Control: AWE Reviews
It’s great to see the Alan Wake connection grow, and the mysteries of the oldest house are always a delight. While the AWE expansion doesn’t do much to change the core mechanics of the game, it does offer a new area to explore, a new weapon, and a delightfully demented antagonist.
Control: AWE offers an enjoyable two-hour romp that fans of Alan Wake are sure to love, even if it doesn’t make the most of the source material in all elements of its design. Sure, battling Dr. Hartman and the darkness is great, but I’d have loved to have seen a bit more of Alan Wake’s world woven within the experience too. Still, with its brilliant blend of gameplay mechanics and countless nods to Alan Wake, Control: AWE really is quite special. It might only really appeal to those that played Alan Wake before, but, as a big fan of the title myself, it has left me very excited for the future of Remedy’s shared universe.
Control: AWE leverages Remedy's lineage to make one of the best expansions of the year.
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.
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.
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.
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
AWE comes right out of the gate swinging and proves to be just as satisfying and engaging as its predecessor, albeit in different ways.
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.
Perhaps the hardest thing about this expansion is that it fits in a weird place. The new weapon and locations don't add a whole lot, with limited new gameplay elements. It really relies heavily on bringing the worlds of Control and Alan Wake together and introducing a new boss that seems far more threatening than he actually is. As a result, enjoyment really relies on what you enjoy about this franchise. If it's the overarching story and seeing the conclusion of various storylines, you'll probably be disappointed, unless you care about a now even larger picture. Those looking for more things to shoot and toss stuff at will probably have fun though. Regardless of where you stand, I will say if you loved what came before, I would suggest it just because it says so much about where the series is going. Whether it will succeed or crash and burn like some players are expecting has yet to be seen but it is a journey I am excited to take.
Smaller and more focused than The Foundation, Control: AWE is sold entirely on the return and crossover with a certain Mr. Wake.
AWE is an enjoyable few hours back in the world of the Bureau and a great first step into Remedy's Connected Universe.
Control: AWE not only continues the story of the tormented writer Alan Wake, but find a way to create a soldi connection between different worlds of different games. The future of Remedy lies here.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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.
Remedy continues to tell unique and extremely interesting stories, and in relation to how AWE concludes and what that means for the future of the Remedy Connected Universe, is just so damn exciting.
Control: AWE brings back Alan Wake and Bright Falls while smartly integrating the fiction of Control with Remedy's connected universe.
The AWE expansion is a fantastic addition to the Control base game. Everything about it is just that shade better than the original content. It delivers a horror experience that is a step above, a new weapon that offers something really unique, and a final showdown that is bigger and badder than anything you've done in this game yet. It's a few more hours of a good game, that this time around takes a slight step forward to be even better.
I finished AWE with a yearning for more Alan Wake and a yearning for more Control. Remedy has more or less confirmed we'll get more of both at some point in the future, although they might be presented through the lens of yet another series. That's the reality of the Remedy Connected Universe. As a trial run, AWE manages to be a great double-dip on some beloved narratives, even though it's not necessarily a great representation of either Control or Alan Wake individually. Sometimes the sum is greater than the parts, sometimes the lake is really an ocean.
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.
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.