In this review we will talk about the PS5 version of Control Ultimate Edition, the next-gen re-release of the latest great title from Remedy Entertainment
For sure many of you will already know Control, the latest title developed by Remedy Entertainment and published by 505 Games. When it was first released in 2019, the game was a great success among the critics and the players, even achieving a nominated for the Game of the Year award at The Game Awards that year.
Now, almost a year and a half later, Remedy’s masterpiece is back with a great re-edition dedicated to the new next-gen consoles. In this review we will deal specifically with the PS5 version of Control Ultimate Edition, telling you in detail about the additions and technical improvements made to the game.
Federal Bureau of Control
The story of the game begins with Jesse thread, a seemingly normal girl who decides to go inside a normal government building. In the world of Control though appearance very often deceives, in fact, what looked like an ordinary girl turns out to be actually one of the only survivors following a catastrophic supernatural event. While what looked like a New York building like many others turns out to be there Oldest House, a mysterious extra-dimensional structure home to the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC), a government organization dedicated to the investigation of various supernatural phenomena.
Jesse has entered this building to find his brother Dylan, disappeared following the aforementioned incident, but unfortunately the timing was not the best. In fact, at his entrance the girl will find the entire structure in quarantine due to the invasion of the Hiss, a supernatural entity that is trying to take control of all members of the Bureau.
With the building in chaos and most of the FBC members turned into hostile creatures, Jesse will be forced in spite of himself to become the new director of the FBC. This new position of power will allow her to investigate the organization’s many secrets and her brother’s fate, while looking for a way to stop the advance of the Hiss.
As he progresses in his mission, Jesse will be able to shed light on the events that have marked his past and that have led to the current situation of the FBC, but at the same time it will also raise many questions. The constant sense of mystery that surrounds the structure and its inhabitants will play a crucial role in the Control experience, prompting players to want to investigate more and more. Furthermore, this thirst for knowledge will also be accentuated thanks to a narrative as intriguing as it is cryptic and to the many charismatic people who actually know a lot more than they let on.
The Powers of the Director – Control Ultimate Edition PS5 Review
Shortly after her entry into the Oldest House Jesse will receive the title of director and along with it she will also obtain a particular gun. This weapon is actually a object of power, that is one of the many objects altered by the supernatural forces present in the structure, and its purpose is to support the director in the fight against the Hiss.
While it may appear to be a common pistol, this tool is capable of change shape according to the will of its owner. Jesse is therefore capable of turn it into many different weapons suitable for different situations. For example, among the forms available there is a sort of shotgun, a precision laser and also a throw sticky grenades. Another peculiarity of the weapon is the fact that it does not need to be reloaded. The ammunition in fact they will regenerate automatically after a short time without firing. This function is partly advantageous, since you never risk running out of bullets, but on the other hand it could leave you uncovered in case of mismanagement of shots.
But the director’s gun won’t be the only thing that can help Jesse in his fight against the Hiss. In fact, during the adventure our protagonist will be able to absorb the power of some objects altered for acquire powerful supernatural abilities. The telecinesi and the levitation these are just some of the powers that Jesse will be able to exploit during the clashes with the slaves of the Hiss.
Being able to correctly alternate the use of the gun with Jesse’s powers will be essential to be able to have the upper hand during the most heated battles. Although it may seem like a normal TPS on the surface, Control actually offers really very difficult and frenetic clashes. To stay alive in this game it is necessary to move constantlywhile trying to never run out of resources. Basically all of this makes fighting a lot of fun, but over time they will end up getting a bit monotonous. This happens mainly due to the little variety of situations and, above all, of enemies and bosses, which will be repeated cyclically throughout the game.
La Oldest House – Review Control Ultimate Edition PS5
Previously we have already told you about the many mysteries present in Control, but one of the largest and most fascinating is certainly the Oldest House. From the outside this structure has the appearance of an ordinary New York brutalist skyscraper, but its interiors, on the other hand, are bizarre to say the least. In the Oldest House you can find government offices, open pit mines, huge research labs, caves full of mold and many other mysterious places. Furthermore the whole structure is extremely changeable and, due to the influence of the Hiss, many areas have become hostile and distorted.
Exploring such a strange and convoluted environment isn’t easy at all, but luckily there are several tools that can help Jesse. First of all the map, essential to be able to give a minimum of meaning to the crazy plan of the structure.
Another very important element, however, are the control points. These checkpoint they will serve to direct the protagonist in the right direction, while offering several useful functions during the adventure. For example through these places it is possible teleport if in places already visited, but also use the materials obtained from enemies for create mods capable of improving weapon efficiency or Jesse’s stats. Also you can also spend skill points obtained from completing missions to improve the effectiveness of your powers.
Many areas of the Oldest House they are not immediately reachable and to access it Jesse must first obtain the right key or power. Apparently having to go back to places already visited within such an intricate structure could be frustrating, but in reality players are strongly encouraged to explore thanks to the abundant presence of secrets, side missions and fascinating places. Any street in the Oldest House could hide fascinating altered items, interesting NPCs, or very useful rare mods. In addition, thanks to the abundance of control points, move from one part of the structure to another it will always be very quick.
The strength of the next-gen – Control Ultimate Edition PS5 review
Let’s now move on to the most important point of this review of the Ultimate Edition of Control, that is, the one related to improvements for PS5. This version of the game has several additions on the various platforms, such as the presence of all DLCs released so far, but specifically on PlayStation 5 it really offers many advantages.
First, like so many next-gen titles, Control has two modes to choose from: performance and graphics. The first allows the game to reach i 60 fps, while the second instead maintains the 30 fps while offering the addition of the Ray Tracing. Never as in this case choosing between the two configurations will be really difficult given that, if on the one hand the performance mode allows you to have more fluid and pleasant fights, on the other hand the real-time reflexes can really embellish every area of the game. Thankfully via the options you can switch between them at any time without having to go back to the main menu.
In addition to offering improved performance, Control’s Ultimate Edition is also one of the few third-party titles that manage to take advantage of the DualSense features really well. I adaptive triggers they offer very different sensations and resistance depending on the configuration of our gun, thus making shooting even more fun. In addition the title also implements the feedback aptico in a very pleasant way, thus allowing us to feel the sensation of Jesse’s footsteps without being too distracted.
The only element of the console that perhaps has not been exploited to its fullest is the SSD. In general the game loads are not slow, but their duration is quite inconsistent. In case of teleportation between nearby places the waiting time will be almost nil, while to reach large distant areas the uploads can reach 30 seconds.
Conclusions
Now it’s time for our review where we take stock of Control’s Ultimate Edition for PS5. From 2019 the value of the stock has not decreased at all but, on the contrary, it has increased thanks to this reissue. Being able to relive the typical Control experience on console but with the pleasure of 60 fps or the beauty of Ray Tracing is priceless. Also thanks to the numerous features exclusive to DualSense you can immerse yourself even more as Jesse during his mysterious adventure in the Oldest House. Sure, we’re still a long way from the quality that Control achieves on high-end PCs but, considering we’re on consoles, the result is truly exceptional.
Control Ultimate Edition is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X | S.. If you are interested in staying up to date with all the news on the world of video games and much more, then continue to follow us here on TechGameWorld.com.
Control in all its glory
Points in favor
- Intriguing history and characters
- Enveloping atmosphere
- Fast and fun gameplay
- Very intricate but not chaotic maps
- Take advantage of the PS5 features well
Points against
- Repetitive fights and enemies
- Uploads are not always immediate