Control Resonant was ‘deeply’ inspired by Attack on Titan and Neon Genesis Evangelion, says director
Remedy explains Control Resonant’s deep anime inspirations
Control Resonant was ‘deeply’ inspired by the popular anime series’ Attack on Titan and Neon Genesis Evangelion, the game’s director has revealed.
Control Resonant is the sequel to Remedy‘s Control. While the original game was a third-person shooter, the sequel has switched genres to a melee combat game instead. Control Resonant follows Dylan Faden, the brother of the first game’s protagonist, Jesse Faden.
Speaking to VGC, the game’s director, Mikael Kasurinen, told us that two of the biggest inspirations for the new game are the anime series’ Attack on Titan and Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Kasurinen mentioned that he drew inspiration from the bladed weapons used by Survey Corps in Attack on Titan, however, it was Evangelion that provided the biggest narrative touchpoint.
“An older anime called Neon Genesis Evangelion, which I was blown away by in the nineties and still am. I think it’s one of the most amazing things ever created. Totally going against convention.
“This young boy, fourteen years old, set up in an impossible situation, all the responsibility and expectations from others, and and him also utterly failing at many different things, and others trying to support him.
“And of course, the esoteric mix of religion and sci-fi. Tokyo is in its third iteration because it’s been devastated already so many different times, facing an apocalyptic kind of a kind of a threat, and how they fight against that.”
He added: “When you play the game, I’m sure you will see the influence in a very direct way.”
Ahead of Summer Game Fest, VGC went hands-on with Control Resonant’s opening hours.
“My time with Control Resonant can be summed up simply; if I had been left with the game for the rest of the day, I wouldn’t have stopped playing it until they dragged me out.
“I love this franchise, this connected universe, and this studio, so my reaction didn’t surprise me; however, I was shocked by just how confident Remedy is in the new combat system. The other elements, the visuals, the tone, the writing, and so on, I didn’t have the faintest worry about, but any niggling doubts I had about the combat have been thoroughly quashed.”
