Yesterday, we kicked off a new #WeeklyRanked series with the Top 5 games still to come in 2019, starting with my #5 game still to come in 2019: Call of Duty Modern Warfare. And today, we will dissect another entry, one that I think many gamers are overlooking due to it’s limited marketing.
Numbuh 4: Control
I’ve talked about this a couple times now, and each time I watch the gameplay or trailers, I get a little more excited. For those who have never heard of this game before this blog, Control is a linear third person action game being developed by Remedy Entertainment, creators of the 2016 Xbox exclusive Quantum Break and the Alan Wake series. You play as the new director of the Federal Bureau of Control, a branch that investigates and contains phenomena which violate the laws of reality (aka you’re the bitch from X-Files), as you enter the Oldest House and fight a being known as The Hiss using your supernatural abilities and a weird gun (above). Yea I know, sounds just like Prey but in NYC and not in space. But there’s a few things about this game that sets it in a completely different tier than Prey (and nothing was wrong with Prey. I just played it for 5 hours then forgot about it. Like the rest of the triple A titles currently waiting to be played in the 250+ game library. But “I still need something to playyyyyy”).
Since I can’t discuss Control without heavily referring to Quantum Break, let me briefly summarize what made that game so good. First, it had an engaging story with familiar actors playing the lead characters (Iceman and Littlefinger). I mean they filmed a live action miniseries and inserted it into the game; Remedy knows how to make a good story arc. Second, the powers and graphics looked badass. At one point in the game, you have to navigate through a collapsing shipyard using your powers and man does it feel epic. So by looking at those two areas, you have to believe that Control is going to follow the same pattern, especially since the game director from Quantum Break is also director of this project. Add in the Alan Wake writer, which dealt with a much darker story than Quantum Break, and I think you have all signs pointing to this being an incredible title. There’s only one negative I’m seeing heading into this game and that’s the length. Recent reports are saying the game can be beaten in around 10 hours, with completionists finishing the title in around 20 hours. That’s fine by me since I like to finish a single player campaign quickly before I lose interest, but a game that short needs to be really good to be worth full price. We’ll find out shortly though, because Control comes out August 27th, which makes it the earliest game on this list.