WhenRemedy EntertainmentreleasedControlback in 2019, it was met withpositive reviewsand praise for its unique and weird as hell world. It may not have been perfect, but players were drawn in by its world-building elements and fast-paced action. Fast forward to 2021 and nowControl Ultimate Editionis upon us. While it is still largely the same (though it does include the two DLC packs), it is easily the definitive way to play this mind-bending action game.
The setup is not-so-simple. Players take on the role of Jesse Faden as she treks into the Federal Bureau of Control to locate her missing brother. Jesse is quickly given the role of Director after she picks up the service weapon of the recently deceased Director. For whatever reason, the Bureau operates on the same rules asThe Santa Clausestarring Tim Allen. Oddly enough, that’s not even the strangest thing happening inControl.
Things get wild pretty quickly. It’s not long before you’ve encountered a mixture of Lovecraftian Eldritch horrors and Jungian philosophies. The Oldest House is still one of the most compelling video game locales in recent years. And it just keeps ramping up from the moment you walk through the front doors.
Jesse may have just walked into the building and was given the keys to the kingdom, but she more than holds her own. The abilities you get throughout the game’s story are still a lot of fun to utilize in this version. Using telekinesis to hurl explosives back at enemies or using a mix of dashing and flight to evade attackers is still very satisfying.
[pullquote]“the definitive way to play this mind-bending action game."[/pullquote]
That being said, the combat inControl Ultimate Editioncan get a bit repetitive. Which was a gripe many had with the initial release. You’ll regularly be gaining new abilities, but very few of them really feel like major game-changers.
A handful of complaints aboutControlwhen it was first released were in regards to performance issues. Thankfully, this enhanced version largely remedies all of those issues. The game was known to have massive frame rate drops and slowdowns during large combat sections or simply from closing a menu. I can happily say that withControl Ultimate Edition, those issues are rarely present. I noticed very brief moments of frame rate drops but nowhere near as prevalent as they were originally.
A host of other enhancements that came in patches to the original game also are immediately available inControl Ultimate Edition. A more forgiving checkpoint system, as well as a wider selection of accessibility options, are some of the other welcome additions here.
One of the biggest draws of this new version is next-gen performance.Controlin 2019 was in no way a bad-looking game. It was just often hampered by the limitations of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Jumping from those versions to a Series X makes the upgrades immediately apparent. The game runs at a steady 60 fps with upscaled 4K resolution and I only ever encountered a few hiccups. It’s easily one of the smoothest games available right now.
[pullquote]“It’s easily one of the smoothest games available right now."[/pullquote]
Alternatively, running it with ray-tracing enabled at 30 fps still looks and feels great. You do sacrifice a bit of that smoothness, but it is still visually stunning. All of the lighting and outlandish elements ofControlare on full display this way. Regardless of your preference, you’re still in for a great showcase of what next-gen hardware can do when given the proper material to showcase.
Control Ultimate Editionis a revamped version of an already great game. If you haven’t already played it and its equally trippy story DLCs,The FoundationandAWE, then this should not be missed. But if this isn’t your first foray into this world, there isn’t much here that you haven’t already seen. Apart from the technical enhancements, it’s still largely the same game you played a little over a year ago.
All of that being said,Control Ultimate Editionis still easily the best way to experience Remedy’s mind-bending adventure. Whether you’ve already visited before or you’re a newcomer, The Oldest House will welcome you with open and very creepy arms.
