refine your combat system to meet ever-changing challenges and uncover even more in the “second playthrough.”
during the first playthrough of control: resonance, the player’s experience revolves around “exploration”—understanding how the world works, gradually building your own combat system, and witnessing dylan’s growth journey.
for players who choose to enter the game again, new game plus offers a completely different path of experience. you no longer start from scratch; instead, you build on your existing progress and understanding to further deepen your gameplay.
in new game plus mode, players can embark on an entirely new run while inheriting most key progress, including enhancements to aberrants (dylan’s weapons), increases in health and combat resources, unlocked supernatural combat abilities, perks, and artifacts. these accumulated assets provide a solid foundation for new challenges.
at the same time, the “shift” ability—closely tied to story progression—will not be carried over; it must still be unlocked gradually throughout the run to ensure the integrity of the exploration rhythm and the unfolding of the world.
redefine your build
one of the core goals of new game plus is to offer players a broader space for customization. during the first playthrough, not all ability systems are available for unlocking, making the second playthrough the perfect opportunity to experiment with different combinations and expand the depth of gameplay.
as the run progresses, new perk nodes will gradually unlock, further strengthening the synergy between abilities and aberrant attacks. at the same time, skill combinations gain greater flexibility: players can equip multiple combat abilities from the same boss at once, creating entirely new combat setups and synergistic effects.
here, growth isn’t just about stats—it’s also about refining strategy and execution.
deep customization and system synergy
the artifact system is a crucial component of the build framework. in new game plus, the full potential of this system is further unleashed.
artifacts, as equipable items, provide a wide range of passive effects that influence survivability, combat performance, exploration efficiency, and resource management. some artifacts even come with specific conditions or trade-offs, encouraging players to adapt their builds flexibly based on different situations rather than simply stacking stats.
in the first playthrough, players can equip up to three artifacts; in the second playthrough, a fourth slot will be unlocked, making build combinations even more complex and nuanced.
moreover, artifacts are closely tied to the game’s crafting loop. players can discover unactivated artifacts in the world and transform them into usable equipment in the gap. as collection expands, the range of build options grows accordingly.
a world in constant evolution
returning to manhattan means facing an even more challenging environment.
in control: resonance, the world is never static. as the game progresses, enemy strength steadily increases, combat patterns evolve, and even familiar encounters can take on entirely new forms. some bosses will exhibit new behavior patterns, forcing players to reevaluate their established strategies.
new game plus continues and reinforces this design philosophy. although players return with more mature builds and experience, the world itself keeps evolving, combat is reshaped, and challenges keep escalating.
the real key isn’t simply getting stronger—it’s learning how to adapt to a constantly changing system environment. the depth of your build and your understanding will directly determine how you respond.
dive back in
the overall design of control: resonance encourages repeated exploration; a single playthrough can hardly cover everything.
the second playthrough gives players a chance to revisit the world. you can complete previously missed world quests, bounties, and collection objectives, or explore alternative story paths and dialogue branches.
new game plus is aimed at players who want to delve deeper into the system and extend their gaming experience. building on the foundation laid during the first playthrough, the second playthrough further expands your options, allowing you to test new ideas with a more comprehensive set of abilities and take on higher-intensity challenges.
we look forward to seeing the diverse choices players make in the second playthrough—and the brand-new builds and gameplay combinations that emerge as a result.
