Control Resonant Eschews Gameplay Markers for Player Autonomy
- Control Resonant intentionally avoids using yellow paint to guide players.
- Director Mikael Kasurinen emphasizes player autonomy as key to gameplay experience.
- Games like Marvel’s Wolverine face backlash for relying on excessive navigation aids.
Control Resonant, the latest addition to the gaming landscape, stands out as one of the few modern open-world games that does not consistently direct players on their next move, aligning with the game’s philosophy of allowing players time to navigate and explore independently.
Mikael Kasurinen, the director of Control Resonant, discussed this design choice on the Dropped Frames podcast (via Kotaku). He stated, “It was a conscious decision, obviously,” and highlighted the importance of player autonomy in crafting a compelling gaming experience.
Kasurinen remarked, “It’s not like the game is telling me what to do and I just go and do it. I feel like I’m the one making the decisions in the game,” further stressing that allowing players to figure things out on their own is crucial.
The use of yellow and white paint in games has recently come under scrutiny. Such markers typically cover surfaces like ledges and climbable walls, guiding players and preventing them from getting lost.
Evidence of player dissatisfaction with excessive navigation aids came into focus with Marvel’s Wolverine, released concurrently with Resonant. The game featured blue scent trails that players mockingly referred to as “fart trails.” Insomniac Games eventually provided an option to disable these markers, but it could not reverse the initial backlash. Additionally, Wolverine uses white paint to indicate ledges that enhance jumps and climbable walls.
Control Resonant’s choice to avoid similar markers is notable, especially considering its larger map compared to the original Control, which took place mostly in a single office building and used diegetic signs for navigation.
While yellow is used within the game, it appears in relation to certain objects, designed to fit the industrial aesthetics of environments like shipping yards or factory floors.
Kasurinen articulated that thematic consistency is necessary for any navigational cues, stating, “You have to find the right balance between ‘here’s the world’ and ‘here are the different themes and elements that you have to pay attention to.’ But it has to feel like it’s on you to make a decision on what to do with those elements that you see within the world.”
He further asserted, “If it feels like, ‘go here,’ it’s not anymore a decision for the player. Somebody has already decided for you.”
This perspective resonates with players advocating for a return to more subtle navigational cues using environmental design, such as framing and lighting, to guide exploration.
In a review by Eurogamer, Alexis Ong expressed concerns that the expansive, open world of Control Resonant sacrifices some of the unique charm found in the original Control.
News Courtesy of Eurogamer
