Remedy Entertainment has always been an expert at developing action games with the iconic Max Payne games in its repertoire, but it has since been able to carve out a more unique identity as a developer by dipping its toe into the realm of psychedelic science fiction. Control was obviously a pinnacle of this new genre approach, and based on Remedy’s penchant for cinematic, episodic storytelling with live-action elements as seen in Quantum Break, it would be a no-brainer for the studio to crossover with one of science fiction’s most harrowing franchises: Black Mirror.
Black Mirror is a dread-inducing mixture of technology-based paranoia, eerie science fiction, and psychological horror. Many of its episodes have to do with the perils of what technology could become and how that would hyperbolically affect peoples’ lives, such as over-dependence on social media and personal mobile devices, or how someone could spend an eternity locked in an immersive and horrific virtual reality experience. Remedy would be at home with any of these stories, especially considering the fact that it has broken into the survival-horror genre for Alan Wake 2.
A Black Mirror Game Could Flex Remedy’s New Survival-Horror Chops
Control is a trippy, science-fiction take on menial workplace environments. Control’s SCP Foundation influences help to carry a lot of the weight of its narrative, with many interesting side quests offering an examination of paranormal items and their creepy, redacted lore.
Gameplay is far less terrifying than these moments tend to be, and Control is certainly not a horror game, but it is teeming with a dark atmosphere nonetheless that punctuates each story beat. Remedy now has a ton on its plate with at least three of its franchises currently in development, though a future game connected to the Black Mirror franchise would be a perfect match for it.
Seeing a Black Mirror adaptation that is half in-engine gameplay and half live-action performances would be right up Remedy’s alley after Quantum Break, and because Remedy is in the middle of making its first foray into survival-horror, it would be exciting to see that genre applied to Black Mirror in a game. Black Mirror can often be meta itself, and therefore it would also be neat to see gameplay and narrative affect one another, sort of like how Netflix’s Black Mirror: Bandersnatch was a ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ movie that highlighted video games as an interactive medium.
It will be interesting to see how much inspiration is drawn from other survival-horror games in Alan Wake 2. If its storytelling is as cinematic as Remedy’s previous games it will become even more apparent that a Black Mirror adaptation or crossover would be a fantastic idea. Alan Wake was already fairly close to being a survival-horror game itself, and its mechanics could easily translate into survival-horror by relying further on light sources to defend against shadowy enemies. Control 2, however, is not currently billed as a survival-horror game, and it will be interesting to see if Remedy doubles down on its superpowered telekinesis ability as part of Jesse Faden’s combat.
Nothing is currently known about Control 2, though if it is anything like its predecessor it will remain fundamentally surreal and convoluted, which would be its most effective course of action if it also intends to continue connecting other Remedy games in a shared universe. Remedy might not always add a layer of sci-fi horror to its future games, but a Black Mirror crossover would nonetheless be perfect in the developer’s hands.
Control 2 is currently in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.