Control Ultimate Edition is a supernatural third-person action-adventure game developed by Remedy Entertainment. Players take on the role of Jesse Faden as she arrives at the Federal Bureau of Control headquarters in New York and works to contain an otherworldly invasion that threatens the agency and beyond. The package includes the full base game along with the two major expansions, The Foundation and AWE, delivering a complete single-player campaign focused on exploration, combat, and uncovering layered mysteries inside a constantly shifting environment known as the Oldest House.
Gameplay
The core loop centers on third-person combat and environmental interaction inside a massive, non-linear government building. Jesse wields the Service Weapon, a shape-shifting firearm that transforms between forms such as pistol, shotgun, machine gun, and grenade launcher, each with its own handling and recharge mechanics. Combat expands through acquired psychokinetic abilities, including telekinesis to hurl objects at enemies, levitation for vertical movement, and other powers unlocked via Objects of Power scattered throughout the structure.
Enemies called the Hiss corrupt the facility and require varied tactics to defeat, as the Service Weapon and abilities interact with the reactive surroundings. Players navigate four main sectors of the Oldest House at their own pace, completing main story objectives alongside optional side content and hidden areas. Environmental puzzles often involve using abilities to rearrange or manipulate the concrete architecture, while boss encounters test mastery of the growing arsenal. The PS5 version adds two distinct performance profiles: a Performance mode targeting 60 frames per second and a Graphics mode enabling ray tracing at 30 frames per second, both enhancing the already detailed Brutalist interiors and particle effects during fights.
Assist Mode provides optional toggles for one-shot enemy defeats or temporary invulnerability, allowing players to adjust challenge without affecting trophy progress. Modifiable loadouts further encourage experimentation with ability upgrades and weapon forms across repeated play sessions.
Game Modes
Control Ultimate Edition offers a single-player experience only. The campaign unfolds through a series of story missions that advance the narrative while granting access to new sectors and abilities. Exploration remains open within each unlocked area, letting players tackle objectives in flexible order and pursue side activities for additional upgrades. No competitive or cooperative multiplayer components exist; the focus stays entirely on solo progression through combat encounters, narrative beats, and environmental discovery.
The included expansions integrate directly into this structure, extending the main campaign with new locations, story threads, and ability options while preserving the same third-person action-adventure framework. Players move between the base game content and expansion areas seamlessly once unlocked.
Story and Setting
The narrative follows Jesse Faden's search for her missing brother amid the Bureau's containment failure. The Oldest House functions as both setting and antagonist, its architecture rearranging in response to paranatural events and player actions. Dialogue and collectible documents gradually reveal the agency's history and the nature of the Hiss threat, blending bureaucratic bureaucracy with surreal supernatural elements. Character interactions and unexpected events drive the plot forward without relying on traditional cutscenes alone.
Is It Worth Playing?
Control Ultimate Edition delivers a polished, self-contained single-player campaign that rewards patient exploration and ability experimentation. The combination of shape-shifting weaponry, psychokinetic powers, and reactive environments creates varied combat encounters that evolve as new tools become available. Story delivery through environmental storytelling and documents suits players who enjoy piecing together lore in a mysterious government facility overrun by hostile forces.
The PS5 enhancements improve visual fidelity and frame rates compared with the original PS4 release, making it an attractive option for console owners seeking a narrative-driven action-adventure. Those who appreciate Remedy Entertainment's signature style of world-building and supernatural themes will find the complete package satisfying, especially with both expansions included from the start. The game contains no ongoing live-service elements, so it remains a finished title ready for a focused playthrough.
