Control: AWE Reviews
Despite some flaws, AWE is a very good expansion that brings Alan Wake into Remedy's shared universe and teases exciting things for the future.
Control's new AWE DLC is simply more Control. While it explores a new area of the building, it doesn't do anything new or expand on the lore of the first house directly. It does reveal officially how the 505 Games world setting interconnects, but that may not be such a good thing for some players.
For some this may end up feeling more like an interactive trailer for the next title by Remedy but for those of us who just love being in the world of Control, it's arguably just a good excuse to jump back in. I still really love this game world and the mechanics they've developed for it. Using Jesse's powers feels quite intuitive and powerful and is just a joy. If you haven't grabbed Control already, grab the ultimate edition and you will get AWE with it anyway. If you already have the main game and want to learn more about Alan Wake and related characters then I'd still suggest it's a worthwhile purchase.
AWE comes right out of the gate swinging and proves to be just as satisfying and engaging as its predecessor, albeit in different ways.
The final piece of the Control story brilliantly bridges the mystery-filled gap between itself and Alan Wake while paving the way for so much more.
If you’re happy with more of the same, don’t mind the repetitive encounters with Hartman, and are prepared to face a wildly fluctuating difficulty level, then you’ll possibly enjoy AWE. It’s not all bad – it just pales in comparison to the standard set by the main campaign.
Control AWE may not be a true and fully fledged DLC, but it won't disappoint. There are some overly challenging moments here and there, and some more cut-scenes would have helped, but AWE is still a better DLC than Foundation overall, and a great gift for the fans of Alan Wake.
Review in Persian | Read full review
The AWE DLC for Control is a great little piece of content that ties into the Alan Wake mythos. If you enjoyed Control and want more, be sure to pick it up.
AWE is just a small DLC that shows a glimpse of something much bigger to come. And I can't wait for it.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Even if AWE doesn’t exactly tie a bow in regards to Alan Wake, it’s a very good sign of what may yet come to be for our fashion disaster of a friend.
CONTROL‘s second and final expansion raises more questions than it answers. AWE is a great on its own, I just wish there was more to it. It feels like it’s going to do bigger things with this crossover, then doesn’t. So I feel like Remedy set expectations a bit too high with this one. AWE is still incredibly well written, has great main and side stories, and the unique gameplay changes things up in clever ways. With the Remedy Connected Universe in motion, things are now falling into place, and AWE gives a glimpse into the future of Remedy’s games and universe at-play that we’ve never seen done before. After all, it’s not a lake… it’s an ocean.
It’s definitely a disappointment compared to the new powers and trippy areas we received in the first part of Control’s season pass – The Foundation – and the new meat it throws to Alan Wake fans does little to resolve the character’s lingering narrative threads, but to set up new ones.
An integration of the Control and Alan Wake universes is an incredibly exciting premise on paper. AWE promises this as the final DLC for Control, but the execution doesn’t meet what was possible. At the end of AWE, I felt excited about any future exploration of these universes, but underwhelmed about what I had just played.
Control AWE is an excellent expansion for fans who are craving to go further down the rabbit hole. The focus stays heavily on Jesse and her goals, even with the inclusion of Alan Wake, who doesn’t overpower the scenes. The expansion once again proves how good Remedy is at storytelling and I’m glad to see them continue to provide those WTF moments that we all love.
AWE is like a bridge to establish the connection between Control and Alan Wake. The DLC, which we can consider as the first step to Remedy's Connected Universe plan, is satisfactory. It's a good DLC package, though it offers less than The Foundation as new content.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
Control’s AWE Expansion doesn’t do much to innovate, but it doesn’t need to. It continues building on the already strong combat encounters of the original game whilst adding a small twist on that. The main draw is with the brilliantly crafted story that brings Alan Wake into the Control universe.
Control’s AWE DLC reintroduces the world of Alan Wake, but he is only a very small part of the overall experience. It also adds a new ability, a new service weapon, a new enemy, and it’s more of the same Control that you already enjoy. Gamers buying AWE only for Alan Wake may be a little letdown, but it’s a good addition to the overall universe and mystery of the Oldest House with the wonderful promise of a very interesting future from Remedy Games.
AWE feels less like the beginning of some grand interconnected universe and more like a tacked-on reference to Remedy’s previous work.
Control AWE is a no-brainer for those who are invested in Control’s franchise. It’s an incredible demonstration of amazing action platforming, with some captivating cinematics, magnificent narrative progression, enamouring environments, and engrossing gameplay. Highly recommended for those looking to jump back into this supernatural epic.
AWE may be a teaser for the next game in the series, but that would be disregarding the fact that the contents of the DLC are very well put together. In any case, we got a taste of what a Control game would be like when it enters the realm of Cauldron Lake. I, for one, can’t wait for what’s next in the story of Allan Wake and the Federal Bureau of Control.