Control: Resonant is designed to make players work out where to go rather than follow a trail of brightly marked ledges, doors and objectives. Remedy director Mikael Kasurinen says that choice is central to how the sequel wants exploration to feel.
The sequel is available on consoles and PC, expanding the 2019 action game into a larger open-world action RPG. Despite the increased emphasis on exploration, its environments do not cover climbable routes, significant doorways or chests in conspicuous yellow paint.
Instead, Resonant uses lighting, environmental props and other details to suggest possible paths. The approach places more responsibility on the player than a clear visual marker would, making navigation part of the game’s challenge.
Kasurinen described the decision in a new interview on the Dropping Frames podcast in a new interview on the Dropping Frames podcast.
Exploration without obvious instructions
The director connected the design to his view that strong games balance competence, autonomy and relatedness. In this case, autonomy is the key consideration: players should feel that they are interpreting the world and choosing a route for themselves.
Kasurinen contrasted that philosophy with the more overt “fart trails” used in Wolverine to lead players towards objectives. While such guidance can reduce confusion, it can also remove the feeling that the player has discovered the solution independently.
“It’s so important that the players feel like they’re the ones figuring it out,” Kasurinen said.
He argued that developers need to establish the world, its themes and the details worth noticing, while still leaving players to decide what those details mean. If the game simply says “go here”, he believes the decision has already been made on the player’s behalf.
A deliberate risk
That philosophy may make Control: Resonant feel impenetrable at first for some players. They may not immediately understand what to do or where to travel, and Kasurinen acknowledged that withholding direct instructions can quickly alienate part of the audience.
Nevertheless, he sees player participation as worthwhile. Players should not merely observe the world from the outside; they should be involved in the process of interpreting it and deciding how to proceed. It is a risk, he said, but one he believes will help the game endure.
“Nothing fucking better than it feels like I found my way to do it,” Kasurinen said, describing the satisfaction of solving a path or problem independently.
He also wants the game to encourage return visits. Rather than completing a sequence exactly as instructed and moving on, players may wonder whether they made the right choice, revisit locations and consider what they could have done differently.
That uncertainty is part of the intended experience. The goal is for the world to remain interesting after an initial playthrough, with exploration and decision-making giving players reasons to look again.
“If you want to get the most out of this world, you have to participate,” Kasurinen concluded. For more gaming and arcade industry news, explore the RETROCADE Arcade Blog, or browse arcade videos for more interviews and game-focused coverage.
Players interested in bringing interactive exploration home can also compare the available arcade machines and use the Arcade Machine Buying Guide before choosing a cabinet.
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