Before 2026 even began, the year was looking pretty stacked from start to finish. Just about every genre imaginable had at least a few banger games dropping, and there were even several sequels that were looking to bring back some iconic franchises and go further than ever before. And one of the biggest follow-ups, Control Resonant, was primed to be a heavy-hitter, bringing a different style of gameplay from the original and delivering some mind-blowing melee action that stood out from an already packed crowd of Game of the Year contenders.
However, now that the review scores are coming out, it appears that while it is an entertaining ride that feels true to Remedy's style, there are still shortcomings and complaints to be had that keep it from pulling too far ahead of the competition. Reviewers of Control Resonant point out the combat becoming tedious later on, some story issues, and a handful of other gripes that have brought the score down to 84/100 on Metacritic. Now that is by no means a poor score, and there have been several 8/10 Game of the Year winners, but what it does do is make the race a lot more complex, given how many other anticipated games are now hanging around that same level, without a clear frontrunner.
Remedy Entertainment has been on quite the hot streak for the last decade or so. Starting with Control, then Alan Wake 2 and now Control Resonant, they are showing that they are among the best game studios around and have really hit their stride with a series of psychological experiences that range from horror to full-blown action. Going into this year, the hype for Resonant was understandably incredibly high, and the trailers pushed a lot of players to the edge of their seats, adding yet another game to the long list of potential GOTY winners for 2026.
چوونەژوورەوە
بۆ ئەوەی ئیدیعای شوێنی خۆت بکەیت لەسەر لیدەربۆرد!
چوونەژوورەوە
بۆ ئەوەی ئیدیعای شوێنی خۆت بکەیت لەسەر لیدەربۆرد!
Fast-forward to the launch week, where we start seeing reviews and scores come out, and it seems as though those expectations may have been slightly too high for Remedy to ever meet. There have been some near-perfect results and a lot of praise from many outlets, yet whether it's people finding flaws in the story, combat, or another component of the game, the coveted 10/10 has started to look closer to an 8/10. From the sounds of things, it feels as though it is on the cusp of true greatness, and does bring a lot of new ideas to the table, but isn't quite special enough to really make anyone feel as though it is going to take the trophy uncontested.
There have been several 8/10 Game of the Year winners, but what it does make the race a lot more complex, given how many other anticipated games are now hanging around that same level, without a clear frontrunner.
Seeing the lower scores got me thinking about all the other recent launches that were hyped up to be top-scorers for the second half of the year. In September alone, we have had: Wolverine, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, The Blood of Dawnwalker, and now Control Resonant, all very different kinds of games but all carrying huge expectations going into their respective launches. Again, though, we are seeing high 70s to mid-80s, with no clearer winner, which feels rather odd given how, just six months ago, I would have predicted at least a couple of these games being at the top of the list for launches in 2026.
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://gamerant.com/control-resonant-2026-goty-race-review-scores/
