‘Control Resonant’ Creator on Switching Protagonists: A ‘Reverse Symmetry’ to the Original

After nearly seven years in development, Remedy Entertainment has released Control Resonant, the long-awaited sequel to its 2019 hit. Available Thursday on Steam, the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S, the game follows the disappearance of Jesse Faden, the protagonist of the original title, after the events at The Oldest House.

Player agency now rests with Jesse’s younger brother, Dylan Faden, portrayed by Sean Durrie. As Dylan navigates a reality-distorted Manhattan, he masters his shape-shifting melee weapon, the Aberrant, to combat supernatural threats and monumental bosses.

Franchise creative director Mikael Kasurinen described the narrative structure as a “reverse symmetry.” In the first game, Jesse enters the Federal Bureau of Control searching for her missing brother, eventually finding her own destiny as its director. In Resonant, the dynamic is inverted: Jesse is the one lost, and Dylan embarks on a quest to uncover what happened to her while seeking his own sense of belonging.

“Jesse is missing, lost, we don’t know what’s going on with her and Dylan wakes up and then he starts his search for her,” Kasurinen explained. “And he ends up dealing with the imminent threats and he finds Zoe, as Jesse found Pope early on in Control.”

Durrie revealed that Remedy hinted at this plot twist even when he was cast for the original game. “When they told me about the project… they’re like, ‘And he’s not dead. He’s in a coma,'” Durrie recalled. “I knew that they had things up their sleeve right at the beginning.”

While Durrie drew upon Dylan’s backstory—particularly his guilt over being controlled by the parasitic entity known as The Hiss and his desire for atonement—the performance differs significantly from the first game due to Dylan’s compromised mental state at the start of the sequel.

Beyond the narrative shift, the sequel introduces notable gameplay changes. Kasurinen noted that while the fast-paced, first-person action remains central, Dylan utilizes a melee weapon rather than a gun. The team also expanded environmental variety, allowing players to use gravity anomalies to attach to surfaces and navigate diverse landscapes.

To assist new players, the developers introduced Zoe, a key new character who serves as a proxy for the audience. “Zoe is, of course, a big new character… It’s very much the player perspective into the situation,” Kasurinen said. Durrie added that her role helps explain complex lore elements like The Hiss, ensuring both veterans and newcomers can engage with the story.