Control Resonant will deliver players to a Manhattan divided into open zones that unlock gradually through new abilities, keys, access cards, and, Remedy says, as you gain the trust of the people you meet.

“Manhattan in Resonant is divided into open zones cordoned off by the FBC, and you can transition between them through FBC checkpoints, but within each Zone, you are only limited by your abilities, as well as keys and access cards that you have obtained,” said Sergey Mohov, lead gameplay designer of the Remedy title. “Consequently, the longer you play, the more open the game will become as you get more powerful, more confident, and gain the trust of more characters.”

Due out on Sept. 24, Control Resonant picks up after the conclusion of 2019’s Control. But instead of controlling Jesse Faden in this sequel, players will take control of her brother Dylan Faden.

While Remedy has confirmed that Jesse won’t be playable in Resonant, she still plays an important role, according to Mohov.

“Jesse is featured very prominently in the story of the game,” he said. “Without revealing too much, you will be collaborating with her on unlocking certain abilities, you will be talking to her and discovering a lot more about her and Dylan’s past.”

The bigger change is combat itself. In 2019's Control, Jesse fought through the Oldest House with the Service Weapon, a shapeshifting gun. Dylan's weapon, the Aberrant, is melee.

“There are weapon forms that have a shorter or longer reach, but there are no ranged weapons in the game,” Mohov said. “We felt that this works best with Dylan’s character: he is direct, well-trained for combat, and doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty. You can customize your version of Dylan by equipping your choice of Aberrant forms into your loadout, and choosing different combat abilities, some of which are ranged.”

Mohov added that the team worked to make Resonant more driven by “player creativity and curiosity.”

“You are free to choose what you want to do and in what order, and your build choices are free form,” he said. “Your loadout choices make a direct and immediate impact on your approach to second-to-second combat. We want you to make your own plans, and we reward you for executing them well.”

You can read a bit more about the development process and early thoughts on how the two games connect, in our cover story from earlier this year.