Remedy’s newest title, Control, came out at the end of August to glowing reviews. Critics agreed; its combat and setting were top notch. Jesse Faden’s tool set makes her play like no other protagonist in the medium. Another stand out aspect of the adventure is the narrative. The ominous romp through The Oldest House is brimming with chilling mysteries, only some of which resolve by the time the credits roll.
Ultimately, the game left players with more questions than answers, but in a good way. The following list will detail the ten biggest mysteries Control has left unanswered. Here’s hoping these get addressed in a sequel. And it should be obvious, but light spoilers are ahead.
10 Dr. Darling
Dr. Darling is a major force throughout the story, but he never shows up in person. Instead, his presence is felt through a series of video presentations. The last of these is a bizarrely puzzling music video. It also comes after his final presentation which he says is his last and also happens in the Oceanview Motel. The bit in question is a music video of him him covering a 1970’s rock hit, “Dynamite” with lyrics altered to include references to Jesse. As entertaining as it is, the exact meaning of it remains unclear. It could simply indicate that he is still alive somewhere, or he is hinting at some larger role Jesse has in the grand scheme of things.
9 What Was Dylan Rambling About?
About halfway through the game Jesse finds her Brother. Unfortunately, he is in a different state, making communication challenging. He continuously rambles on some nonsense about different worlds. But is it nonsense, or truths he is spilling out?
Dylan himself brings up this question during his speeches. He talks about dreams, describing other worlds, some of which reference prior Remedy games. Do alternate realities exist in Control, or is it all just empty words?
8 Where Is Marshall?
By the end of the game, The Oldest House has somewhat stabilized. The Hiss still occupy the building, but the crisis is contained and the FBC continues its operations. Most of the supporting cast is safe in the main hub area except Marshall, the head of security. Characters ponder where she is, but as far as anyone knows, she is missing in action. Safe money would say future DLC will deal with her absence. In fact, a file name found using a debug tool further backs up this hypothesis.
7 Where Did The Hiss Originate?
The Hiss is the antagonizing force within The Oldest House. Despite all its trouble making, players learn little about it. Where did they come from, and what does it hope to accomplish by taking over The Oldest House?
It is still possible it are not an entirely evil entity. Trench implies this during one of his last appearances, but it is just as likely that the Hiss was trying to trick Jesse in this moment. Usually, this much mystery behind a villain still in the air would signify lazy writing, but in Control it only serves to keep the game on the mind long after it ends.
6 Why Was Alan Wake A Candidate?
What starts out as a small nod to one of Remedy’s most beloved titles turns into a full on crossover confirming the two’s existence in the same universe. The events of Alan Wake popped up on the Bureau’s radar. Wake himself was a candidate for director of the FBC, but why, exactly? Events from both games suggest that his imagination can come to life, so perhaps this was the reason. He lost his shot at becoming the director after going missing, but fans are desperately hoping to see more of him.
5 Why Was Jesse Chosen As Director?
The game begins with Jesse finding Zachariah Trench’s lifeless body and her assuming his responsibilities as the FBC’s director. Why did the board accept her as the new leader so readily? Was it her connection with Polaris, or her relationship to Dylan?
If the former is the case, then why did Polaris decide to keep in contact with her in the first place? Whatever the reason, it all worked out in the end, at least for now. There’s no telling if the resolution was actually positive or not.
4 How Old Is The Oldest House?
The Oldest House is where the FBC operates. It is a skyscraper smack dab in the middle of New York City, yet completely innocuous and impossible to find unless the building wants to be found. No one knows when it was built or who built it. It couldn’t have been there forever, otherwise it would be a part of Native American lore and European invaders would have noted it in their travels. Did it just come into being one day in the Big Apple?
3 What Exactly Is The Board?
The Board communicates with the director in order to facilitate operations within the FBC. Despite all the trust given to them, no one knows precisely what they are or even what their motives entail.
Are they really altruistic and looking out the well-being of humanity, or do they have their own interests which sometime fall in line with protecting people from supernatural forces? Were they once people who now exist in the Astral Plane, or are they some entity barely recognizable as life to humans?
2 Why Does Ahti Know What He Knows?
Aside from the tongue and cheek explanation about Janitors knowing the ins and outs of their workplace, why does Ahti have such an intensely deep knowledge of the many phenomenons happening within The Oldest House.
Is he even human, or something else taking a humanoid form in order to guide Jesse? With all the supernatural forces at play, the game’s title starts to feel ironic, as humans have so little control over what happens in the world.
1 Thomas Zane?
One of the game’s biggest mysteries comes in subtly. During an audio tape of Jesse’s therapy session, they discuss a verse by a poet named Thomas Zane. Her therapist mentions that this man doesn’t exist. This is strange enough on its own, but Thomas Zane was one of Alan Wake’s favorite writers. He also plays a significant role in the 2010 cult classic. If he really doesn’t exist, then what does this mean for Jesse and Alan? Did Alan make him up, and how does Jesse know who he is?
Next: 10 Games You Should Play If You Like Control
