Control

Q: Is Control difficult?

Yes. Control features demanding combat encounters, especially in boss fights and later sectors. Enemy waves escalate quickly, and survival depends on ability management, positioning, and pattern recognition. For the Resilient Player, difficulty is part of the core design rather than an optional modifier.

Q: Is Control an open-world game?

Not in the traditional sense. The Oldest House is an interconnected, Metroidvania-style environment. New abilities unlock access to previously unreachable areas, encouraging backtracking and spatial familiarity. Progression is nonlinear but structured.

Q: How long does it take to beat Control?

Most players complete the main story in 12 to 15 hours. Completing side missions and optional bosses can extend playtime to 20 hours or more.

Q: Is the story easy to follow?

The narrative unfolds through environmental storytelling, documents, and fragmented dialogue. Some elements are intentionally ambiguous. For the Narrative Seeker, meaning builds gradually through investigation rather than direct exposition.

Q: Are the DLC expansions important?

Yes. Expansions such as The Foundation and AWE expand the lore and introduce new combat challenges. They deepen the mythology of the Bureau and add additional high-difficulty encounters. For players invested in both mastery and narrative depth, the DLC provides meaningful extensions.

Overall Rating: 4.15 • 2035 reviews

The Resilient Player The Narrative Seeker

Control drops you into the shifting corridors of the Federal Bureau of Control, a brutalist government building overtaken by a supernatural force known as the Hiss. Combat demands precision and composure, blending telekinetic powers with grounded gunplay in encounters that escalate quickly and punish hesitation.

Built primarily for the Resilient Player, Control rewards tactical adjustment and mastery under pressure. For the Narrative Seeker, its layered lore and environmental storytelling create a world that invites investigation long after the firefights end.

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Details

Some of the particulars and information about Control.

Developer: 505 Games

Release Date: August 27, 2019

How Long to Beat: 20 hrs

Great for:

The Resilient Player The Narrative Seeker

Ratings

Some of the ratings and scores for Control.

84 Metacritic

8.8 IGN

-- Our Score

Genres

Action

Adventure

Mystery

Systems

Here's where you can find Control and play.

ESRB: Mature

Violence

Blood

Strong Language

Overview

Why Play?

How Much Time?

Overview

Control builds a reactive action experience centered on ability-driven combat, layered exploration, and lore discovery within the evolving corridors of the Oldest House

Ability-Driven Combat Under Pressure

Control builds its combat around telekinetic abilities layered over grounded gunplay. Launching debris, levitating above encounters, and managing energy cooldowns become essential to survival rather than optional flourishes.

Enemy waves escalate quickly, and arenas are designed vertically, forcing constant repositioning. Boss encounters demand pattern recognition, movement discipline, and ability sequencing.

For the Resilient Player, progress comes from learning enemy behavior, refining timing, and adapting loadouts rather than overpowering encounters through simple upgrades.

A Metroidvania Structure Within a Shifting Space

The Oldest House functions as an interconnected environment where new abilities unlock previously inaccessible areas. Progression loops back on itself, rewarding memory and spatial awareness.

Exploration is guided but non-linear. Optional sectors and hidden rooms expand combat challenges and deepen understanding of the space.

This structure reinforces mastery over both mechanics and geography.

Fragmented Lore and Environmental Discovery

Narrative in Control unfolds through case files, recorded interviews, altered objects, and environmental clues. The story rarely explains itself directly. Instead, it invites interpretation.

For the Narrative Seeker, meaning accumulates through attention. The mystery of the Hiss and the Bureau is pieced together gradually rather than delivered in exposition-heavy sequences.

Combat drives forward momentum, but investigation provides thematic depth.

Trailer

A Quick Look at Control

Curious what Control is all about? The trailer gives you a great first look at the world, the vibe, and the kind of story you're stepping into.

Videos

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Screenshots

Screenshots of Control

Want to see what Control actually looks like in-game? These screenshots will hopefully give you a feel for what the world of Control is like.

Extras

Downloadable Content for Control

DLC just means more of a good thing. Here are some for Control

Control: AWE

Control: The Foundation

Control: AWE

Confined Combat Escalation

Control: AWE shifts combat into darker, more enclosed sectors of the Oldest House, emphasizing tighter arenas and heightened enemy pressure. Encounters feel more focused and less spacious than the base campaign, forcing deliberate positioning and disciplined ability use.

New enemy variants introduce erratic attack patterns and increased aggression, raising the skill ceiling for late-game players.

For the Resilient Player, AWE reinforces mastery through precision and controlled execution rather than spectacle.

Expanded Bureau Mythology

The expansion centers on an Altered World Event investigation tied to the Bureau’s past containment failures. Files, recordings, and environmental anomalies deepen the organization’s connection to events beyond the Oldest House.

Narrative threads intersect with the wider Remedy universe, but the storytelling remains fragmented and investigative rather than expository.

For the Narrative Seeker, meaning accumulates through document discovery and thematic parallels rather than direct explanation.

Optional High-Difficulty Encounters

AWE introduces some of the most demanding optional fights in Control, including multi-phase boss encounters that test ability sequencing and spatial awareness.

Completion rewards are meaningful but earned through persistence. The expansion does not dilute challenge to accommodate casual progression.

For players who valued the base game’s pressure curve, AWE extends it without compromising intensity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Have Questions About Control?

Is Control difficult?

Is Control an open-world game?

How long does it take to beat Control?

Is the story easy to follow?

Are the DLC expansions important?

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