Control: Resonant skips yellow paint to keep players exploring

Remedy’s Control: Resonant is out now on consoles and PC, and director Mikael Kasurinen says the sequel deliberately avoids the kind of bright yellow markers often used to point players toward climbable ledges, doors, and objectives. Instead, the open-world action RPG relies on lighting, environmental details, and other in-world cues to guide exploration.

In a recent interview on the Dropping Frames podcast, Kasurinen said the team made a conscious choice to preserve player autonomy and make discovery feel earned. He argued that players should feel like they are figuring things out themselves rather than simply following instructions. That approach is part of what he sees as a good balance between competence, autonomy, and relatedness in game design.

Kasurinen acknowledged that some players may find Control: Resonant “impenetrable” at first, but he said that risk is worth taking. He described the goal as creating a game that encourages participation, replayability, and uncertainty about whether players made the right choices.