When I originally reviewed Control back in December of 2019, I found the game to be an enjoyable one. Here’s the thing though: it didn’t make me want to go back into its world to find everything I had previously skipped. That is, until the release of The Foundation DLC last week on Xbox One. When I was offered the chance to review the DLC I was eager to do so since the game did have fun combat. Little did I know that what was supposed to be a simple journey through a 4-5 hour DLC chapter would end up giving me a completely new outlook on the base game!

Story

Jessie has fully embraced her new role as Director of the Bureau of Control. Helping the Rangers finish up the remaining Hiss lingering about The Oldest House has become the norm. But, a call on the hotline has changed everything, and a new threat lurks in the depths of the Oldest Houses foundation. Upon arrival, Jessie quickly discovers that the Astral Plane is cutting into normal reality and unless it is stopped the world will be wiped out. Armed with new abilities, it is up to Jessie to find the solution to the problem!

Gameplay

When I first redownloaded Control onto my system I had planned to jump right into the DLC to begin the review process. Upon booting the game I discovered that I had deleted my save file from both of my boxes and from the cloud; oops. While that has caused me a delay in getting to the actual review I was supposed to be working on, I think it was honestly for the best. There were aspects to Control's story I had forgotten about and having to go through the entire base game again let all of the extra contexts be fresh in my mind. Not only that, but the game was also just so much better the second time around! Rather than pushing through it, I took the time to appreciate more of the world-building that happened in the side missions. With this new perspective on the game, I was eager to hop into The Foundation DLC! 

I want to say this first off: I think The Foundation is the first worthwhile story expansion I have played in a game in a number of years. The new map is a decent size and has a number of different areas to it. The contrast between the cave-like areas and astral plane collisions is also a unique take on the game’s environment and I thoroughly enjoyed exploring it. On top of this, the story aspects took 4 hours to complete when at a casual pace and bypassing most side missions. With optional activities added on to this, a good 7-9 hours can easily be spent in the new area without breaking a sweat!

To make navigating the caves more interesting, Remedy has added 2 new powers into the game. These new powers involve the creation and destruction of crystal-like formations scattered throughout the area. The thing I loved most about the new powers is that you get to choose which one you get first and your journey can branch a bit here from other players. I chose destruction first which sent me down one path, whereas if I had chosen creation, I would have needed to go a completely different route. Both paths eventually converge back into a single journey but still, neat to see that players will have variety in their sessions!

Anyways, the powers themselves can change up a number of combat scenarios for the better. New enemies litter the underground areas and they are constantly in your face. As you move around the combat zone, there will be various crystal formations you can destroy to drop your foes into the bottomless unknown. In other areas you might come across a formation you can raise into a barrier to protect yourself from more deadly foes, or another that can be used to impale multiple foes chasing you. This last type of formation was particularly useful and especially helped out in the DLC’s final confrontation!

As with the base game, there are a number of new collectibles to discover that give you more insight into the Bureau’s past. Learning more about the discovery of the Service Weapon and the role of Director, and its relationship with the mysterious Board in particular, were highlights for me. Speaking of mysterious, there is a new creature you get to meet along your journey who seems to have a particular issue with the Board and I can’t wait to see that get explored more in the future! By the way, you can choose to attack the thing, but if you do prepare for the roughest boss fight ever. Speaking of rough, the final boss was pretty tough as well!

Replayability

After completing the main story of The Foundation DLC I still had over 50% of optional quests to complete. There were also 2 areas of the map that I hadn’t been brought to. There are also a number of collectibles I missed so I am looking forward to diving back in and finding them all! I won’t delete my save this time, I promise.

What It Could Have Done Better

Honestly, I got more out of The Foundation DLC than I could have hoped for.

Verdict

My journey through Control’s Foundation DLC was an interesting one and it gave me more appreciation for Remedy’s tale than I had before. The new area is fun to explore and the story encountered along the way is a fascinating one. You will also get a good amount of hours out of The Foundation DLC, which I feel is worth the $14.99 asking price, or $24.99 if you get the season pass which includes even more DLC. If you are looking for a reason to jump back into Control, The Foundation is a great reason to do so!