Putting Control Resonant Under A Microscope Is Rewarding In An Unexpected Way

Even better, none of it seemed to be done with generative AI, which Kinnunen confirmed, adding that there’s “a feeling of cohesion you get when everything is authored by artists with a shared creative intent. It’s not just what the artwork looks like, but why is it there in the first place?”

Of the 60+ hours I’ve seen put into Resonant, I’ve several hours closely examining the city’s signage. I’ve come to appreciate how many of them use photos of the developers, which Kinnunen said were the result of an “internal lighthearted casting round” in which Remedy developers had their likenesses photographed, then used in scenarios that fit their vibe, such as gym staff and restaurant employees. 

In another game, signs and billboards using real-life photos of people might be jarring, but Remedy has been mixing media forms as long as it’s been around, so I didn’t think anything of it other than, “who are these people?” and “it’s so cool that they did all this instead of taking an AI shortcut.” Similarly, he told me the animals featured on the game’s signs are the companion animals of Remedy’s staff, as you might have guessed. 

I noted the wide-ranging styles of the various billboards. Resonant’s version of Manhattan wisely does not maintain one consistent voice. Instead, some posters are funny-looking, like an enraged man who was “fired over nothing” advertising a law firm, or a plethora of signs that cleverly use the word “control” as a minor wink at the player. 

It reminded me of when the studio disguised the @ControlRemedy Twitter account as a brand of medicine until it was ready to flip the switch and announce the game at E3 2018. Remedy has always loved using names for irony, juxtaposition, or signs of nominative determinism. Just ask Max Payne.

Speaking of juxtaposition, I also love how the Federal Bureau of Control’s messaging changes slightly when the shadowy organization finds itself public-facing. Kinnunen explained the intention behind that.
“If you look closely, the FBC has a different tone of voice towards the public than what they do internally. The internal, retro-style posters from the first game have made a return, yet we also have expanded upon them. Some PSAs aimed towards the civilians try to play it straight, yet the FBC still manages to make them creepy and funny by being slightly out of touch with modernity.”

In every corner of the virtual city, I found intentionality, even as the point was sometimes merely to be plain, as was the case with the names of some businesses, the artist revealed. I could’ve saved a lot of time early on had I stopped trying to connect non-existent dots between Armistone building company and the Blessed Organization, a mysterious group in Control lore that I was sure would turn up more in Resonant–until it didn’t.

“We wanted to mix a grounded feel of authentic-sounding names with more bespoke, authored ones. For example, [the in-game art studio] ‘Könstig’ has a few meanings in the Swedish language. Konst means art, and Konstig means strange (among other translations). ‘Taikoo House’ [sushi bar] is a favorite of mine,” he teased, noting that he didn’t want to spoil why.
Mirroring my colleague Tauriq Moosa’s recent feature on the theme of contrast in Control Resonant, Kinnunen told me how many of the signs players see around the city have a purposeful counterpiece somewhere else, such as the politics-tinged billboards that, in one case, boast that there’s “nothing more American” than oil with one that, in another case, demand climate action.

“There are multiple themes going on in various Zones that feature similar contrasts as these ‘satirical jabs’ mentioned. The key is to evoke a feeling or atmosphere without pushing any specific agenda. Growth versus sustainability is just one of many topics in the advertisements,” he said, adding that “the themes are there to complement the setting of each Zone. The wealthy financial district of the Evacuation Zone feels different from the more blue-collar Central, for example. Everything is there to make the world feel a certain way, rather than trying to tell the audience what to think.”

From theater marquees and coffeehouse chalkboards to sales flyers and calls for political action, the game is loaded with easily missed details, clever nods, and thematic relevance. It’s all there, inviting players to inspect it, only with far different results than I assumed when I first began studying Resonant’s trailers like the Zapruder Film months ago. 

Remedy games have trained me to take a closer look for 16 years now, so my methodology didn’t change when I first jumped into Control Resonant. But as clues to my favorite puzzlebox all but dried up completely, the purposeful, human-made details that were there instead became symbols of a new appreciation for one of video games’ most creative studios.