Remedy Entertainment may have given fans precious little information about the sequel toControlthus far, but there are plenty of elements that players can likely guess at. For instance, a direct follow-up game will likely still focus on Jesse Faden and the Bureau, especially now that Jesse has started to settle into her new role as the Director.Controlhas a fairly open ending that leaves the Bureau’s future unclear, so fans would love to know how the Bureau has transformed in the wake of the Hiss attack. However, one wonders ifControl 2should only emphasize Jesse Faden, or if it should add another protagonist.
Considering just how thoroughlyControlexplored Jesse’s personal missions, there’s a serious case to be made for letting someone else share the spotlight with her in the next game. A wholly new protagonist could framethe world ofControlthrough a new lens, or a secondary player character who works closely with or against Jesse could add more layers to her next adventure. Although a few significant characters die or vanish over the course ofControl,Remedy has still left itself with quite a few worthy candidates who could become playable in the future.
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Why Control 2 Could Use Another Protagonist
Control’s events are all kicked off because Jesse sets off in search of her brother Dylan with the help of her mysterious paranatural companion Polaris. Over the course of the game, players find and eventually attempt torescue Dylan from the Hiss. While the game doesn’t necessarily answer all the player’s questions about Polaris, Jesse certainly learns a lot more about the entity over the course of the game. Their teamwork becomes central to protecting the Bureau from the Hiss. However, with both Dylan and Polaris comfortably in Jesse’s life again, it’s unclear where she’ll go from here, aside from leading the Bureau.
Because the next steps for Jesse are a little unclear, Remedy Entertainment might be tempted to put a new protagonist forward. The studio could switch perspectives to discover anotherControlcharacter’s motivations, backstory, and so on, which could open up new doors for theControlstory. It’s unlikely that Jesse will be abandoned entirely, of course, since her connection to the Service Weapon makes her an extremely important character, but Remedy could borrow from games likeDishonored 2orMarvel’s Spider-Manthat occasionally put players in control of different characters with different skills in order to diversifyControl 2’s plot.
Possible Control 2 Protagonists
Perhaps the best candidate forControl 2’s new protagonist is Dylan Faden. As Jesse’s brother, he already has a great central relationship to build on, and his complicated history with the Bureau creates lots of possibilities for compelling conflict too.Control 2could make Dylan occasionally playable as he works with the Bureau to make up for his role in the Hiss invasion, or alternatively, players might play as a villainous Dylan as he tries tolet the Hiss back into the Bureauagain. Dylan also has a knack for the paranatural that Remedy could use to craft unique abilities that set him apart from Jesse and her Service Weapon.
Aside from Dylan, Emily Pope would be a great protagonist of theControlsequel. Her hunger for paranatural knowledge, her friendship with Jesse, and her former working relationship with the vanishedDr. Casper Darlingall make her worth exploring.Control 2could have parautilitarian potential awaken in Emily Pope, or she could be played in action-light, investigation-heavy segments like MJ and Miles Morales inMarvel’s Spider-Man.
Whether Remedy chooses to explore Emily, Dylan, or any otherControlcharacter, it seems clear that a second player character could benefit the game’s story significantly.Controlestablishes that Jesse’s life has been defined by isolation for many years, but now that she’s part of the Bureau, that’s going to change.Jesse Faden’s relationshipsare bound to be more important than ever inControl 2,and perhaps the best way to drive that point home would be to make one of the most important people in her life playable, whoever that might be.
Controlis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
