Control: Ultimate Edition will prepare you for the MCU of arthouse games

An interconnected series of stories in gaming could one day soon resemble the Marvel Cinematic Universe featuring titles from Remedy Games. With the Control "AWE" expansion that comes out later this month, Remedy will connect the title with Remedy's beloved Xbox 360 cult classic Alan Wake. The developer has confirmed that this new universe is building towards Remedy's next game, and there's no better way to prepare than with Control: Ultimate Edition, which was announced Wednesday

Control: Ultimate Edition release date and price

"AWE" was first shown off during the August 6 PlayStation State of Play, but the Control: Ultimate Edition reveal by publisher 505 Games happened Wednesday morning. This version of the game will only cost $39.99. It'll launch for Steam on August 27 despite the base game previously being an Epic Game Store exclusive on PC.

Digital versions of Control: Ultimate Edition will be released on PS4 and Xbox One September 10, just a couple weeks after the "AWE" expansion launches.

Initially, Control: Ultimate Edition will only be available digitally, but physical PS4 and Xbox One copies will hit retail before the end of the year. Even better, the previously teased next-gen versions of Control: Ultimate Edition were also confirmed and should be out digitally in 2020 around the time that the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 launch. Then, physical PS5 and Xbox Series X copies of the game will hit stores in 2021.

Both next-gen versions of the game will support Smart Delivery, but it comes with one major caveat: it only applies to Control: Ultimate Edition. That means players who spent $59.99 on Control and $24.99 on the game's expansion pass can't upgrade, but those who get Control: Ultimate Edition, which includes all updates and DLC, will only have to pay $40.

If you've been waiting to pick up control, wait just a little longer for Control: Ultimate Edition to come out and pick that up to make the next-gen transition smooth. It's also a great game to pick up if you're interested in the connected universe of games that that Remedy Entertainment is currently creating.

What to know about Remedy's Connected Universe

While Control's connection to Alan Wake has long been teased and theorized, the "AWE" expansion will directly connect Control to the cult classic Xbox 360 horror game about a struggling writer.

"Players will be required to enter the Investigations Sector and confront the creature lurking within this long-abandoned part of the Bureau," an official description of the expansion explains. "To reclaim the Investigations Sector from its clutches, Jesse will need to explore the Altered World Events investigated here, including one from the town of Bright Falls where Jesse learns more about the disappearance of the writer Alan Wake."

Considering that Control was apparently teased all the way back in Alan Wake, it isn't surprising that the games are now officially linked. This isn't for a one-off crossover DLC either, it's the start of a connected universe. A separate post on Remedy's website reveals that Alan Wake and Control are part of a long-planned connected universe where "each game is a stand-alone experience, but each game is also a doorway into a larger universe with exciting opportunities for crossover events."

These games will have a "connected world of stories and events with shared characters and lore." Sound familiar? Remedy Games is trying to make an MCU-style shared universe for their quirky and memorable arthouse-style games. It's already been labeled the "Remedy Connected Universe" by Creative Director Sam Lake, who also confirmed that the developer is "already hard at work on a future Remedy game that also takes place in this same universe."

The Inverse Analysis — This all is starting with "AWE" and Control: Ultimate Edition, and could possibly lead to Remedy's secret multiplayer Vanguard project or upcoming title published by Epic Games. Remedy Entertainment is one of the most innovative and exciting developers in the industry and definitely seems talented enough to pull something like the Remedy Connected Universe off.

We now just have to wait and see how the groundwork for this universe connecting Alan Wake, Control, and more games is laid in "AWE" and where Remedy's future games go from here.

Control: Ultimate Edition will be released for Steam on August 27 and consoles September 10.