Why is Manhattan so strange in CONTROL Resonant? A paranatural cosmic force is actively rewriting reality: bending gravity, folding architecture, and turning the city into a battlefield. The game is not an open-world; it is “open-ended,” built around large, distinct, handcrafted zones you explore at your own pace.
Here is how the warped Manhattan works, which zones are confirmed, and how exploration changes versus the original CONTROL.
Note: This article covers environment and map topics. Combat systems live in the combat section; the confirmed zone list is below.
Is it an open world?
Remedy is explicit that the game is not open-world. It is “open-ended”: large, distinct zones packed with side activities, hidden encounters, and optional discoveries, guided by a strong central narrative. The goal is not to “clear” a map but to explore it on your terms.
The structure includes:
- Overworld zones across the warped city
- Dungeons (like the Sinkhole): contained, mind-bending challenge areas
- Side quests / World Quests: self-contained narrative stories
- Bounties, collectibles, secrets, Altered Items
Which locations are confirmed?
These zones and areas are officially named so far:
| Location | Type | Known details |
|---|---|---|
| West Incursion Zone | Early explosion | Explorable early; becomes more distorted |
| Sinkhole | Dungeon | A cylindrical chasm that opened in the city |
| Oldest House | Hub/story | Areas unseen in the first CONTROL |
| Gravity Platforms | Exploration | Walls/ceilings walkable; orientation-shifting |
The full zone list will be extended here as more areas are confirmed.
What is the West Incursion Zone?
The West Incursion Zone is one of the areas Dylan explores early in the game. It starts familiar but is progressively reshaped: architecture folds in on itself and gravity behaves unpredictably. Remedy showed Dylan hunting a Resonant there.
What is the Sinkhole dungeon?
The Sinkhole is a mission several hours into the game. Dylan, guided by a reluctant FBC agent over the radio, descends on a probe platform into a cylindrical cosmic chasm that opened up in the city. Inside are:
- Waves of varied enemies (ranged foes, tricky sub-bosses spilling red smoke, plentiful grunts)
- A mind-bending arena: rooms bundled across impossible dimensions where you can run up walls and ceilings
- Enemies that move along ledges, walls, and ceilings, shifting your orientation
It is widely compared to the original CONTROL’s Ashtray Maze and praised for Remedy’s level-design flourishes.
What are Gravity Anomalies?
Gravity Anomalies are areas where gravity and orientation shift entirely. By activating his Shift ability, Dylan can adapt on the fly, redirecting momentum to traverse them.
A road may be flipped upside-down above you, or a building’s roof tilted sideways to act as a vertical bridge. If you can reach those surfaces, you can walk on them normally. The challenge is relearning what “ground” means, which adds another platforming and combat layer.
How does the world differ from the first CONTROL?
- Interior to exterior: CONTROL was trapped inside the Oldest House; the sequel leaves it for the streets of Manhattan.
- Scale: Remedy’s largest, most diverse environments; each biome brings a distinct experience, above and below ground, sometimes stepping into yet-unexplored dimensions.
- Lived-in world: The city has no civilians (most evacuated), but the FBC remains active in the field across distinct handcrafted zones.
Last updated September 7, 2026. Zone info from official Remedy announcements, PlayStation Blog, previews, and Rock Paper Shotgun; full zone list WIP.