As great as it is to know that Remedy Entertainment wants to make a sequel to Control, it's also tantalizing. Since Remedy has Alan Wake 2 to focus on for 2023 and there's very little word on what a Control sequel will be like, fans are largely left to wait and hope. For the moment, the best way to conceptualize Control 2 is to examine each hallmark of a video game sequel. For one thing, Control 2's combat will probably be expanded somehow, potentially giving Jesse Faden new ways of attacking threats to the Federal Bureau of Control. For another, its story is bound to be similar but unique, exploring themes set up in the first game in a new light.
Remedy might be able to play into both of those concepts by introducing a follower mechanic in the Control sequel. Between the Service Weapon and a number of supernatural abilities gained from Objects of Power, Jesse is already pretty capable. A follower could introduce a range of new abilities to Control combat, though, helping Jesse out with unique skills learned in service to the Bureau, or possibly even in opposition to it. At the same time, Control 2 will almost certainly focus on discussing Jesse's role as the Director and what it means for her to be a leader after years as an outcast.
Jesse's Potential Sidekicks
Control's combat could get a lot out of followers who help Jesse out in combat. In Control, the Hiss often have a way of overwhelming Jesse, since she's almost always fighting through countless otherworldly monsters and Hiss puppets on her own. A follower would both mitigate some of Control's more frustrating battles and allow Remedy to crank up difficulty across the board. Whether a follower is dishing out major damage or providing utility that helps Jesse survive, combat would certainly be more dynamic if players can protect, command, and coordinate with a second character regularly.
The Control world certainly isn't short on potential candidates for a Control 2 follower roster. The unflappable, wisecracking Bureau Head of Security Simon Arish certainly has access to heavy weapons thanks to his job, meaning he could dish out serious damage while fighting the Hiss alongside Jesse, while the excitable but brilliant Head of Research Emily Pope could play a supportive role, impeding enemies with Bureau-crafted devices and supernatural items. Control 2 could even introduce new characters explicitly to serve as followers, whether Jesse turns a hostile being from another world into a friend or the Board gives her a floating pyramid companion that answers her beck and call.
Building on Control 2's Narrative
Giving Jesse followers would benefit Control 2's story alongside its combat. Although Remedy hasn't said much about the plot, odds are good that Jesse's growing pains as the Bureau's Director will play a part in Control 2's narrative. After all, even if Jesse feels at home working in the Oldest House, her position as a government organization's leader is very different from the many years she spent as a social outcast and a wanderer in search of answers before the events of Control. Followers would help drive the narrative of Jesse's changing life by representing her new duties as the person in charge, as well as her growing skill in fulfilling those duties.
Followers would go a long way in helping the Bureau feel alive again in Control 2 as well. Because most of the Bureau has to hide in strongholds to survive the Hiss incursion, Jesse spends a lot of Control alone. If some friends and allies can follow her and have conversations with her as they explore, Control 2's can show how the Bureau is on the mend while developing stronger relationships between Jesse and other people in her life. Followers would certainly be a dramatic change from the first Control, but there's a lot to be gained. Hopefully, Remedy gives Jesse a chance to work more closely with her friends in the sequel.
Control is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.