Remedy Entertainment’s Control has been upgraded to perform on the new generation of video game consoles, using the advancements touted by Sony and Microsoft for the PS5 and Xbox Series X, respectively. Players can test the improved features and aesthetics implemented in the action-adventure title originally published by 505 Games in 2019. Set in the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC), gamers can once again explore the government headquarters as they confront inhuman opponents on their journey to discover what caused the tragedy at the FBC.
Fans familiar with the original release of Control on PC, PS4, and Xbox One will notice the gameplay has remained unchanged. The current iteration of the game for PS5 and Xbox Series X focuses on enhancing the visual quality and the title’s overall smoothness. Loading the game for the first time on PS5, the first standout aspect of the upgraded version of Control is the immediacy of loading into the story.
Almost as soon as selecting the New Game option, players will find themselves jumping right into the initial narrative and taking control of the game’s protagonist, Jesse Faden. Playing in Graphics mode, where Control favors aesthetic quality over frame rate, lets gamers experience the PS5’s ray-tracing capabilities at 30 frames per second (FPS). While the lower FPS may be considered sacrificial in terms of smooth gameplay and navigation, the higher graphical fidelity is worth the trade-off; it renders the FBC and the game’s various characters and NPCs as close to realistic in appearance as possible, and it's a sight to behold.
Switching to Performance mode in Control via the display options doubles the maximum FPS but removes ray-tracing capabilities. The difference in FPS is hardly noticeable, however, especially if playing on a 4K HDR TV versus a monitor that defaults from 120hz-144hz. Playing Control in Graphics mode on a current-generation console is utterly impressive, as the experience is a true leap forward from the game’s original release. Being able to see Jesse’s reflection in a window or other glass object in Graphics mode offers the next step to full immersion via simulated realism.
Control’s PS5 port does a tremendous job of improving the sluggishness of the original release, too. By and large, players should have no issues navigating the game’s environment and feeling the improvements current-generation hardware offers them. However, aiming the Service Weapon still feels like trying to track enemies while wading through quicksand. Even when increasing the sensitivity, aiming can be a tedious affair whether utilizing Aim Assist option or not. The game also makes use of the DualSense controller on PS5. Every action emits a response from the controller, whether feeling the tap-tap-tap of Jesse’s footsteps or the pulsing staccato of gunshots. Even the destruction of the games environment elicits a response.
Overall, the current-generation upgrade of Control is a stark improvement in terms of loading times, overall graphics quality, and smoothness compared to the original release during the previous console generation. With no stuttering and the added benefits of raytracing, the latest iteration of Remedy Entertainment’s action-adventure title should make fans both returning and new feel like their hard-earned money was well-spent on a PS5 or Xbox Series X, if they are lucky enough to get their hands on one.
Control is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. Screen Rant was provided a PS5 digital code for the purposes of this review.