Frankly, I have always had a weakness for stories with mysticism, conspiracies, magic and all sorts of paranormal things. The X-Files was the first series I watched on VHS. Then there were Poltergeist: The Legacy, Beyond Reality, Twin Peaks..

In the nineties, the theme of the supernatural was at the peak of popularity. However, to this day, screenwriters return to “the truth is out there”. You can remember “Fringe”, “Hangar No. 13”, “The Missing Room”. And, of course, I can’t help but mention my favorite MMO The Secret World.

In general, I think you understand why I couldn’t get past Control. The game is clearly inspired by, if not all, then many of the above. And her heroine, Jessie Faden, ends up in the building of the Federal Bureau of Control – an organization that protects unsuspecting US citizens from otherworldly forces – on the very day when the Bureau is attacked by a paranormal entity. Coincidence? Do you really believe in coincidences??!

The truth is out there somewhere..

Jessie herself combines the features of Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Olivia Dunham and other characters from the mentioned series. And also some elements of their biography – specifying which ones would, of course, be a huge spoiler.

However, from the very beginning you can notice that the internal monologues of our ward (which are heard in considerable quantities during the game) are very often addressed to a very specific entity. So the question of how Jesse sees instructions that exist purely in the game interface disappears by itself. As well as the question of why she immediately, as if on someone’s orders, picks up a pistol from the hand of the dead Director.

This pistol, by the way, is not just a “service weapon”, but an object with supernatural power. It never runs out of ammo, it can change the shape and type of attack, and in addition, the gun obeys only the will of the Director.

Yes, by taking the gun Jesse automatically becomes the new boss of FBK. She really has no idea what’s going on around her. Moreover, the “Oldest House”, the FBK building, is itself the center of all kinds of devilry.

So before Director Faden takes over the office that rightfully belongs to her, you will have to run around thoroughly, solving staff problems, revealing secrets (where would we be without documents and video recordings?) and of course, fighting with former FBK employees, who were turned into dangerous creatures by an otherworldly entity – with a light hand from Jesse, called Iss.

Some people managed to maintain their sanity thanks to strange devices. And they will become our comrades-in-arms for a long time, and several central NPCs will provide Jesse with valuable information and quests to advance through the plot.

It’s just a pity that the https://geroplaycasino.co.uk/bonus/ “dialogues” in the game have no effect at all. You get all the tasks just by walking up and clicking. And the points of conversation are simple chatter, most often not even relevant.

As in The Secret World, the most “shocking” discoveries will not be in the main storyline, but in side quests. Control really doesn’t reach the level of Dark Souls, where there are entire “secret” locations, but the world of the game really seems wider and deeper after some “digging”.

The characters didn’t turn out exactly right either. Players will definitely remember the eccentric Doctor Darling, his energetic assistant Emily, the depressed director of FBK Trench (the fact that he is dead does not mean anything), and the most colorful character of all – the janitor Ahti. But the rest look quite pale compared to them. Even Jessie herself.

Although the voice actors really earned their money. During the game, there is no doubt for a minute that this is exactly how people whose daily job is to deal with paranormal phenomena should behave.

I shoot with my mind

However, Jesse and I are no slouch either. In addition to the mentioned pistol, as the game progresses we gain various supernatural abilities. First of all, telekinesis, which can be used to grab all sorts of objects from a distance (including grenades and enemies near death, if you level up) and throw them with enormous force.

Then you will have access to dashes (not to be confused with acceleration – another button is responsible for it), a shield made of rubble, which lures enemies to your side, hypnosis and levitation. Of course not right away. In addition, abilities require energy, which is restored, although quickly, but not instantly. The same applies to the pistol – although the ammunition is endless, the charge in the magazine is restored only when you do not shoot.

Therefore, the key to victory is to alternate attacks and techniques. You’ve unloaded a clip on a heavy machine gunner – finish him off by throwing a chair at him. And quickly, quickly jerk to the side, avoiding the flyers also throwing objects. Then you can fly up to the ceiling to reach opponents behind cover or those same flyers – by that time the gun will be reloaded. Well, there, if you have an extra second, you can take control of the shortfall.

Don’t stand still, constantly move and attack. Controls, especially on the keyboard and mouse, are made as convenient as possible for such hurricane battles. Even telekinesis, if you do not point the crosshair at a specific object, at the press of a button it will automatically pull in some closet or even a piece of wall from the side – the environment is almost completely destructible.

One problem – no matter how exciting the battles are, there are practically no differences between these battles. Yes, sometimes on assignment you don’t have to destroy enemies, but destroy something else. Or activate. But that doesn’t change much. The tactic – destroy nearby enemies and turn the lever before those in the distance get to you – works flawlessly.

Actually, even additional forms of “service weapons” are not needed. I completed the entire game with the original barrel, using the rocket launcher only a couple of times, and the shotgun was also convenient in several close-range battles.

We think that the room and the poster are the whole world

The enemies themselves don’t change much either. By the middle of the game, you will become acquainted with all types of Issa-possessed people – machine gunners, grenade launchers, flyers, kamikazes (sometimes they fly too), powerful telekinetics with shields made of debris similar to yours. Yes, there are some variations – snipers shoot less often than machine gunners, but they hit harder. But in the heat of battle, when a dozen adversaries are attacking, there is no time to pay attention to such minor differences.

The decoration of the levels is not too varied either. That is, it is clear that our case is taking place in the office of an American institution. Hence the typical layout for offices, the interior in the architectural style of brutalism. However, the scriptwriters did not just make the “Oldest House” a place of mystical power. In several rooms you can find a cord that transports you to the mysterious Hotel, and some items are sent to the Astral Plane. There are also so-called “Limits”, where the building seems to give way to other dimensions.

So the question arises: why weren’t more places like this made?? I’m not asking you to turn the whole house into the madness that "Ashtray’s Labyrinth" turns into (one of the coolest stages in the game, by the way). But was it really difficult to come up with a few more anomalies that add rooms from other times and places?? Or was there enough budget for a different situation??

Well, at least there are anomalies in the gameplay. More precisely, aggressive objects of power that create these anomalies. And in order to neutralize them, it is necessary not only to deal with the Issami “angry” artifact, but also to solve an unusual puzzle. The truth is usually not complicated.

There’s nothing unique

The fact that Contol’s ideas are based on the unknown and supernatural is its main strength and main weakness. I myself kept coming across moments that evoked memories of The X-Files, Fringe, or The Secret World (I’ll bet on anything – the screenwriter played Secret World Legends). And if you are a fan of such stories, you will definitely feel at home at FBK.

But on the other hand, for those who have watched all these series and are familiar with stories about paranormal research, everything will be too predictable. And they, like me, will notice not only flights of fancy, but also opportunities missed by the screenwriter and designer.

Nevertheless, dynamic battles are really captivating. And the fact that the developers managed to make it convenient to control numerous psionic abilities is in itself a serious achievement. I say this as someone who played Psy-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy.

In combination with a twisted plot (and in some places not devoid of humor and self-irony), as well as colorful characters and style, this creates, if not original, but an addictive atmosphere. The atmosphere of adventure beyond reality and gaining Control over the otherworldly.