Control Resonant director reveals why fan-favorite band aren’t in the sequel

Control Resonant creative director Mikael Kasurinen has explained why the Old Gods of Asgard aren’t featured in the game, breaking with recent Remedy tradition.

Speaking to VGC as part of a lengthy interview, Kasurinen explained that he felt the game’s story and protagonist required more introspective moments, and that the bombastic approach from the Old Gods of Asgard was more appropriate for the first game.

The Old Gods of Asgard provided the song Take Control from the first game’s Ashtray Maze, as well has Herald of Darkness from Alan Wake 2. While a poster for the band appears in Control Resonant, no music from the group is featured in the Remedy sequel.

In the interview, which you can watch above, Kasurinen explains that in telling Dylan’s story, he felt that shifting the focus away from character moments and instead towards Remedy-style set pieces didn’t strike the correct tone.

“Less is more, let’s focus on this, making sure that we have the right emotional journey,” Kasurinen said.

“When we use music… when you look at The Ashtray Maze, it is about the music and I think the difference in Resonant is that these moments are ultimately about the story and Dylan, music kind of “happens to be there” to set the right tone. The focus is not the music.

“There was just a little bit of a different framework, a different direction of how we treat these things in this game. When we look at Dylan as a character, this story, ultimately is about him, the other characters, the antagonists, it’s all about Dylan, we focus everything around that.”

The Old Gods of Asgard are the alter ago of the real Fi Poets of the Fall. Having first appeared in Alan Wake, the band became a regular part of Remedy’s output. They reappeared in Control, before their most famous appearance in Alan Wake 2.

Herald of Darkness was performed live by The Old Gods of Asgard during The Game Awards. During this performance, Remedy creative director and Alan Wake star Sam Lake made a memorable appearance on stage, performing alongside the band.

VGC’s review of Control Resonant gave the game 5 stars.

“Control Resonant gambles on a new genre and it pays off,” reads the review. “A stellar cast and some of the strongest art direction you’ll find in a game this year make for a sequel that builds on the promise of the original, and delivers even more special moments. Make time for Control Resonant this year. You won’t regret it.”