Remedy Releases Control Resonant as Indie Game Week Adds Stick It to the Stickman

Control Resonant is available on Steam for Windows, the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox for PC. Mac versions are planned for later this year through Steam and the App Store. The game is a sequel to Control, but Remedy changed protagonists from Jesse Faden to her brother Dylan, expanded the setting from the shape-shifting Oldest House to an open world and replaced the morphable service weapon with melee combat. Remedy is an independent studio, though the game has a larger budget than most titles covered in Engadget's weekly indie roundup; Engadget said it saw a full-screen homepage advertisement for the game on its release day. Reviews Engadget had read were generally positive, with some saying combat becomes repetitive. The outlet's writer had not yet played the game but planned to do so over the weekend, saying the world and story of Control were confounding and captivating and that invincibility and one-hit kills can be enabled if combat becomes tedious.

Stick It to the Stickman, developed by Free Lives and published by Devolver Digital, left early access this week. It is available on Steam for Windows, Mac and SteamOS/Linux and is Steam Deck Verified. It usually costs $12 and is 50 percent off until October 1. Engadget described it as a satirical, anti-capitalist roguelite brawler. The main loop has players rise through corporate floors, defeat the company CEO and take their job, then repeat the process as a new employee. The characters are stick figures with few defining features. Players fight coworkers with attacks including a staple gun, flying kick, hadouken and projectile coffee mug. Each run lasts a few minutes, and players unlock and upgrade abilities as they move through the building. The overworld includes tasks such as tackling protesters and a Grand Theft Auto-style police wanted level. Engadget said it played about an hour and enjoyed the smooth animations, citing kicking enemies through windows or into electrical panels.

This year's Game Devs of Color expo took place with a showcase of more than 60 games from around the world. On Steam, the Mexican Entertainment System event features more than 300 games from more than 200 Mexican studios, and Serbian Games Week includes more than 200 games; both run until September 28. The Out Of The Box Games event features 130 games meant to surprise, challenge and delight through bold ideas, unexpected mechanics, distinctive art and unconventional storytelling. Day of the Devs has opened submissions for its next showcase, which will air on December 9, one day before The Game Awards. The deadline is September 28. Engadget also noted that Dressmaker was released this week, drew excitement and climbed the Steam Top Sellers chart, and that it published a conversation with the game's developers about its backstory.