Play Control first. Remedy identifies CONTROL Resonant as its sequel, and the new game returns to the Faden family: Dylan Faden is the playable protagonist while Jesse Faden is missing. You can start there without completing every Remedy game.
If you want wider context, add Alan Wake Remastered and Alan Wake 2 as optional games in the Remedy Connected Universe (RCU). They deepen the shared-world ideas, but Remedy has not described them as prerequisites for understanding Resonant.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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CONTROL Ultimate Edition - PlayStation 5 | Buy on Amazon | |
| 2 |
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Control Ultimate Edition (PS5) | $49.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion - PlayStation 5 | $24.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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The best order for most players
| Order | Games | What you gain | Is it required? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short path | Control (2019) → CONTROL Resonant (released worldwide September 24, 2026) | The direct story lead-in, the Faden family, the Federal Bureau of Control and the supernatural rules that define the setting. | No formal requirement, but this is the clearest preparation. |
| Expanded RCU path | Alan Wake Remastered (2021) → Alan Wake 2 (2023) → Control → CONTROL Resonant | Additional perspective on Remedy’s connected storytelling, especially the relationship between the Control and Alan Wake franchises. | Optional. It adds context rather than unlocking a prerequisite. |
The short path is the practical answer if your goal is to understand Resonant quickly. The expanded path is for players who enjoy Remedy’s cross-game mythology and are willing to play two different genres before reaching the direct sequel.
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Remedy calls Resonant a sequel to Control
Remedy’s official CONTROL Resonant description presents the game as the follow-up to Control, the 2019 supernatural action-adventure. That relationship is more specific than simply sharing a developer or a setting: the sequel follows the same family and the same institutional world.
#1 Best Overall
- Uncover the mysteries - Can you handle the bureau’s dark secrets? Unfold an epic supernatural struggle, filled with unexpected characters and bizarre events, as you search for your missing brother, and discover the truth that has brought you here.
- Everything is your weapon - Unleash destruction through transforming weaponry and telekinetic powers. Discover new ways to annihilate your enemies as you harness powerful abilities to turn everything around you into a lethal weapon.
- Explore a hidden world - Delve deep into the ominous expanses of a secretive government agency. Explore the Bureau’s shifting environments only to discover that there is always more than meets the eye…
- Fight for control - Battle a relentless enemy through exciting missions and challenging boss fights to earn powerful upgrades that maximize abilities and customize your weaponry.
Control introduces the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC), a secretive New York agency that investigates phenomena ordinary science cannot explain. Its headquarters, the Oldest House, is an impossible building whose rooms, rules and architecture change in response to supernatural forces. Learning how the FBC operates gives you the vocabulary needed for the sequel’s conflicts.
The Faden family is the most important carry-over
Jesse Faden is the protagonist of Control. Her search for her brother Dylan draws her into the FBC and the crisis inside the Oldest House. CONTROL Resonant shifts the playable role to Dylan. Remedy’s launch and product descriptions establish that Jesse is missing, making the siblings’ history central to the new game’s setup.
You do not need a scene-by-scene recap to follow Dylan’s new journey, but playing Control lets you experience the family’s relationship, Dylan’s place in the FBC story and the consequences of the first game’s invasion directly rather than through exposition.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThe supernatural forces continue
Remedy has specifically named the Hiss and the Mold among the forces present in Resonant, alongside a new form of resonance. Those terms originate in the strange ecology and altered phenomena of Control. Understanding their broad role is more useful than memorizing every document in the Oldest House: the first game teaches you that the FBC contains threats through research, altered objects and carefully managed procedures, while those procedures can fail catastrophically.
The recommended play paths
Short path: Control, then CONTROL Resonant
- Play Control. The original game’s campaign establishes Jesse, Dylan, the FBC, the Oldest House, the Hiss and the rules of altered reality. The official Remedy page lists its release year as 2019.
- Decide how much optional content you want. Side missions and additional documents can enrich the setting, but they are not presented as a requirement for starting the sequel. Finish the main story if you want the essential narrative bridge.
- Start CONTROL Resonant. Remedy announced a worldwide launch for September 24, 2026, and its September 24 announcement says the game is out now. The sequel’s premise places Dylan in warped Manhattan, fighting to preserve his humanity and survive a reality-bending threat.
For a purchase, Control Ultimate Edition is the most natural version to consider because it packages the direct predecessor and its released expansion content. It remains optional preparation, not an official entry requirement.
Expanded path: add the Alan Wake games
- Play Alan Wake Remastered (2021). It follows writer Alan Wake as he searches for his missing wife while events from a horror story begin occurring in reality. The remaster is the most accessible way to experience the original story on current systems where it is available.
- Play Alan Wake 2 (2023) if you want the newer side of the connection. Remedy describes it as a survival-horror game with two protagonists and two realities. Its structure and tone differ from Control, so treat it as broader RCU context rather than a bridge that must be completed before Dylan’s story.
- Return to Control, then play CONTROL Resonant. Keeping Control immediately before the sequel preserves the direct family and FBC continuity, even if you played the Alan Wake titles first.
This route is editorially recommended for curious fans, not an official chronology that Remedy requires. You can play only Alan Wake Remastered, only Alan Wake 2, or neither and still follow the direct sequel path.
Rank #2
- Uncover the mysteries. Can you handle the bureau's dark secrets? Unfold an epic supernatural struggle, filled with unexpected characters and bizarre events, as you search for your missing brother, and discover the truth that has brought you here
- everything is your weapon. Unleash destruction through transforming weaponry and telekinetic powers. Discover New ways to annihilate your enemies as you harness powerful abilities to turn everything around you into a lethal weapon
- explore a hidden world. Delve deep into the Ominous expanses of a secretive government Agency. Explore the bureau's shifting environments only to discover that there is always more than meets the eye
- fight for control. Battle a relentless enemy through exciting missions and challenging boss fights to earn powerful upgrades that maximize abilities and customize your weaponry
- experience true next-generation gaming with increased visual fidelity through 4K graphics, ray-tracing and a 60FPS performance mode
How the Remedy Connected Universe changes the recommendation
Remedy’s investor guidance states that Control and Alan Wake are two established franchises linked through the Remedy Connected Universe. That is the strongest official continuity statement available for this question. It explains why players notice references, shared concepts and overlapping fictional history between the series.
The RCU is best understood as an optional layer over the main stories. Each game is designed around its own protagonist, conflict and genre. The connection rewards players who enjoy investigating documents, recurring ideas and implications across games; it does not turn every Remedy release into a mandatory chapter of one linear campaign.
What each game contributes
| Game | Release year stated by Remedy | Genre or format | Usefulness before Resonant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Control | 2019 | Supernatural action-adventure | Direct predecessor. Establishes the Faden family, FBC and the central supernatural conflicts. |
| Alan Wake Remastered | 2021 | Psychological action thriller | Optional RCU background and an accessible introduction to Alan Wake’s reality-and-fiction premise. |
| Alan Wake 2 | 2023 | Survival horror | Optional continuation of the Alan Wake side of the connected universe, with two protagonists and two realities. |
| CONTROL Resonant | Released September 24, 2026 | Action-adventure RPG | The game you are preparing for: Dylan fights in warped Manhattan while Jesse is missing. |
The genres matter when choosing the expanded route. If you want the closest mechanical and tonal preparation, stay with Control. If you prefer psychological thriller or survival horror, the Alan Wake games provide a different entry into Remedy’s storytelling without replacing the direct predecessor.
Games you do not need to finish first
Quantum Break and Max Payne
No official source establishing Resonant‘s preparation says that Quantum Break or Max Payne is required. They are important parts of Remedy’s catalogue, but the evidence for this guide supports the specific Control–Alan Wake RCU link, not a claim that every franchise belongs to the same required continuity.
FBC: Firebreak
There is likewise no established requirement to play FBC: Firebreak before Resonant. Do not add it to your preparation list solely because it uses FBC terminology. The direct recommendation remains the original Control.
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What Remedy has disclosed about Resonant
Remedy describes CONTROL Resonant as an action-adventure RPG set in a warped Manhattan. Dylan Faden is fighting for his humanity and survival against a threat that bends reality. The announced story details identify Jesse as missing, mention the Hiss and the Mold, and introduce a new form of resonance.
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- All graphics fully remastered in HD, bringing the game to the latest console generation
- Renewed 3D models, including characters and backgrounds, enriching the visual experience
- Improved battle system providing a vastly smoother gameplay experience
- Fully voiced dialogue in both English and Japanese
- A newly arranged soundtrack from the original composer, Takeharu Ishimoto
Those details are enough to explain why Control comes first without spoiling unreleased or undisclosed plot developments. Claims beyond that premise should be treated cautiously: Remedy has not published a complete account of every returning character, every faction or the full relationship between the new resonance and the earlier phenomena.
Creative Director Mikael Kasurinen marked the September 24 launch by writing, “This took seven years.” That production comment adds context for the sequel’s development but does not change the recommended order.
Platforms, editions and availability
Remedy currently lists CONTROL Resonant for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC through Steam and the Epic Games Store, and GeForce NOW. The same product information says Mac versions through Steam and the App Store are planned to follow later in 2026. Storefront support and regional availability can change, so check the platform’s current listing before buying.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallRemedy’s June 2, 2026 announcement said physical and digital editions were available for preorder. That establishes the announced format, not guaranteed stock at every retailer or in every country after launch. On September 24, Remedy stated that the game was out now.
Choose your route by goal
- You want the minimum effective preparation: play Control, then begin CONTROL Resonant.
- You care most about the Faden family and FBC: prioritize Control and its main story; optional side content can wait.
- You enjoy shared-universe mysteries: play Alan Wake Remastered and Alan Wake 2, then use Control as the immediate lead-in.
- You prefer action-adventure over horror: skip the optional Alan Wake route and stay with the short path.
- You are deciding based on access: compare the current listings for your console, PC storefront or cloud service; availability varies by platform and region.
A spoiler-light preparation checklist
- Know that Jesse Faden is the protagonist of Control and Dylan Faden takes the playable role in Resonant.
- Recognize the Federal Bureau of Control as the agency at the center of the supernatural investigations.
- Expect altered spaces, objects and phenomena rather than conventional science-fiction rules.
- Remember that the Hiss and Mold are named forces from the earlier game, while Resonant adds a new form of resonance.
- Treat Alan Wake references as enrichment from the RCU, not homework imposed by the sequel.
That is the complete preparation most players need. Start with Control; expand into the Alan Wake games only if the wider Remedy universe interests you.
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