CONTROL Resonant beginner guide: how long to beat, tips, PC specs

Remedy is back in the world of Control, but this time the lead is Dylan Faden, Jesse's brother. A paranatural catastrophe has broken out of the Oldest House and reshaped Manhattan, and Dylan fights his way through it while searching for his sister, who now runs the Federal Bureau of Control.

This is no longer a shooter with superpowers like the first game. Resonant is a melee-focused action RPG, closer to Devil May Cry or NieR: Automata than to Control's gunplay.

Account rental · SteamCONTROL Resonantfrom 70 ₴Rent

Do you need to play Control first

No. The story is set seven years after the first game and is a direct sequel, but you can follow it without that background. Knowing the first game adds depth: you will recognise the Bureau, the Hiss and Jesse herself. If your time is limited, start straight with Resonant.

How long it takes to beat

The developers gave a figure of about 30 hours for the main campaign and about 50 for everything. Estimates from outlets vary a little:

For comparison, the first Control took 12–15 hours, so Resonant is two to three times longer.

How to set the difficulty

There is no usual easy / normal / hard. Instead there is Assist Mode (Options → Gameplay): separate sliders for enemy projectile speed, the perfect-dodge window, enemy aggression, damage taken and dealt, power regeneration and more. You can change them at any time and in either direction — the game can be made harder too.

The developers suggest trying the default settings first. If you are stuck on a boss, widen the dodge window or reduce incoming damage — no shame in that.

Combat in five minutes

Dodging instead of parrying

The key skill in the game is the Perfect Dodge. Dodging at the moment of impact briefly slows time and grants Retaliation: your next hit lands harder. Practise this timing first — almost everything else depends on it.

Falter and executions

Under an enemy's health bar there is a yellow Falter gauge. Fill it and you can finish the enemy with an Execution, after which Dylan gets a temporary melee boost (Dominance). Combos go primary attack → secondary → finisher. Secondary attacks and finishers restore far more power for abilities than basic hits.

Who to hit first

• Flying Hiss and large or flying Mold — remove them first.
• Armour breaks best with blunt hits; fire works well against Mold.
• Watch the enemy level next to the health bar: a red level means you are underleveled for now.

Weapons and progression

Dylan's main weapon is the shape-shifting Aberrant. It has six forms: some are for the primary attack, others for the secondary. Upgrading the starting forms is cheaper, so do not spread yourself thin early on.

• Health and power grow from permanent pickups: three of them add one more bar segment. Grab them when you see them.
• Artifacts are swappable passive bonuses. But if you recycle an artifact for resources, it is gone for the rest of the playthrough.
• The Gap is the base where you buy upgrades. Some major choices there cannot be undone once you leave, so test an ability in the nearby combat arena first.

How the world is built

It is not one seamless open world but several large connected zones. Most of the map opens up within the first hour or two. You travel between zones through Bureau checkpoints and fast travel doors — activate each one as soon as you find it. Some areas stay closed until you have the right ability or keycard.

A few tips for the start:

1. Go into lit buildings — they can hide puzzles and rewards.
2. Regional activities (World Feats) can be repeated. After you beat a major boss, the world level rises and they come back stronger.
3. The order guides recommend: first the Fault in the Evacuation Zone, then the Western Incursion Zone. Leave the Park for later.

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PC system requirements

You need Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit), an SSD and about 120 GB of free space — that is a lot, so clear your drive in advance. The game supports DLSS 4.5 with frame generation, FSR 4.1, ray tracing and path tracing. Tracing is very heavy: on RTX 3060-class cards it is better to leave it off and turn on DLSS or FSR.

Some players report that the frame rate drops after half an hour of play and a restart brings it back. If this happens, lower texture quality to medium and restart the game.

What to know before renting

• Ukrainian is available as text only: interface and subtitles. There is no Ukrainian voice-over; full audio is in English, French, German, Spanish and other languages.
• The game is strictly single-player, with no multiplayer.
• It does not need a third-party launcher or account. Reports say it has no Denuvo, but as with any rented game, do the first launch online and only then switch Steam to offline mode (see how it works).
• Steam Deck is officially unsupported due to performance.
• Ratings: 84 on Metacritic, "Very Positive" Steam reviews. Praised for melee combat, bosses, art direction and characters; criticised for a generic open world and repetitive activities.

Sources

• Steam store page — requirements, languages, modes
• GamingBolt: length according to the developers
• Dot Esports: how long to beat
• Destructoid: should you play Control first
• Kotaku: difficulty and Assist Mode
• games.gg: beginner tips
• Digital Citizen: how the world opens up
• NVIDIA: DLSS 4.5 and path tracing
• GamingOnLinux: Steam Deck and SteamOS
• Pure Xbox: critics roundup
• HiggsGG: 12 tips (video)