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| Released | August 27, 2019 |
|---|---|
| Developer | Remedy Entertainment |
| Publisher | 505 Games |
| Director | Mikael Kasurinen |
| Writer | Sam Lake |
| PotF Tracks | My Dark Disquiet |
| OGoA Tracks | Take Control |
Control is a 2019 action-adventure game developed by Remedy Entertainment and published by 505 Games. The game revolves around the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC), a secret U.S. government agency tasked with containing and studying phenomena that violate the laws of reality. As Jesse Faden (Courtney Hope), the Bureau's new Director, the player explores the Oldest House – the FBC's paranormal headquarters – and utilizes powerful abilities in order to defeat a deadly enemy known as the Hiss, which has invaded and corrupted reality. The player gains abilities by finding Objects of Power, mundane objects like a rotary phone or a floppy disk imbued with energies from another dimension, that have been at the center of major paranormal events and since recovered by the FBC. The concept is inspired by the fictional SCP Foundation.
While the game initially gives the appearance of being a standalone IP, it later becomes clear that the game's narrative is intertwined with that of Alan Wake. The events of Alan Wake are considered to be an "Altered World Event" within the world of Control, while Alan believes he is the author of the story of Control. This connection would be expanded upon in the second DLC "AWE", a full-on crossover which revolves around the incident at Bright Falls and resolves the story of antagonist Dr Emil Hartman. This crossover via the Oceanview Motel would become officially codified as the Remedy Connected Universe, which had already been somewhat apparent due to, for instance, the inclusion of the Old Gods of Asgard in Control's world. The DLC ends with a teaser for a new AWE at Bright Falls some time in the future - the events of Alan Wake II.
The game features many staple elements of Remedy games, such as Norse mythology, environmental storytelling, fourth wall breaks, naming puns, live action, narrative jumping and ventures outside of the game's core genre. James McCaffrey, who had voiced Max Payne now plays Director Trench, while Matthew Poretti, the voice of Alan Wake, plays Dr Darling. Courtney Hope, who plays Jesse Faden, had previously portrayed Beth Wilder in Quantum Break.
The Poets of the Fall track My Dark Disquiet is featured in an audio test chamber within the game, where subjects are evidently asked to listen to the song and then fill out a questionnaire. A blackboard outside the room has the song's lyrics and the Ultraviolet LP jacket is on the desk. The music video released for My Dark Disquiet to promote Control features the Hotline, an Object of Power which allows Faden to communicate with deceased directors and The Board.
Near the end of the game, the mysterious janitor Ahti lends Faden his portable cassette player with the Old Gods of Asgard track Take Control. This plays during the Ashtray Maze sequence in a dynamic modular way, adapting to the flow of the sequence including combat and platforming. This dynamic version features many more loops and stems than can be heard in the released version of Take Control. Faden is aware of OGoA's reputation, confirming that they exist/existed as a band in the world of Control. The Ashtray Maze sequence is commonly referred to as the best part of the game.
Trivia
- Death Rally (2012) exists as a video game within the world of Control.
- Hideo Kojima is in Control and Sam Lake is in Death Stranding.
- A diagetic clue in Take Control leads the player to a secret Alan Wake Hotline message in the AWE DLC, an Alan Wake II teaser about what happened with Barry Wheeler, Tor and Odin Anderson after Alan Wake's American Nightmare.