Hi everyone, I am delighted to tell you about Control Ultimate Edition on PlayStation 5. The power of the PS5 has opened up many opportunities for us at Remedy, and we have done our best to improve the Control experience in a way that was not possible before.
Let’s literally start at the beginning. Initial game loading, where you see logos and legal text, now takes around 4 seconds and from there it’s a short jump to get into the main menu. On top of that, in-game load times are a significant improvement over the PS4, so traveling quickly around the older house is a lot more enjoyable.
You also have the choice between Performance and Graphics modes. In Performance mode, the game targets a performance of 60 fps, while in graphics mode, the action runs at 30 fps, but with ray tracing effects. In both modes, the render resolution is fixed at 1440p, which is then increased to 4K. This all runs on Remedy’s own Northlight engine, which has undergone significant upgrades since Control’s first release in 2019.
Ray tracing in Control Ultimate Edition brings improved picture quality and lifelike reflections to older home environments. These changes are most noticeable on non-transparent reflective surfaces in the game, as well as on transparent materials such as glass. This allows Control’s award-winning art direction to be even more striking. We hope PS5 gamers find new inspiration for taking photos with Control’s Photo Mode with all those wonderful ray-traced reflections.
It should be mentioned that the impressive visual features of ray tracing are achieved without sacrificing one of the key features of Control – advanced physics which enables a high level of environmental destruction. We encourage you to use the throwing ability to throw things and, why not stack them too? It’s a great way to get to hard-to-reach areas and find secrets and loot.
To feel it
After getting our hands on it and exploring its features, we are particularly excited to be able to take advantage of DualSense.
You will certainly “feel” when the Pierce service weapon form is fully charged thanks to the vibrations of the right trigger. When using the SMG type spin, you can feel each bullet you spray through a very slight vibration. We especially like the subtlety of some of these effects on the DualSense, which is cooler than just an aggressive rumble. The shapes of the Transformative Service Weapon seem even more distinct to use than before and give you a much more practical feel of what it’s like to be the Director of the Federal Oversight Office.
Even the principal sometimes needs help
The control is placed in the mysterious HQ of the Federal Bureau of Control, the oldest house, which is, as we say, a moving place. Despite the Bureau’s best attempts at mapping labyrinthine space, it can be difficult to navigate at times, even with a transformative service weapon and a host of supernatural abilities on Jesse’s side. Partly by design, but the good news is that there is help if you need it.
Control Ultimate Edition supports the PS5’s play assist feature, so if you find yourself feeling stuck in any part of Jesse’s journey to find his brother and control the Hiss threat, there are videos and text advice. available for all main missions. Some help texts and videos explicitly tell you what to do and in some cases it is more about giving advice on what to consider.
You access help through activity cards, which we think are great. We had a great time choosing the artwork for these. Activities are a great way to check your progress on a mission and give you an idea of how long they last. You can also see exactly how many steps you are on to unlock a trophy.
The control is available to PlayStation Plus members from February 2. We welcome all new players entering the Oldest House for the first time!
