The gameplay of Control: Resonance has sparked comparisons of combat styles on Reddit. Some players believe that although this sequel is often compared to Devil May Cry, it is actually closer to action games like Prototype.
Control: Resonance is developed by Remedy, with protagonist Dylan being the brother of Jesse Faden from the previous game. The original title focused primarily on third-person shooting, with Jesse wielding the Service Weapon that chooses its own wielder; the sequel sees Dylan using cold weapons, shifting the combat focus to melee. This change has become a starting point for players discussing the differences between the two games.
Dylan can fight using polearms, hammers, and whips, while enemies have different weaknesses: armored enemies are best dealt with using blunt force, and mold-covered enemies are vulnerable to fire. The telekinetic abilities from the previous game are retained, and this installment adds elemental and summoning abilities; to execute finishing attacks, you must first apply a status effect to the target.
The game features a semi-open world design, where most small to medium-sized objects such as concrete blocks, streetlights, mailboxes, and cars can be destroyed. Some players reported that the visuals remained stable on the base PS5 even during hectic combat scenes.
Regarding combat style, one player noted that Devil May Cry emphasizes combos and high ratings, while Control: Resonance is closer to action games like Infamous or Prototype. Regular enemies are relatively easy to handle, Gunners punish carelessness, and boss battles are more challenging; its difficulty orientation has also been described as closer to Devil May Cry rather than Souls-like games.
From a narrative perspective, the Service Weapon belongs to Jesse, who serves as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Control, which is why Dylan does not use this gun. Remedy also included a recap of the previous game's story in the main menu of Control: Resonance.