To improve on a game as incredible as Control (2019) to this degree is kind of unbelievable, but unbelievable is what Remedy does best.
Control Resonant swaps the floaty, physics-ridden third-person shooter formula of the first game for a floaty, stylish, ability based combat system, to largely great effect. Though the first act was too easy (I played post-day-one patch), the diversity of both weaponry and abilities, paired with the consistent introduction of new enemy types keeps the combat engaging throughout. Encounter's get hectic fast, forcing Dylan to dodge and weave through lasers, headbutts, and masses of debris, but the forgiving difficulty means this rarely becomes a nuisance. As long as you're avoiding large enemy attacks, you can focus on executing the melee combo you've settled on with your weapon(s) of choice, and throw in some (somewhat basic, but effective) abilities to get the job done. The result is a combat system that is as engaging as you want it to be, and constantly oozing with aura (certain conditions can lead to hits landing impact frames, which emits a squeal from me when it happens).
The combat's all fine and dandy, but where Resonant really surprised me was it's world. The ways in which you interact with the densely-packed open world aren't revolutionary, but are constantly exciting. The game rewards curiosity not only with combat, but with mechanically unique puzzles, gripping side stories, and oh so many logs. Text logs, audio logs, and videos are scattered throughout the entire game, telling tales of ordinary objects with extraordinary powers, but more importantly the stories of the people in charge of and affected by these incredible objects. Genuinely every note I picked up had something interesting to say, and when voice acting was involved, it took it to a whole other level. Not only are the performances of the main characters great, but the emotion conveyed in every single audio log is a grand achievement itself.
Going into this game as a huge Remedy fan, there was one thing I was slightly concerned about: the story. Though the narrative of the Alan Wake games rank among my favorites, I felt that the plot of Control (2019) didn't entirely do service to it's incredible world-building. That completely changed with Resonant. Each character had a distinct purpose and personality, and the way they Dylan interacts with them felt real and true to the situation at hand. Many conversations allow you to choose from a couple dialogue options, and though that typically doesn't work quite well in non-RPG's, it felt totally natural here, never breaking Dylan's character, but allowing the player to interpret how Dylan would feel in response to the situation. In terms of the plot, I won't spoil anything, but the places this game goes both physically and narratively is nothing short of spectacular. A game has not given me full-body chills as many times as this did, and it's a testament to how well Remedy was able to match the emotional stakes with the grander ones.
If you haven't played previous Remedy games, you can still totally hop in here, but the experience would be much richer if you do (they're just great games on their own as well). I strongly recommend if you're interested. Remedy really did it again.