Control Resonant is taking an unusually precise approach to accessibility and difficulty. Rather than relying only on broad Easy, Normal and Hard presets, the forthcoming sequel will let players adjust individual combat variables, including enemy projectile speed and the length of a boss’s perfect-dodge window.
Those settings can be moved in either direction. Players seeking extra help can reduce specific obstacles, while experienced action-RPG fans can make selected systems more demanding. Lead gameplay designer Sergey Mohov has written a fascinating essay explaining how Remedy developed the expanded assist mode.
It is an important development for accessibility in action games, an area where more developers are now contributing useful ideas. Remedy’s approach also has relevance beyond this particular sequel: as the wider arcade news landscape continues to discuss inclusive design, granular controls offer a practical way to support more players without flattening the entire experience.
Replacing blunt difficulty presets
Traditional difficulty settings change several systems at once. That can solve one problem while creating another, particularly when reducing enemy health turns opponents into less satisfying damage sponges or makes progression feel less earned.
Remedy describes Resonant’s alternative as a “granular control panel”. The thinking is that players have different physical, sensory and cognitive needs. Someone with motor-control difficulties might struggle with a standard dodge window while having no trouble managing a complicated resource system. Adjusting those variables separately means one barrier can be addressed without changing every other part of combat.
The options are extensive. Players can reduce the pressure created by enemies arriving from off-screen, widen dodge windows, and alter both incoming and outgoing damage. They can also change how long it takes to break an enemy’s guard. For players who find close-quarters combat difficult, enhanced melee magnetising can reduce the precision needed for positioning.
This kind of flexibility is worth considering alongside the broader choices available to players through arcade parts such as joysticks and buttons. Physical controls and software settings solve different problems, but both can make the difference between a frustrating session and a playable one.
Difficulty can move upwards too
The system is not simply an easier-mode toolkit. The original Control offered ways to reduce difficulty, but Resonant will also let players increase the challenge if its default balance does not push them far enough.
That two-way design recognises that difficulty is personal. One player may need a wider reaction window, while another may want faster projectiles, tougher enemies or less forgiving combat. The goal is not to prescribe one correct setting, but to give players control over the specific parts of the game that suit their abilities and preferences.
Start with the intended experience
There is an important condition attached to Remedy’s philosophy: players are encouraged to try the game as designed before changing its individual rules. The studio has spent considerable time tuning the challenge and wants people to discover that balance first.
That does not mean the settings are intended to police how anyone plays. Instead, the suggested process is simple: begin with the default experience, identify what feels inaccessible or insufficiently demanding, then adjust only the relevant systems.
A middle ground in the difficulty debate
Arguments about game difficulty often divide into two familiar positions. One side sees challenge as an essential part of a developer’s artistic intent, asking players to persist, improve and master the systems. The other wants to experience the full game, including its story, without being stopped by a single combat encounter or reaction test.
Granular settings offer a possible middle ground. They preserve the developer’s preferred starting point while allowing players to continue when a particular obstacle becomes an unreasonable barrier. Broad difficulty debates may remain unresolved, but a system that supports both challenge-seeking and accessibility does not need to treat those aims as mutually exclusive.
Remedy’s position also acknowledges that not every game should use identical systems. Some designs are built around fixed difficulty, while others can accommodate a wider range of settings without losing their identity. The key distinction is giving players access to the complete game rather than excluding them because of motor limitations, disabilities or other barriers.
“We talk a lot internally about designer intent. We do have a meticulously crafted, intended experience for CONTROL Resonant. It’s balanced to be tense, demanding, and rewarding.”
“However, our philosophy is straightforward: if you run into a wall and the friction becomes too much, we would much rather you tweak the rules to overcome it than put the controller down and stop playing. Your time is valuable, and there’s no single right way to experience the game. Because of that, we absolutely do not gate any trophies or achievements behind these settings. Play the game exactly how you need to.”
More accessibility options beyond combat
Resonant will also include accessibility features that are not directly tied to difficulty. These include colour-blind modes, adjustable subtitle and text sizes, motion-sickness options and multiple volume sliders.
The game will also offer a hyperacusis filter, providing another way to manage uncomfortable or overwhelming audio. Together with the detailed combat controls, these options suggest an approach that treats accessibility as a collection of specific needs rather than a single difficulty switch.
For players comparing different setups, our arcade machine buying guide covers the practical considerations involved in choosing hardware for different spaces and play styles. The same principle applies here: the best experience is the one that fits the player.
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