Recensione Control: The Foundation (DLC)

The discovery of the unknown and the battle with the unknown are two of the themes that importantly regulate the world wriggling behind the narrative of Control, the latest title released by the skilled hands of Remedy.

Il three-dimensional metroidvania di Remedy made up of brutalist edges and corporate surrenders, it still has a few words to say to the player, also thanks to a setting virtually capable of hosting any type of story, given the skilful construction by the software house.

Control it's not just the story of Jesse Faden and its path within theFBC, Control it's more the litmus test for a sprawling setting that can cling to any kind of situation to drag it inside. Control is theOldest House reacting to the outside world.

The product we are going to talk about today is the first of the two DLCs at the moment announced that they will continue and in some way will deepen the events narrated in Control today let's get to know more closely The Foundation and its colorful caves, today we are going to discover where the roots ofOldest House.

Title one

What can hold up the polidimensional / absurd / fantastic / weird structure that we have come to know in the base game? How do structures like the ash labyrinth to rise in space without foundations that go beyond any logical and physical law? Sam lake and partners with this DLC have tried to explain which are the columns that allow theOldest House to be what it is.

Il DLC is placed in the post-final world of the base game and, in the role of the usual young lady Thread, we will have the task of going to find out what is happening at the foundations ofOldest House, looking for one in the meantime Helen Marshall dispersed and also cleaning this series of locations from the infected of theElevator in the building, never like this time able to endanger the universe.

The reason is obvious: addressed by the council at the foundations, we players will find ourselves discovering how the astral plane is slowly merging with the real world, placing less distance between the nail and the same hiss.

The goal of the Nail is to keep separate and recognizable the real world and the one where bodies such as the council operate, keep the material plane separate from the astral plane.
With the destruction of the nail due to the Hiss the universe, according to Emily Pope, would experience a phenomenon called dimensional bleeding, not the best way to spend a Saturday night.

In this convoluted journey we will find ourselves discovering some of the backstories that hide behind the previous expeditions of the Bureau, also discovering important notions on the mythology that permeates the story ofi Jesse thread and ... little else.

The narrative of The Foundation it is not as interesting as that of the original title: it does not have the same rhythm, nor the same breath; the DLC is however full of very interesting lore cues and very interesting concepts, hidden among paperwork and audio messages. The substance is lighter and more difficult to use but, not for this reason, less effective if you have a good knowledge of the lore.

The Foundation it is important if you want to have a greater overview of the product of Remedy and will likely serve as an introductory hat for the next DLC, AWE, destined to make the connections between the title and the much appreciated one crystalline Alan Wake.

Title 2: the game.

A person not interested in lore should buy The Foundation?
Answer: if you enjoyed the gameplay definitely yes.

The Foundation it does not change the cards on the table with the main iteration of the brand but enriches its playful possibilities. The gameplay has remained unchanged, as well as the feeling of practical omnipotence and absolute control over the situation.
Exploring the foundations ofOldest House the player will come into contact with a whole host of new units Elevator in the building, able to put even the most experienced to the test thanks to more consistent threats and more interesting attack patterns.

Control remains one TPS with rocky basic mechanics and guaranteed fun; Remedy took advantage of the extra content to be able to slightly expand the game formula (s) by balancing some powers and adding some possibilities to the skills already learned. The debris shield, for example, has finally found its place in the world thanks to the possibility of being used, upon payment of skill points, as a battering ram if combined with the sprint; similar speech is also feasible for the other skills, enhanced in a linear way and even more lethal than before (such as the launch, which has become practically the main weapon of every gamer).

The biggest of the new features in the title is given by the two exclusive abilities of the expansion, linked to a particular type of crystals that can be destroyed or made to grow at will.

These two skills, called Creation and Breaking they will allow the player to open one path rather than another and depending on which one you choose you will have the obligation to follow one path rather than the other.

Leveraging Creation the player will have the ability to create platforms on steep slopes in order to reach inaccessible places, he will be able to create spikes from specific patches of the ground, he will be able to erect walls capable of shielding him from enemy bullets; exploiting Break the player's projectiles will be able to destroy crystals, drop objects, clear the floor under the feet of the enemies.

The skills were designed by the developers to be used both during exploration and during combat and all in all they work quite well, a shame to have them imprisoned within the DLC, it would have been interesting to see some changes within the base game or the shipping mode, finally able to vary its content a little.

Visual power.

Where we cannot skimp on complimenting Control: The Foundation it is in the visual department, perfectly in line with what Remedy did previously and for this reason close to absolute excellence.

Removed the level design without infamy or praise (which is fun but does not have the peaks of genius that have been reached in some points of the base game) the title remains incredibly fascinating to see, thanks to particle and lighting systems able to overshadow all the lazy things done and thought during the rationalization of the project.

Despite the usual technical problems that affect the first 5 seconds of play on the basic Playstation 4, Control still remains a true miracle today to be viewed with respect and admiration.

The graphic rendering of the new settings proposed for the DLC is magnificent with memorable photographic glimpses and an incredible visual power, due to a wise mix of geometries and colors.

Unlike the basic game, this time the palette moves more towards other colors, adding a pinch of cold and severe naturalism to the corporate architecture, made up of alien settings from every point of view, as if to underline our nature as guests at the within the boundaries of the universe.

Specifically, some of the locations such as the warehouse have dimensions that can break your breath, giving even more solidity to the madness that animated the team of illustrators who even started to theorize something like this. The presence of a remnant of Oldest House, a fragment lost in the alterations that mixes with the madness of the foundation and represents another interesting moment of play.

The soundtrack is perfectly in line with the original, made up of lame songs and disturbing melodies that fit perfectly with the leifmotiv that passes from the Oldest House to its foundations. The longevity of the DLC is less commendable, on half a dozen hours if the player aspires to completeness and on four if instead you just want to see where you are going with the narrative sector.

Ultimately The Foundation is an honest DLC for a title that continues to defend itself and make players fall in love with it. The product attempts to expand the proposal of the original title through new gameplay solutions and new visual solutions, not always succeeding to the maximum of potential but still giving a respectable amount of hours of fun. The Foundation is a product that winks at all those who have remained trapped in the dazzling mythology of the mother title, offering this kind of players, answers and questions capable of making speculations for several weeks, waiting for the arrival of the closure. of the rim branded Remedy.