Control: Best Things to Do After Beating The Game

There has been plenty of debate in recent years about what is the ideal length of a video game. Some folks shout from the rooftops (of the Internet) that games are just too long these days. Others love games that let you stew for dozens of hours while exploring their worlds and discovering their stories. The truth is that it’s kind of in the players control how long they spend with any given game. Take 2019’s most sublime paranormal shooter, Control, for example. By the end of the game’s dozen hour campaign, Jesse Faden might have solved the mystery of what her brother has to do with both the Hiss and the Oldest House, but that doesn’t mean the player has to be done.

The ending itself isn’t really much of an ending at all (there is a reason the game’s narrative plays with structure and gives one fake-out ending complete with credits rolling before the “real ending” of the story). There’s plenty more to do for anyone who wants to do it! Still itching to fly around and telekinetically throw chairs at bad guys? Go for it! Want to discover the myriad mind-bending mysteries still lurking in the Oldest House’s twisting corridors? They’re still there and there’s no better time to discover them than after beating the main game. Jesse Faden does finally become the official Director of the FBC, after all, and her job is not done. So take control and follow along because here are the best things to do after beating the main game.

What to do after beating Control

Piece together the mysteries

Control isn’t short on paranormal mysteries and the conclusion only wraps up one of the many puzzles Jesse Faden finds throughout the Oldest House. There are tons more that play out both in side missions and in the various pieces of diegetic text that Jesse picks up throughout her travels. There’s a good chance most players didn’t read through every note or memo they picked up along the way, but it’s worth doing so. The writing is always interesting and often quite clever. Developer Remedy Entertainment really put a lot of effort into Control‘s lore and it would be a shame for anyone to miss out on that (even if the text ought to be just a smidgen bigger).

Finish side missions

Speaking of side missions: do them. Players probably hit the most obvious ones throughout the campaign, as they are often necessary to unlock Jesse’s paranormal abilities, but there are a few that are more out of the way. Nevertheless, they’re worth checking out. It is especially recommended to check out “Fridge Duty.” This side mission can be started by visiting Phillip on the fourth floor of the Panopticon, and that’s all that will be said here. It’s too “cool” to spoil.

Find all the hidden rooms

The Oldest House is a slippery place where things aren’t always what they seem (or where they should logically be). There are lots of hidden rooms that can only be found after Jesse gets the ability to levitate. Finding these hidden rooms will also unlock more ability points.

Finish off the Hiss during Bureau Alerts

The combat in Control is wonderful and for anyone looking to test their telekinetic metal, the Bureau Alerts are great opportunities to do so. They spawn randomly so run around till one comes up (and then run quickly to wherever it is)!

Unlock all hidden outfits

Sure, Control has got wicked awesome combat and a fantastic “New Weird” narrative, but it also has fashion—and quite a unique sense of fashion, to boot. For anyone tired of running around in the director’s suit, why not connect with Jesse’s roots and don the Janitor’s uniform? There are plenty more to unlock, too.

On top of all that, there are also two excellent DLC’s to check out as well: The Foundation, and especially the more recent release, AWE. Now is a great time to return to the Oldest House and see that haunting atmosphere and imposing brutalist architecture once again.

Control is currently available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

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