If you played Control, the fastest way to understand Control Resonant is this: Jesse fought at range, Dylan fights in your face. The Service Weapon is gone, replaced by a morphing melee weapon called the Aberrant, and nearly every other change follows from that one.
Side by Side
| Jesse (Control) | Dylan (Resonant) | |
|---|---|---|
| Core weapon | Service Weapon, a morphing gun | Aberrant, a morphing melee weapon |
| Range | Ranged shooting plus telekinesis | Close quarters, with a primary form, secondary form and combo ender |
| Resource | Energy that regenerates for telekinesis | Power, regained by landing melee strikes |
| Mobility | Levitate and dash | Double jump with elevation, air dash, quick dash with afterimage |
| Threat shape | Ranged kit kept the action in front of you | Melee means threats arrive from all angles |
| Setting | The Oldest House, a shifting office building | A warped Manhattan |
Why the Setting Changed With the Character
This is the part worth appreciating. Remedy’s own framing is that Jesse’s ranged kit kept combat in front of you, which suited the corridors and offices of the Oldest House.
Dylan’s melee kit means enemies close from every direction, so the spaces had to open up. Manhattan gives that room, and the expanded traversal, double jump with elevation and air dash, exists to move through it. The game is still not open world: Remedy describes focused sandboxes within the city rather than one map.
So the shift from building to city is not a scale flex. It is what a melee protagonist requires.
The Resource Loop Is Inverted
Jesse’s telekinesis ran on energy that came back on its own. Dylan’s Combat Abilities are recharged by hitting things, which our combat guide covers in detail.
That inverts the instinct the first game trained. In Control, backing off to let energy return was reasonable. In Resonant, backing off starves you. Remedy’s stated maxim is that aggression fuels power.
Who Dylan Is
Dylan is Jesse’s brother, taken by the Federal Bureau of Control years before the first game and the reason Jesse went looking for it in the first place. Resonant describes him as a parautilitarian released by the Bureau to fight an escaped extradimensional entity, and he is searching for his now-estranged sister.
One thing returning players should know up front: Jesse is not playable in Resonant. Remedy has confirmed that directly, while saying she is still a big part of the game.
If you never played Control, none of this is a barrier. Our guide on whether you need to play Control first covers why Remedy built this as an entry point.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Jesse playable in Control Resonant?
No. Remedy confirmed she is not playable, though the studio says she features heavily.
Does Dylan have telekinesis like Jesse?
His kit is melee-focused around the Aberrant weapon, with Combat Abilities recharged by melee strikes rather than a regenerating telekinesis pool.
Is the Oldest House in the game?
Reviews confirm you can visit it, though the game is set in Manhattan after the first game’s events.
Is Resonant open world?
No. Remedy describes focused sandboxes within Manhattan rather than a single open map.