I’m not sure how I completely missed the boat upon the initial release of Remedy Entertainment's sci-fi adventure Control, but I never got the opportunity to play the game between its debut in 2019 and the release of Control: Ultimate Edition earlier this month.
Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t have my head buried in the sand. I fully appreciated the impact it was having on the world of gaming and had listened to many podcasts and watched countless videos on how much players were loving everything Control had to offer. I just never found the time to put everything else to one side and dive in.
So, when I got offered a code for the complete package in Control: Ultimate Edition, I finally had the perfect excuse to spring to action and give it a whirl. The wait may have been an excruciating one but, looking at how completely revolutionary the improvements to the experience have been on next-gen console PlayStation 5, it was certainly worth it.
Making sure to set my game to Graphics Mode - which prioritises aesthetic quality and ray-tracing over frame rate - I jumped straight into the role of lead character Jesse Faden, who’s finally found the entrance to the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC). In search of her brother, who was kidnapped many years prior to the events we take part in, in the game, she quickly gets wrapped up in circumstances beyond regular explanation.
Just to note: There's also the option of Performance Mode, which will target 60fps with 1440p render resolution and 4K output, but giving up the ray tracing capabilities of the next-gen PS5 consoles just isn’t worth it. It’s also worth noting that Performance Mode is the only one available on the Xbox Series S platform.
Saying a whole lot more about the story would give away the secrets, twists and turns that lurk around each corner, but those also new should know that it won’t be an easy ride. Some have noted that, even with increased sensitivity on aiming your weapon, it can feel a little sloppy when trying to take down enemies. I didn’t feel the same frustrations, but I did get a little annoyed at the map.
Though it at first seems to be an easy to read map, it does struggle at times to point you in the right direction dependant on which floor you’re on. The Director’s Office looked to have a path away from it right from the get-go for example, yet entering the room meant I found myself at a dead end. This led to me doing two full circles around the entire location before actually finding the doors I should have been going through.
Still, that may be more to do with my being tired when playing; if the game held my hand all the way through, I’d also have a problem with it.
What I really want to talk about though, is just how much of an impressive feat Control Ultimate Edition is on PS5. Seeing Jesse’s reflection in windows or on glass surfaces never got old, from the first moment that gave me tingles, all the way through to the end.
Using the DualSense controller on PS5 is also an incredible experience. It vibrates, just a touch, for every footstep that Jesse takes. If there’s something important going on in-game, then you’re likely going to feel the ramifications of that through your fingertips and on your palms.
Knowing that Remedy are only scratching the surface of what the PS5 is capable of with this rerelease is what’s really exciting. Seeing what comes next will be the true test of the console’s metal.
Control: Ultimate Edition is available now on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Control is also available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch. A code for PlayStation 5 was given to Female First in exchange for a fair and honest review.