CONTROL Resonant Review Scores & Ratings Roundup

Aggregates & Ratings Updated Nov 7, 2026

Quick answer — is CONTROL Resonant worth it?

Yes for most action-RPG / Remedy fans. Launch aggregates sit around Metacritic 84 / OpenCritic 85 (~86% recommend). Expect ~25–35 hours for the story and ~50 for completionist play — how long to beat. It is a full-price buy on Steam/consoles, not Game Pass day one — Game Pass status.

Players searching for CONTROL Resonant review scores and age ratings will find a strongly positive consensus. Remedy Entertainment’s sequel sits slightly ahead of 2019 Control (~82 Metacritic), with praise for melee Aberrant combat, Manhattan zones, and Assist Mode.

From an age rating standpoint, the official ESRB rating is Mature 17+ for Blood and Gore, Strong Language, and Violence. In European regions, the title carries a PEGI 16 rating. This guide breaks down review scores by platform, details what critics praised and criticized, explains the age rating content, and provides buying advice based on performance tests.

Quick Answer: CONTROL Resonant Ratings & Review Scores

If you need a fast overview of how CONTROL Resonant scored across platforms and rating boards, here is the launch snapshot:

PlayStation 5 Metacritic: 84 / 100
PC Metacritic: 83 / 100
Xbox Series X|S Metacritic: 81 / 100
OpenCritic Rating: 85 / 100 (86% Recommended)
ESRB Age Rating: M (Mature 17+) — Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Violence
PEGI Age Rating: PEGI 16
USK / Australian Rating: USK 16 / MA 15+

Metacritic & OpenCritic Review Score Breakdown

Critics across major publications evaluated CONTROL Resonant on PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X|S. While scores are consistent across platforms, minor technical variations influenced individual platform metrics.

PlayStation 5 (84/100)

Reviewers highlighted the PS5 implementation of DualSense haptic feedback and adaptive triggers during Aberrant weapon form shifts. Performance Mode maintains a stable 60 FPS in dynamic 1440p upscaled to 4K, while Quality Mode runs at 30 FPS with ray-traced reflections and ambient occlusion. Loading times into The Gap hub and Manhattan zones take under 4 seconds thanks to PS5 SSD optimization.

PC (83/100)

The PC version earned high marks for visual fidelity when utilizing NVIDIA DLSS 3.5, Ray Reconstruction, and full Path Tracing on high-end hardware. However, early reviews noted slight shader compilation stutters on mid-tier rigs prior to the day-one patch. PC gamers with modern GPUs praised the extensive graphical scalability and uncapped frame rates.

Xbox Series X|S (81/100)

The Xbox Series X version mirrors the PS5 in performance and graphical options. The slight dip in the aggregate aggregate comes from Series S performance, which runs at a native 1080p 30 FPS without ray tracing features. Reviewers noted that while Series S runs smoothly, it lacks the 60 FPS performance mode present on Series X.

ESRB & PEGI Content Ratings Explained

Understanding the official age ratings helps parents and players know what content to expect inside the game:

Blood and Gore: Disrupted Hiss enemies spray anomalous red fluid upon falter finishers, and environmental crime scenes throughout warped Manhattan feature bloody remnants from FBC operations.
Violence: Dynamic melee combat involves slashing, crushing, and blasting corrupted entities with Aberrant weapons, telekinetic shockwaves, and energy barrage skills. Decapitation of fully mutated Hiss monsters occurs in finishing animations.
Strong Language: Dialogue includes occasional strong profanity (“f-k”, “s-t”, “bastard”) during high-stress story cutscenes and audio logs recovered across FBC Field Offices.
Dark Themes: Paranatural horror elements include disturbing alter-dimension shifting, body horror mutations, and psychological distress logs.

What Critics Praised & Criticized

A synthesis of reviews from outlets like IGN, GameSpot, Eurogamer, and PC Gamer reveals clear consensus on the game’s strengths and weaknesses.

Key Strengths Highlighted by Outlets

Fluid Combat Mechanics: Shifting away from pure gunplay to melee-heavy Aberrant forms combined with Shift and Reach abilities creates an engaging combat loop based on dodge timing and stagger windows.
Atmospheric World Building: Warped Manhattan floating islands merged with Oldest House geometry offer striking visual contrast and deep FBC lore.
Assist Mode Accessibility: Reviewers praised Remedy for including full Assist Mode options (invincibility, damage sliders, dodge window modifiers) that allow players to customize difficulty without blocking trophies or achievements.
Post-Launch Patch Responsiveness: Day-one hotfixes quickly addressed early balance complaints, reducing enemy bullet-sponge feel and making talent respecs accessible early in the campaign.

Criticisms Noted in Reviews

Complex Zone Navigation: The multi-tiered floating island layout in late-game zones like The Unknown can cause navigation confusion before unlocking full Map Kit calibrations.
Early Enemy Tankiness (Pre-Patch): Initial unpatched launch builds featured beefy enemy health bars, though hotfixes lowered enemy health pools significantly.

How Resonant Compares to Original Control (2019)

Compared to 2019’s original Control, Resonant shifts the protagonist perspective from Jesse Faden to Dylan Faden. Where Jesse relied heavily on Service Weapon gunplay and Telekinesis, Dylan’s kit revolves around melee Aberrant weapon transformations, elemental abilities (Ignite, Barrage, Gravity Wells), and high-mobility dodges. Critics noted that Resonant feels more like a fast-paced action RPG with talent trees and craftable Artifacts than a straight third-person shooter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CONTROL Resonant worth buying at full price?

Yes. With a review average of 84–85 and 25 to 40 hours of content (depending on side quests and collectibles), critics consider it a worthy sequel for action RPG and Remedy universe fans.

Do Assist Mode options affect review scores or disable trophies?

No. Assist Mode settings can be enabled at any time without penalizing trophy progress or achievement unlocks, a decision widely praised in accessibility reviews.

Should I play the original Control before playing Resonant?

While Resonant includes lore recaps in The Gap and codex entries, reviewing or playing the original Control adds significant emotional weight and context to Dylan’s story arc and FBC operations.

Sources & further reading

Developer: Remedy Entertainment · Official hub: control-resonant.com · Series context: Control (video game) · Walkthrough / trophy cross-checks: PowerPyx.