Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 339 sampled Steam reviews (294 positive / 45 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Story & writing38% mention it
- Controls & UI19% mention it
- Combat18% mention it
- Visuals & art13% mention it
- World & exploration12% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
- Story & writing58% mention it
- Combat24% mention it
- Controls & UI22% mention it
- Grind & repetition20% mention it
- World & exploration18% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
67%
61 reviews
5-15h
85%
84 reviews
15-40h
92%
141 reviews
40-100h
98%
49 reviews
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 85 | 24 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 86% | 80 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 82 | 192 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 88% | 81 | 233 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 300 reviews sampled · 667 total reviews in window · weighted 194.2 up / 27.2 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (48)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 80
“Control is, and always has been, a fantastic game, that's not in doubt. Remedy's skill when it comes to creating a highly-detailed game-world is world-class, and the gloriously dynamic combat is second-to-none, once you've unlocked the required skills in-game, at least. The Nintendo Switch may not be the absolute best place to play Control if you're looking for crisp 60fps graphics and rock-solid performance, but it's perfectly good if you've got a relatively stable internet connection and a Pro Controller.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Control is an amazing experience that is befitting of the next gen consoles. It has killer Ray Tracing features, unfortunately hampered by their implementation, and a rock solid performance mode which feels amazing. The truly twisted dystopian world of the FBC is one that will persist in player's memories for a long time with its strange otherworldly places, alongside its humanising story. Highly recommended to all PlayStation 5 owners looking for an action-adventure with some real depth and fun combat!”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Control: Ultimate Edition represents a great achievement. Between its already impressive gameplay and a robust number of performance upgrades, Control both looks and feels like a next-gen title. Sussing out secrets and uncovering the myriad mysteries and suspicious happenings tied to one of gaming's most unique and interesting places are better than ever. For anyone who had been holding off on playing the game, there’s never been a better time to give it a shot.”
read full review ↗ - 87
“Control Ultimate Edition is a great title, especially since the DLC adds more enemies and gameplay mechanics into the mix. If you rush, the complete bundle will take you about 18 hours to complete, but if you take your time and explore and complete side-quests, you'll take at least 25 hours, which is quite meaty for a game of this caliber. If you have yet to experience Control, Ultimate Edition is the best way to do so on the PC. The combat is tight, over the top, and satisfying. The premise is so good that you want to dive deeper, but it doesn't always come together. While it's a great game to play, Control could have been an even stronger experience, and that takes away some of its thunder.”
read full review ↗ - 90
- 80
“With its graphical add-ons, the stability and performance enhancements, and the inclusion of all of Control's DLC, the Ultimate Edition really is the best way to experience Control--and the PS5's haptics really add an extra layer of intensity to a game that already feels great to play. If you haven't experienced Control yet, this is the best way to do so. If you have, this is a good excuse to jump back into its beautiful, strange, inventive world once again.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Control Ultimate Edition on PS5 is the definitive console edition of the game so far. On top of the already fantastic story and mechanics, the addition of raytracing, and the exclusive DualSense support elevate it even further.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“I loved it on PS4, and I love it even more now. With all of my technical issues removed, this is the ultimate way to play one of 2019's most exhilarating, and weirdest games.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Control was one of 2019's best games, with the only pervasive issue being that consoles couldn't always run the ambitious game so well. That's all changed.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The best version of Control so far, that makes good use of the PlayStation 5’s features and leaves plenty of hope and anticipation for a future sequel.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Control Ultimate Edition on the PlayStation 5 is a great example of what the new generation of consoles is capable of when compared to the previous. Graphics and performance are noticeably improved and bring some justice to this adventure’s very fun gameplay. Although some fundamental problems persist, before us is a much more consistent experience which is hard not to recommend to any fan of action games.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Control: Ultimate Edition on the new generation of consoles is truly the best way to experience Remedy’s most recent title. The game looks and performs great whether you’re playing it with Ray-Tracing or at a smoother 60 frames-per-second. The massively reduced load times get you into this world faster than ever while things like the PlayStation 5’s 3D Audio, DualSense features, and activities help get you through and feel more immersed in said world. When you combine all of that with a lengthy base game and two great expansions you’ll see why Control was on so many Game of the Year lists in 2019.”
read full review ↗
Nintendo Life
Cubed3
Push Square
Worth Playing
Eurogamer
GameSpot
Rocket Chainsaw
Explosion Network
GameSkinny
Metro GameCentral
Game Forces PT
ThisGenGaming…and 36 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Update notesJun 15, 2021
- Update notes for March 10 patchMar 10, 2021
- CONTROL SEPTEMBER UPDATE (1.13)Sep 25, 2020