The Oldest House builds its legend off of paranormal urban legends, conspiracy theories, and a heavy dose of the 1960s. It boasts labyrinthine passageways that twist and turn on themselves, spiraling into the unknowable in efforts to conceal its supernatural mysteries and experiments, making exploration and discovery an obstacle within itself - something else to unravel amid the redacted documents full of lines marked off with abyssal black.
Except, it just... isn't. I am an absolute sucker for anything paranormal, or conspiracy theories, or themes of horror and mystery that play off of the Unknown - House of Leaves is one of my favorite books, for example - and I thoroughly enjoy being confused, spun around, and lost in a sea of ever-changing reality. I should love this game. Control spends most of its time talking about those themes and boasting about its weirdness more than it actually incorporates them into gameplay and the world itself. The only reason the Oldest House is slightly confusing in the beginning is because the map has all floors layered on top of itself. However, the actual game world is filled with signs and constant reminders of where to head. There are no labyrinthine passages here. The world is no doubt fascinating to look at and run through, but it does get old quickly.
It's this line of half-baked gaslighting that runs through the game, tainting it like small bits of mold running through bread. Combat in this game is satisfying in the beginning - you're unburdened by ammo pick-ups, and launching bits of the environment at enemies in order to break them is incredibly visceral and fun. However, that's the whole game. You fight the same five enemies in the entire game, and there's nothing that sets apart the boss fights or ending sequences in a way that makes them unique. Even outside of combat, there are scant puzzles to solve in a game that banks itself on being full of mystery, and those that do exist are solved in a matter of seconds.
The main story follows a similar arc - built up to be something possibly mind-melting, but ends with a fizzle rather than an explosion of realization. There are fantastic characters in the game. Darling in particular is incredibly interesting, as he seems to hold the key to most of the mysteries in the Oldest House, but they are wasted in a plot of faux-intellection and hackneyed emotional sequences.
Somewhere inside of Control exists a first-rate game, world, and experience. The world-building is phenomenal and interesting. The visuals are stunning and varied. The combat feels intense and visceral. Unfortunately, that all fades away after the game never quite finds anything meaningful to do with it all. Control is still worth playing, and I certainly enjoyed much of my time with it, but its fascinating world is undermined by lazy choice and implementation of its themes. One of writing's biggest rules is 'show don't tell,' and though the world of Control is all about bending rules, sometimes they exist for a reason.
Except, it just... isn't. I am an absolute sucker for anything paranormal, or conspiracy theories, or themes of horror and mystery that play off of the Unknown - House of Leaves is one of my favorite books, for example - and I thoroughly enjoy being confused, spun around, and lost in a sea of ever-changing reality. I should love this game. Control spends most of its time talking about those themes and boasting about its weirdness more than it actually incorporates them into gameplay and the world itself. The only reason the Oldest House is slightly confusing in the beginning is because the map has all floors layered on top of itself. However, the actual game world is filled with signs and constant reminders of where to head. There are no labyrinthine passages here. The world is no doubt fascinating to look at and run through, but it does get old quickly.
It's this line of half-baked gaslighting that runs through the game, tainting it like small bits of mold running through bread. Combat in this game is satisfying in the beginning - you're unburdened by ammo pick-ups, and launching bits of the environment at enemies in order to break them is incredibly visceral and fun. However, that's the whole game. You fight the same five enemies in the entire game, and there's nothing that sets apart the boss fights or ending sequences in a way that makes them unique. Even outside of combat, there are scant puzzles to solve in a game that banks itself on being full of mystery, and those that do exist are solved in a matter of seconds.
The main story follows a similar arc - built up to be something possibly mind-melting, but ends with a fizzle rather than an explosion of realization. There are fantastic characters in the game. Darling in particular is incredibly interesting, as he seems to hold the key to most of the mysteries in the Oldest House, but they are wasted in a plot of faux-intellection and hackneyed emotional sequences.
Somewhere inside of Control exists a first-rate game, world, and experience. The world-building is phenomenal and interesting. The visuals are stunning and varied. The combat feels intense and visceral. Unfortunately, that all fades away after the game never quite finds anything meaningful to do with it all. Control is still worth playing, and I certainly enjoyed much of my time with it, but its fascinating world is undermined by lazy choice and implementation of its themes. One of writing's biggest rules is 'show don't tell,' and though the world of Control is all about bending rules, sometimes they exist for a reason.