Control Could Have Included Choosing Playable Character - Though It Wasn’t Possible Due to Budget

Several years before Remedy Entertainment’s Control took on the form we know today, the developers had planned to let players choose which character to play as—Jesse or Dylan. Subsequently, as studio representatives stated, they had to abandon this idea because the company’s resources at the time were insufficient to support it within the budget.

Mikael Kasurinen, game director of Control Resonant, recently made this statement in an interview on the Dropped Frames podcast. According to him, during the development of the original title, the developers wanted to give players the option to choose which character they wanted to play as. This was discussed in particular between 2015 and 2016, when the studio was just beginning work on Alan Wake 2, but the project was subsequently put on hold so the team could focus entirely on Control. Despite the potential of the ideas about who would be in charge of the Oldest House, Kasurinen added that at the time, Remedy couldn’t afford this mechanic in terms of scale and cost.

Perhaps it was for the best. After all, Control introduced Jesse Faden, who became the director of the FBC and spent the entire game searching for her brother, Dylan, while in the sequel, they essentially swapped roles. Incidentally, this week Remedy confirmed that Control Resonant has sold 1 million copies. Given the studio’s previous statement that a third installment could be released if the new game is successful, the developers may already be planning future stories.

In addition, Control Resonant sets the stage for Alan Wake III, as both franchises are part of the same universe. Furthermore, according to rumors, Remedy has been working on the third installment for several years, but no official announcements have been made yet.

Control Resonant is available on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5.