Independent sessions praised the Aberrant's melee flow, traversal, warped environments, and worldbuilding, but used unfinished builds and cannot settle launch performance or campaign depth.
The clearest agreement across three independent CONTROL Resonant hands-on reports is that the shift to melee works better than it sounds on paper. TechRadar, Windows Central, and Tom's Guide all describe fast, fluid action built around Dylan's transforming Aberrant weapon, movement, and supernatural powers. They also agree that warped Manhattan gives the sequel larger, more open-ended spaces without turning it into a conventional sandbox.
This is a preview roundup, not a final review. The writers played different slices on pre-release builds. No score here should be inferred from their enthusiasm.
Where the reports agree
Melee has weight and speed
TechRadar spent about three hours with the game and emphasized stylish combinations, airborne movement, weapon transformations, executions, and the ability to layer powers onto melee. Windows Central similarly preferred the heavy hammer's impact while noting that its wind-up leaves Dylan exposed. Tom's Guide described quick dashes, Aberrant attacks, thrown debris, and a smooth combat presentation on a powerful PC.
The shared point is useful: Resonant does not simply remove Jesse's gun and leave an empty replacement. The weapon forms and powers change rhythm and positioning. What remains unknown is long-term enemy variety, balance, and whether the loop stays satisfying across the full campaign.
Manhattan is wider, but not a generic open world
TechRadar reported extra missions, bounties, map-revealing towers, and a dungeon reached from one open area. Windows Central described faster traversal through a wider playground while explicitly saying it did not feel like a sandbox. Those observations match Remedy's own description of handcrafted zones and its rejection of grind-heavy map clearing.
The previews cannot tell us how many zones exist, how repetitive optional activities become, or how much backtracking the final campaign requires.
The visual identity is intact
All three reports highlighted distorted environments, supernatural effects, and Remedy's worldbuilding. Tom's Guide tested a beta build on an RTX 5090 at 4K with high graphics and ray tracing; it appeared to hold 60 FPS, but the writer could not see a frame-rate counter or change settings. That is not evidence for the published minimum or recommended GPUs.
Differences and unresolved questions
The sessions did not test the same material. TechRadar focused on a possessed bus, open-area activities, and a gravity-shifting dungeon. Windows Central discussed a large disembodied-head boss and found its patterns readable rather than Souls-like. Tom's Guide concentrated on PC image quality and a section called The Sinkhole.
Those differences strengthen the case that the previews saw more than one curated encounter, but they also prevent direct performance or difficulty comparisons. The final build can still change lighting, frame rate, audio mixing, hit effects, tuning, and content placement.
The responsible pre-release verdict
The available hands-on evidence is encouraging for players worried that a melee-led sequel would lose Control's identity. It is not enough to judge the whole story, New Game Plus balance, technical stability across ordinary PCs and consoles, or value for money. A final review belongs after September 24 with the retail build, platform, patch, playtime, and completion scope disclosed.
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Questions players ask next
Has CONTROL Resonant been reviewed yet?
No final retail review is presented here. This page compares independent hands-on previews of unfinished builds and does not assign a score.
What do CONTROL Resonant previews agree on?
The three checked reports consistently describe fast melee, strong movement, larger Manhattan spaces, and a distinctive warped visual style.
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