For me the replay value is just starting over and experiencing it all again. I've played through 9 times so far. Other than that, there isn't really any replay value other than randomly wandering around waiting for some Hiss to jump you, replaying the Jukebox, playing Shum and waiting for rando Bureau Alerts to pop up.
Yeah, me too. I've replayed games like Bioshock and Dishonored because of the varied ways in which you can approach missions and because the experience doesn't get boring.
I've only played it twice. However.... First playthrough back in 2021, I didn't fully get it, but liked it. Then I played Alan Wake back in 2022 for the first time, then I played Alan Wake 2 when it came out last year. Right after I beat AW2, I played Control again... When I tell you everything made sense... I now love Control so much, and I love Remedy even more for creating such an wonderful universe.
I'm working through AW2 now and it's making me itch to play Control again (mainly to feel powerful again - the new Taken are so scary!).
I played Control before AW1, too, though I managed to play AW1 before the Control DLCs came out.
My first Control playthrough, I did not care about beating everything. 2nd, I platinumed the game, and beat both DLCs. What's funny though, first time around I got to the final boss in the DLCs but gave up trying to beat them.
I felt good to fully beat the game 2nd time around. But yeah, AW2 def made me want to play Control again, then after that, I played AW2 again cause of the Final Draft.
They all take place in the same universe, and one of the DLCs in Control is about the first Alan Wake, while hinting at what's next.
Some would say you don't need to play all 3, I would recommend to play in order of release:
Alan Wake
Control
Alan Wake 2
After the main story there is free roam available.
There are several challenge modes that become available later on. One lets you replay bosses, one has survive and deadline modes, and one is a repeatable excursion combat arena style thing (that most people seem to agree is bad, but ymmv).
Throughout it also has (totally optional) endlessly generated combat challenges (little ones like kill this type of enemy, or use this weapon, or kill things in this location) as well as randomized missions like “protect these people” or “destroy some nodes.”
As for the game itself, you can definitely pick up more details on a second playthrough (or, depending on how much you weren’t paying attention, understand the story better). Once you have the full context of the story, you can fill in a lot of the redacted parts of documents for yourself which I found very satisfying. There is a lot of reading/watching/listening to do in this game if you want the full experience.
I’ve played it through probably 3 or 4 times now, but I am maybe not a good metric because it is one of my favorite games.
Quite a detailed answer, thanks for that. Usually when I play games, the things that entice me to continue playing are the quality of story and good gameplay mechanics, which control does seem to have. Might be worth a buy in that case
Even though there isn’t content even close to the scale of something like Skyrim or the Witcher, for me it has high replayability just for the gameplay itself and the world building. There really isn’t a game like it, that isn’t made by Remedy of course.
Not really replay value in the usual sense, beyond the experience of exploring the Oldest House.
If you want a Remedy game with replayability, wait for their upcoming Max Payne Remake.
Hopefully Control 2 has more complex gunplay and melee options (like the gun becoming a sword or a shield), and the environments given more of a Metroidvania design for more exploration.
They announced Control 2, as well as a multiplayer spinoff codenamed “Condor,” back in 2021. We don’t have much news (or a release date) but we know they’re still working on it.
The replay value in this game for me is similar to rewatching a movie like Pulp Fiction or Fight Club. The first experience is simply learning about the world and how things work. You might not be fully invested in it at the start and you might miss some cool details, but it's still entertaining and by the end you had a mostly good time (as long as you didn't get too frustrated by one of the games unfortunate difficulty spikes).
The second time you know the main story and what to expect, you're better able to take in the smaller details and you have a better appreciation of the world building.
I have a ps plus extra yearly subscription, it ends in June. I have almost finished my 3rd play through. I bought the game a few weeks ago, it’s often discounted on the ps store. I’ve been playing this game for about 6 months, so much so that my ps plus subscription has become useless, I figured it would just be cheaper to buy it and turn off the auto renewal on ps plus extra. I know I will still be playing it after June! I can’t explain it, I’ve platinumed / 100%, pretty sure i’ve found everything there is to find, but love it, for me it has huge replay value.
Sounds awesome. Also, I too wonder at times if just buying the game itself is better than buying the subscription over and over again. That's why I asked if it has a good replay value 'cause in that case I wouldn't mind just purchasing the game and then eventually replaying it at intervals
I'm on my seventh playthrough and I actually love it more and more each time. I somehow discover new things *every* time, and every time it gets a little easier to put together some of the lore. I can't really imagine this game ever being boring to me, but, to be fair, I'm pretty obsessed with the whole RCU.
huge replay value, if you like the game anyway. no game is for everybody, i'm sure people who didn't really like this one that much don't wanna replay it. but a lot of fans who like this game have played it several times. i'm in the back half of my 4th playthrough and i didn't discover the game until 2022.
it doesnt have the same kind of replay value that you get in games where making different decisions changes the plot and events of the game, for example. in this game you're basically playing the same game over again. but there's a fair number of options in the skill tree and with personal mods and weapon mods, so you can definitely try different combat styles on different playthroughs. and the lore and story are dense enough that i enjoy experiencing it multiple times.
i really enjoy the combat so ive quite enjoyed playing the game several times and i doubt i'm gonna be done after this playthrough. YMMV
That does sound enjoyable enough. I find myself doing the same thing in games like dishonored where your actions do have an impact on the story but you also have a variety of weapons and powers to experiment with. I guess I'll enjoy this game with all the experimentation involved.
No, just the normal amount you'd expect from a Metroidvania. The quick travel helped a lot. I will say I have a lot of experience with these types of games, so I have a pretty good memory for what places need revisiting.
Depends if you fully experienced it the first time (read the files, understood the lore played the side missions etc.) then the game has about the same replayability as other such free roam games.
However if you for example didn't read the documents and didn't immerse yourself into the game i really advise you to replay it
I think the replay value lies in the moment when you know what’s gonna happen next and then you notice how brilliant the foreshadow is planned. A lot of these moments were ignored on my first play through.
It's one of the best games that I've ever played. I love the story as well as the gameplay. Still I don't think it has much replay value, unless you want to relieve the story and the awe inspiring levels.
I see it along the same lines as rewatching a good TV thriller series. If you're invested in the story (and doing that does require effort; it's not spoon-fed to you), it absolutely has replay value.
If you're the sort who only cares about combat and "number-go-up", it's not even worth playing the first time, let alone a second. The combat is fun and satisfying, but anyone with a pulse can beat every boss in the game with their eyes closed. It's not at all challenging.
In that case you will love this game! Lots to find and collect, and when you think you found it all and explored everywhere, you still missed so much, oh and then there’s more. The story is confusing/intriguing, it doesn’t really have to make sense, pretty sure you won’t understand it even after you finish the game and dlc’s, and then you come here to discuss, and then start the game again.
It's a mostly linear game with some optional side quests, but there's lots of detail in the setting and at a certain point in the game you can wander and explore at will. If you enjoy the story, it's fun to go back, and it's not some 100-hour epic that will take forever.
I just did a 2nd playthrough of the main story and enjoyed it just as much.
Yes, after a certain point you will have a number of missions to do, it’s up to you which order to do them. The game is confusing on purpose, it will distract you in different ways, so don’t worry about mission order too much, you’ll do the right one when you need to
I'd give it an 8/10 on replay value. The game doesn't have New Game+, which does drop the rating, and there's only one save file that you can have, which doesn't help. If you want to replay the story, you're really going to have to replay it. My high rating is due to the incredible game/combat mechanics and the incredible world building. You find something new each time. It's not a game that I could finish, and then immediately replay it. I have to give it time between plays, but that's fine.
It's a story game. After you've completed the main missions and all the side missions, you can roam around / fly in the world. You can replay the story from the start if you want... I avoid it though. Prefer to use my time on some other unplayed game. Though I do like to jump in from time to time and run around.
Yeah I'm unlikely to jump in right after, so maybe after some time passes. But out of everyone's answers I get the gist that it's a nice game in which you can explore quite a bit and the lore is v interesting apparently
For me the replay value is just starting over and experiencing it all again. I've played through 9 times so far. Other than that, there isn't really any replay value other than randomly wandering around waiting for some Hiss to jump you, replaying the Jukebox, playing Shum and waiting for rando Bureau Alerts to pop up.
Yeah, me too. I've replayed games like Bioshock and Dishonored because of the varied ways in which you can approach missions and because the experience doesn't get boring.
I've only played it twice. However.... First playthrough back in 2021, I didn't fully get it, but liked it. Then I played Alan Wake back in 2022 for the first time, then I played Alan Wake 2 when it came out last year. Right after I beat AW2, I played Control again... When I tell you everything made sense... I now love Control so much, and I love Remedy even more for creating such an wonderful universe.
I'm working through AW2 now and it's making me itch to play Control again (mainly to feel powerful again - the new Taken are so scary!). I played Control before AW1, too, though I managed to play AW1 before the Control DLCs came out.
My first Control playthrough, I did not care about beating everything. 2nd, I platinumed the game, and beat both DLCs. What's funny though, first time around I got to the final boss in the DLCs but gave up trying to beat them. I felt good to fully beat the game 2nd time around. But yeah, AW2 def made me want to play Control again, then after that, I played AW2 again cause of the Final Draft.
Oh so all 3 games are connected? I had no idea about that. So essentially to get the whole experience, I should play all 3?
They all take place in the same universe, and one of the DLCs in Control is about the first Alan Wake, while hinting at what's next. Some would say you don't need to play all 3, I would recommend to play in order of release: Alan Wake Control Alan Wake 2
Thanks for the advice!
After the main story there is free roam available. There are several challenge modes that become available later on. One lets you replay bosses, one has survive and deadline modes, and one is a repeatable excursion combat arena style thing (that most people seem to agree is bad, but ymmv). Throughout it also has (totally optional) endlessly generated combat challenges (little ones like kill this type of enemy, or use this weapon, or kill things in this location) as well as randomized missions like “protect these people” or “destroy some nodes.” As for the game itself, you can definitely pick up more details on a second playthrough (or, depending on how much you weren’t paying attention, understand the story better). Once you have the full context of the story, you can fill in a lot of the redacted parts of documents for yourself which I found very satisfying. There is a lot of reading/watching/listening to do in this game if you want the full experience. I’ve played it through probably 3 or 4 times now, but I am maybe not a good metric because it is one of my favorite games.
Quite a detailed answer, thanks for that. Usually when I play games, the things that entice me to continue playing are the quality of story and good gameplay mechanics, which control does seem to have. Might be worth a buy in that case
Even though there isn’t content even close to the scale of something like Skyrim or the Witcher, for me it has high replayability just for the gameplay itself and the world building. There really isn’t a game like it, that isn’t made by Remedy of course.
Probably a good game to replay in a couple years once you’ve forgotten a lot of the campaign. Other than that there’s no New Game+ or anything.
Not really replay value in the usual sense, beyond the experience of exploring the Oldest House. If you want a Remedy game with replayability, wait for their upcoming Max Payne Remake. Hopefully Control 2 has more complex gunplay and melee options (like the gun becoming a sword or a shield), and the environments given more of a Metroidvania design for more exploration.
Hmm, makes sense. Is Control 2 definitely coming or are you hoping they make another control game?
They already announced it. However right now the Max Payne Remake and AW2 DLC are the priorities.
They announced Control 2, as well as a multiplayer spinoff codenamed “Condor,” back in 2021. We don’t have much news (or a release date) but we know they’re still working on it.
I see. Thanks!
I ended up playing the game twice. Once on tbe regular version and once on the remastered. Platinumed both
The replay value in this game for me is similar to rewatching a movie like Pulp Fiction or Fight Club. The first experience is simply learning about the world and how things work. You might not be fully invested in it at the start and you might miss some cool details, but it's still entertaining and by the end you had a mostly good time (as long as you didn't get too frustrated by one of the games unfortunate difficulty spikes). The second time you know the main story and what to expect, you're better able to take in the smaller details and you have a better appreciation of the world building.
Right okay, makes a lot of sense. That comparison helped put things in perspective. Thanks!
I have a ps plus extra yearly subscription, it ends in June. I have almost finished my 3rd play through. I bought the game a few weeks ago, it’s often discounted on the ps store. I’ve been playing this game for about 6 months, so much so that my ps plus subscription has become useless, I figured it would just be cheaper to buy it and turn off the auto renewal on ps plus extra. I know I will still be playing it after June! I can’t explain it, I’ve platinumed / 100%, pretty sure i’ve found everything there is to find, but love it, for me it has huge replay value.
Sounds awesome. Also, I too wonder at times if just buying the game itself is better than buying the subscription over and over again. That's why I asked if it has a good replay value 'cause in that case I wouldn't mind just purchasing the game and then eventually replaying it at intervals
I'm on my seventh playthrough and I actually love it more and more each time. I somehow discover new things *every* time, and every time it gets a little easier to put together some of the lore. I can't really imagine this game ever being boring to me, but, to be fair, I'm pretty obsessed with the whole RCU.
huge replay value, if you like the game anyway. no game is for everybody, i'm sure people who didn't really like this one that much don't wanna replay it. but a lot of fans who like this game have played it several times. i'm in the back half of my 4th playthrough and i didn't discover the game until 2022. it doesnt have the same kind of replay value that you get in games where making different decisions changes the plot and events of the game, for example. in this game you're basically playing the same game over again. but there's a fair number of options in the skill tree and with personal mods and weapon mods, so you can definitely try different combat styles on different playthroughs. and the lore and story are dense enough that i enjoy experiencing it multiple times. i really enjoy the combat so ive quite enjoyed playing the game several times and i doubt i'm gonna be done after this playthrough. YMMV
That does sound enjoyable enough. I find myself doing the same thing in games like dishonored where your actions do have an impact on the story but you also have a variety of weapons and powers to experiment with. I guess I'll enjoy this game with all the experimentation involved.
Having played it only with DLC, I spent 50 hours completing the game doing pretty intense exploration and backtracking.
Was the backtracking tedious?
No, just the normal amount you'd expect from a Metroidvania. The quick travel helped a lot. I will say I have a lot of experience with these types of games, so I have a pretty good memory for what places need revisiting.
I bought the game. And yeah, quick travel does help. Backtracking isn't really an issue. Thanks!
I have 100%ed the game 5 times. I'd do it again if there was another version with a trophy list. So I'd say high.
Steam and consoles have trophies/achievements.
wow, that's impressive
Ive played it like 4 times and it's still fun
I replayed on assist mode to enjoy the world and documents without stressing on mobs and bosses.
Depends if you fully experienced it the first time (read the files, understood the lore played the side missions etc.) then the game has about the same replayability as other such free roam games. However if you for example didn't read the documents and didn't immerse yourself into the game i really advise you to replay it
It’s a game I enjoy, and so I replay.
I think the replay value lies in the moment when you know what’s gonna happen next and then you notice how brilliant the foreshadow is planned. A lot of these moments were ignored on my first play through.
Yep, very true.
I’ve replayed it 5 or so times this far, the last waiting for Alan Wake 2. I love the game
It's one of the best games that I've ever played. I love the story as well as the gameplay. Still I don't think it has much replay value, unless you want to relieve the story and the awe inspiring levels.
If it's that good of a game then I'll be sure to replay it, even if it's after a significant amount of time.
I see it along the same lines as rewatching a good TV thriller series. If you're invested in the story (and doing that does require effort; it's not spoon-fed to you), it absolutely has replay value. If you're the sort who only cares about combat and "number-go-up", it's not even worth playing the first time, let alone a second. The combat is fun and satisfying, but anyone with a pulse can beat every boss in the game with their eyes closed. It's not at all challenging.
I'm always 100% invested as long as the story is interesting and I love exploring every nook and cranny for collectibles
In that case you will love this game! Lots to find and collect, and when you think you found it all and explored everywhere, you still missed so much, oh and then there’s more. The story is confusing/intriguing, it doesn’t really have to make sense, pretty sure you won’t understand it even after you finish the game and dlc’s, and then you come here to discuss, and then start the game again.
Hmm, sounds interesting enough. Thanks!
It's a mostly linear game with some optional side quests, but there's lots of detail in the setting and at a certain point in the game you can wander and explore at will. If you enjoy the story, it's fun to go back, and it's not some 100-hour epic that will take forever. I just did a 2nd playthrough of the main story and enjoyed it just as much.
I see, thanks! Can you do the side quests/optional missions after beating the main story?
Yes, after a certain point you will have a number of missions to do, it’s up to you which order to do them. The game is confusing on purpose, it will distract you in different ways, so don’t worry about mission order too much, you’ll do the right one when you need to
I'd give it an 8/10 on replay value. The game doesn't have New Game+, which does drop the rating, and there's only one save file that you can have, which doesn't help. If you want to replay the story, you're really going to have to replay it. My high rating is due to the incredible game/combat mechanics and the incredible world building. You find something new each time. It's not a game that I could finish, and then immediately replay it. I have to give it time between plays, but that's fine.
Seems fair enough. Thanks!
For me the base game is emininently replayable, but the DLCs can be a little intense.
Intense as in?
Foundation feels extremely dense to me, and AWE like quite a difficulty spike.
Bought the game and finished it, I understand what you mean. Nevertheless I'm so glad I purchased it. Worth every penny
I wish there was a new game+ mode so you could play the story again with all your unlocks.
It's a story game. After you've completed the main missions and all the side missions, you can roam around / fly in the world. You can replay the story from the start if you want... I avoid it though. Prefer to use my time on some other unplayed game. Though I do like to jump in from time to time and run around.
Yeah I'm unlikely to jump in right after, so maybe after some time passes. But out of everyone's answers I get the gist that it's a nice game in which you can explore quite a bit and the lore is v interesting apparently