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[64gigabyteram]

Remedy has this weird niche on the TPS market that not many other studios are trying to replicate- that being, that artsy, weird, and unique, style.
Many shooters go for a more realistic style which while valid and fine in its own right arent the most memorable unless they push technical boundaries and go above and beyond. With Remedy games though, i feel like their games do a different approach of artstyle over visuals. OFC Remedy is a AAA studio, so they get away with having the best of both worlds.

Something like Control stands out from all the oher games out there like TLOU2, Gears 5, RE4, Dead Space, etc with the grey, blocky, nearly soulless art direction, it feels hollow, clinical and deserted. It really conveys the feeling you shouldn't be there and you don't like to be in that place. Maybe some people feel that it's lazy and unimaginative but i feel that it's absolutely perfect for the type of game Control aims to be.

There's also Max Payne, the game which put them on the map. A gritty, dark film noir aesthetic with great visuals and an even greater story. The game's artstyle seeps into almost every aspect of it, it's amazing, and perfecly fits the game mechanic of bullet time which is not only narratively explained, but also perfectly fitting with the game's aesthetics and a perfect homage to The Matrix which came out 2 years beforehand.

They've got a really good grip on this artistic third person shooter stuff, and i wish they were more relevant in these discussions as they're a truly underrated game studio for what they make

 

[Fahdis]

Been playing Control. Honestly, its interesting but nothing I would write to home about. I haven't finished shit but the story seems convoluted for no reason.

 

[kiphalfton]

They're positioned right where they belong.

Control has floaty animations and shooting isn't that tight

Quantum Break looks good but doesn't really grip you from the beginning

Alan Wake is probably the best recent game from them, but the flashlight mechanic gets old and it's repetitive.

Max Payne games are their only games that don't have any real issues but that was like 20 years ago

 

[SEGA_2012]

Remedy is one of the best western studios, if not the best.

 

[The Cockatrice]

Been playing Control. Honestly, its interesting but nothing I would write to home about. I haven't finished shit but the story seems convoluted for no reason.

Got bad news for you. It never gets better. Controls best parts are the gameplay, atmosphere and the written lore, but the actual main story, just goes nowhere.

 

[Feel Like I'm On 42]

Not to make this about MS but Quantum Break is a prime example of why Microsoft's priorities are so maligned with gamers.

Why is one of the best Xbox One exclusives, an utterly gorgeous game with an interesting story, 30 fps on Series consoles?

 

[64gigabyteram]

Controls best parts are the gameplay, atmosphere and the written lore

nice to know that as well. I was interested because of the metroid vania stuff and the superpowers.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

I couldn't get into any of them

Hated Control. Boring the game.

 

[CGNoire]

Remedy has this weird niche on the TPS market that not many other studios are trying to replicate- that being, that artsy, weird, and unique, style.
Many shooters go for a more realistic style which while valid and fine in its own right arent the most memorable unless they push technical boundaries and go above and beyond. With Remedy games though, i feel like their games do a different approach of artstyle over visuals. OFC Remedy is an AAA studio, so they get away with having the best of both worlds.

Something like Control stands out from all the oher games out there like TLOU2, Gears 5, RE4, Dead Space, etc with the grey, blocky, nearly soulless art direction, it feels hollow, clinical and deserted. It really conveys the feeling you shouldn't be there and you don't like to be in that place. Maybe some people feel that it's lazy and unimaginative but i feel that it's absolutely perfect for the type of game Control aims to be.

There's also Max Payne, the game which put them on the map. A gritty, dark film noir aesthetic with great visuals and an even greater story. The game's artstyle seeps into almost every aspect of it, it's amazing, and perfecly fits the game mechanic of bullet time which is not only narratively explained, but also perfectly fitting with the game's aesthetics and a perfect homage to The Matrix which came out 2 years beforehand.

They've got a really good grip on this artistic third person shooter stuff, and i wish they were more relevant in these discussions as they're a truly underrated game studio for what they make

There my favorite only ever rivaled by Rockstar.

 

[MafiaMurderBag]

Control is stylish I'll give it that but I'm sick to death of shooters filled with faceless undead & spirits that never really feel like a threat the only threat throughout the game.

Not to mention 90‰ percent of the cutacenes containing two cute women facing eachother waffling about mysterious stuff for the sake of being mysterious.

God I've never yearned for a man who came to kick ass, chew bubble gum & who's run out of said bubble come to put a bullet in the back of the protagonist's head & take over so bad.

 

[Soltype]

I like their games but their narratives aren't really doing anything for me, to the point that I feel it gets in the way of the actual game sometimes. It feels like they're having a hard time balancing story and gameplay.

 

[CGNoire]

I couldn't get into any of them

Hated Control. Boring the game.

Control is the weakest by far and doesnt really lean into Remedys strengths like story telling. Infact the story seems phoned in which is the exact opposite of previous titles.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Control is the weakest by far and doesnt really lean into Remedys strengths like story telling. Infact the story seems phoned in which is the exact opposite of previous titles.

I never played anything before Control so you could be right.

The gameplay felt fine but everything else about control was just so unappealing

 

[Sleepwalker]

I loved control and ill be there day 1 for alan wake 2 and the max payne remakes.

 

[CGNoire]

I never played anything before Control so you could be right.

The gameplay felt fine but everything else about control was just so unappealing

It was a serious misstep imo. I couldnt care less about the sequel and am a Remedy fanboy. It seemed to be a quick production designed to take advantage of the looter shooter trend. It also seemed to be the lowest budget of any game they have made since they funded it themselves. The tech was cool like usual....i guess it had that.

 

[Black_Stride]

It was a serious misstep imo. I couldnt care less about the sequel and am a Remedy fanboy. It seemed to be a quick production designed to take advantage of the looter shooter trend. It also seemed to be the lowest budget of any game they have made since they funded it themselves. The tech was cool like usual....i guess it had that.

Are we talking about the same Control?

 

[MafiaMurderBag]

I loved control and ill be there day 1 for alan wake 2 and the max payne remakes.

I do worry about the Max Payne remakes. The low budget charm of the originals is wear makes them so unique. They're products of their time.

Max Payne 3 is still a very good game but the production values of it loses so much of the tone & rawness that made the 1st two games cult classics & masterpieces.

The remakes will just come off as glossy reimaginings & just won't do the source material the justice it really deserves.

 

[Punished Miku]

Played Quantum Break recently and was totally blown away.

Did not like Control but I feel I need to try it again.

Going to play Alan Wake 1 also soon.

 

[Mister Wolf]

I had a great time with Control. The universe of Control/Alan Wake is amazing. They can build on it for years to come. I wouldn't be surprised if we eventually see it adapted to TV or Film.

 

[64gigabyteram]

The low budget charm of the originals is wear makes them so unique.

not really. If a triple A version of those games were released today with the similar art direction they'd be hailed. The low budget and tech of the time really just held the games back.

Max Payne is a strong game because of its gameplay, art direction, music and story. All of which (besides music, maybe) are areas which Remedy excels in moreso than many other studios. It never succeeded because it was low budget, you dont need a low budget to be a unique game with an unique art direction. Look at Sunset Overdrive.

Also, Max Payne 3 may not have been as good because it was made by Rockstar and not Remedy.

 

[BennyBlanco]

Max Payne 1+2 and Alan Wake are stone cold classics

 

[Wildebeest]

I don't think they are perfect, but I appreciate how they use technique and artistry to add interest in their games, not just brute forcing the problem with huge amounts of money spent on content. When some of their ideas connect, they have to connect on a deeper level.

 

[Husky]

Honestly, Alan Wake on its own makes them one of my favorite studios. Loved Quantum Break. I know I'll love Control. I need to play Control. It's my GPU, I wanna play the game with raytracing, I wanna see it in its full glory!
When I was playing Death Stranding, my friend told me that I, specifically, should see the Veteran Porter. I'm a big Sam Lake fan.
Remedy-adjacent, Poets of the Fall is my favorite band.

 

[PCFanboy64]

Big fan. I was super bored with Control at the start and kept quitting. After attempting it my third try I fell in love with it. The atmosphere is what makes it amazing. Later in the game there are parts that make you feel like you are on psychedelics. If shooting mechanics and story are all you care about I can see it bring a meh.

 

[Filben]

Agree. Max Payne are those kind of games I play through every two years. Good pace, simple and focused gameplay, badass anti hero.

Quantum Break is probably their most accessible modern game. Played it to death and finished it probably four times. Love the set pieces and maps, the story, the visual effects.

Control played also amazing, better than QB but it is not as concise and "simple" as QB. Too much back tracking, too few real interesting areas, cutscenes are only dialogues in 90% of the case. Tried to beat it more than once but didn't manage.

So measured by that MP1 and QB are my favourites. Still excited about their future games.

 

[mxbison]

I still think it's crazy how they went from Max Payne's amazing combat to Alan Wake's dog shit combat.

Really hope they fully reworked that for Alan Wake 2.

 

[rofif]

Remedy is one of the best western studios, if not the best.

It was. But control is crap and so was quantum break. They even botched Alan wake remaster.

 

[Scotty W]

Remedy is doing themselves a huge disservice by sitting on Death Rally. Someone give Mario Kart a challenge- it’s at 50 million!

 

[The Shepard]

Control is there best game. Alan wake wasn't all that and quantum break I didn't even finish, May give that another go one day. Never played Max Payne 1 or 2, just wasn't that interested in em during the PS2/xbox days.

 

[Warablo]

Control is dull
Alan Wake was good, but never concluded the story and repetitive
Quantum Break is my favorite from them these days. Its like a more focused Control with a good story. Though you may have to watch the mini series with it.
Max Payne is ancient and Rockstar made the last one without any attachment to Remedy. Still the narration and atmosphere from Max Payne 1 is amazing.

What sucks is Quantum Break and Alan Wake and I am going to assume Control all end on somewhat of a cliffhangar. Yet we never see what happens with a sequel or DLC.

 

[Drizzlehell]

Something like Control stands out from all the oher games out there like TLOU2, Gears 5, RE4, Dead Space, etc with the grey, blocky, nearly soulless art direction, it feels hollow, clinical and deserted. It really conveys the feeling you shouldn't be there and you don't like to be in that place. Maybe some people feel that it's lazy and unimaginative but i feel that it's absolutely perfect for the type of game Control aims to be.

Control makes a very effective use of the concept of liminal spaces for its level design and it's part of what makes its atmosphere so brilliant. The feeling of dread is ever-present thanks to the fact that every environment, even though seemingly looking like a normal place, always feels unnatural in a very unnerving way. Like an office space that's always clean and neat, even though no one's ever around except for possessed monster-people, or the fact that the rooms sometimes loop into each other or lead into a dead end, or open into an architectually impossible location like a stone quarry.

I love it because it feels like an extension of the disjointed and random level design from Max Payne's nightmare sequences (and yeah, I always loved those despite their bad rep).

 

[GymWolf]

The 2 max payne are all masterpieces.

Control was super fun to play, perfect controls and fun powers, great atmosphere and location, it's their third best game.

Didn't liked the combat in quantum that much, cool powers but it felt clunky and there was not nearly enough of it in the game, and the whole serial tv thing was just stupid.

Alan wake was just meh.

 

[k_trout]

ye me too

quantum break is my favourite

 

[DelireMan7]

I haven't played their games but Alan Wake and Control are on my radar. They look pretty interesting.

 

[64gigabyteram]

Never played Max Payne 1 or 2, just wasn't that interested in em during the PS2/xbox days.

please do so, they're amazing games and they set the formula/standard for a lot of remedy's future shooters. If you liked Control you'll love Max Payne.

I await the upcoming remakes

The atmosphere is what makes it amazing.

this is what i praise them for, their artstyles and atmospheres are unrivaled in the industry. Nobody does this kind of stuff like them which sucks, the industry could use with more artsy, experimental third person shooters like what Remedy does

 

[64gigabyteram]

Control makes a very effective use of the concept of liminal spaces for its level design and it's part of what makes its atmosphere so brilliant. The feeling of dread is ever-present thanks to the fact that every environment, even though seemingly looking like a normal place, always feels unnatural in a very unnerving way. Like an office space that's always clean and neat, even though no one's ever around except for possessed monster-people, or the fact that the rooms sometimes loop into each other or lead into a dead end, or open into an architectually impossible location like a stone quarry.

I love it because it feels like an extension of the disjointed and random level design from Max Payne's nightmare sequences (and yeah, I always loved those despite their bad rep).

you fucking nailed what i was trying to say, Liminal Spaces. It was a big meme for a while and i completely forgot about it until now

Liminal spaces are also what helped the Backrooms be creepy for a while until it got fucked up and turned into a joke.

 

[SnapShot]

Controls biggest issue is how it fails to hold your interest for too long, gameplay and level design received major improvements over their previous works but with most of the story being told through lore documents and sleep inducing cutscenes that are little more than just two people talking to each other...

It has some of the best art direction in gaming, if only the story was told better and had anything meaningful or more gripping moments besides the last section and those AWE connections, it's way too subtle for its own good.

 

[The Shepard]

please do so, they're amazing games and they set the formula/standard for a lot of remedy's future shooters. If you liked Control you'll love Max Payne.

Yea I'll definitely give em a go when they get released as i really liked control.

 

[SEGAvangelist]

Control was a rare miss for me. It's not awful, but it feels like they cut a lot of corners with the game. I expect Alan Wake 2 to be incredible.

 

[GymWolf]

please do so, they're amazing games and they set the formula/standard for a lot of remedy's future shooters. If you liked Control you'll love Max Payne.

I await the upcoming remakes

this is what i praise them for, their artstyles and atmospheres are unrivaled in the industry. Nobody does this kind of stuff like them which sucks, the industry could use with more artsy, experimental third person shooters like what Remedy does

They play very differently except for being third person shooter tbh.

 

[Zathalus]

Loved Control. Actually all of the games they have done have been a blast for me

 

[ahtlas7]

I love Max Payne game style. I feel so cool busting through a door, dropping the enemies all while flying through the air in bullet time.

 

[64gigabyteram]

W in the chat, y'all

 

[wipeout364]

#metoo