master the combination of supernatural abilities, modifiable loadouts, and reactive environments while fighting through a deep and unpredictable world.

Pros:

• Amazing graphics mixed with real video.
• 26.90gb download size.
• Platinum trophy.
• Action-adventure gameplay.
• Extensive controller options-rebind, sensitivity sliders for both movement and aiming, aim assist, invert axis, swap left/right sticks, toggle shield and camera stickiness.
• Mute copyright music option.
• Icons and subtitle size choices.
• Play how you want.
• The main story with optional side quests.
• Control points-cleanse them to activate them as checkpoints, fast travel and deal with upgrades and abilities.
• Abilities-earn points from doing missions and put them into the ability tree that covers health, energy, specific updates. As you add to it a bar that fills up with rewards you get additional slots for personal and gun mods.
• Guns-alive! They reload ammo when not in use, you can craft new gun variations like a shotgun, pierce or charge Shift. You can only carry 2 but can swap anytime at a control point. Each gun has 3 mod slots.
• Mods-each has rarity levels which dictate how good they are, find mods in the world and off enemies. You have modes for each gun type and personal like health/energy regen.
• Loot boxes to find bit clickbaity more just treasure chests but I got your attention.
• The map fills in with the name of the place as you discover them.
• Actions- shooting, grab objects, throw, melee, shield, mind control enemies to act as allies, hover.
• Celestial plane-here you do a tutorial style arena fight where you use/learn your new ability.
• Tutorial support throughout.
• Swap guns on the fly.
• Astral constructs-mods and weapon forms are shown (plans) and you can upgrade the rarity of mods crafted.
• Board countermeasures-optional side objectives like kill X amount of an enemy in a particular place for mod rewards. You can carry 3 max.
• Crafting materials, health, source drops from enemies and can be found in loot boxes.
• Enemies (the Hiss) can spawn/respawn in any area at any time even if it been cleared out.
• Edge of the seat tense atmosphere.
• The infinite living world set with in the Bureau. Walls move, rooms appear and disappear and more.
• Bureau alerts-random optional quests that pop up, they have a timer and rewards.
• Puzzles scattered through the world.
• Death keeps progress/items but you go back to the checkpoint.
• Combat is designed in a way that it is accessible but can be very in-depth and free-flowing as you combine powers.
• Side missions and interacting with NPC give more story.
• Lore/back story is everywhere and well over 200 pieces to find.
• Unlock and discover shortcuts.
• Security clearance-as you progress you increase your level which opens up new areas previously locked.
• Metroidvania mechanic that will have you going back and forth through the world as you get new abilities and higher security clearance.
• Different enemy types.
• Strong physics game.
• Action movie levels of destruction and mayhem.
• You can pull parts of the wall/floor up to use as a weapon.
• Next level storytelling, the construction, and execution are so well-paced.
• Excellent voice work.
• No hand-holding, discover routes, solutions.
• Stumble upon the many many side quests.
• Destruction of property is the best “F*ck someone’s day up”  example ever in a video game.
• Uses the powers system a lot like in Star Wars force unleashed but is more refined.

Cons:

• Slow loading times.
• The slowdown happens when explosions kick-off.
• Weird freeze when finishing a chapter and getting a trophy.
• Crafting/upgrades are just thrown at you with no real announcement.
• No dedicated cover button which causes a lot of awkward stand-ups when in combat.
• Can’t zoom in on the map.
• A lot of cheap deaths like falling off drops you can’t see, getting ambushed.
• Stutters after u pausing the game.
• No HDR support.
• The map is hard to read in regards to levels, is that place higher or lower? Pfft, who knows.
• Health recovery is tough.
• Can feel lost.
• Restart after death is a slow slog.
• Inconsistent checkpoints. At times it feels you get one every 5 minutes then it can feel like hours for the next one.
• Very limited info is available on a quest.
• Cover shooting is painful.
• Slight pop on mostly when rendering signs.