How Long Does It Take To Beat Control?

With Control, the mind-bending action adventure game from the creator's of Alan Wake and Quantum Break, set to launch at the end of August, you may wonder how many hours you'll get to spend in Jesse Faden's red-soaked world. The number may prove smaller than the developer intended.

According to Remedy Entertainment communications director Thomas Puha, your mileage may vary. "Its difficult to give an accurate answer because it really depends on the player and how meticulously you play the game. Control is just not a linear game, though you can just focus on the campaign missions," Puha told IGN on July 31 "On average we've seen it takes 10-15 hours to get through the campaign."

This estimation concerns the main narrative, which includes 10 story missions. Remedy claims that other players spent up to 20 hours with Control, spreading their time between exploration, completing all the side missions, and taking advantage of other features like lore collectibles and Bureau Alerts. 

These numbers match GameSpot's experience, with reviewer Peter Brown finishing the main campaign (including a fair amount of exploration) after 15 hours. Brown reported that he had not completed all the side quests on his playthrough, which could have pushed the session up towards the 20 hour mark. 

In contrast, Game Rant called Remedy's 10-15 hour estimate "a bit of an exaggeration." Their own team finished the main story in eight hours, including some side missions. Reviewer Dalton Cooper suggested pursuing the extra content would add on a few more hours, with a full playthrough clocking on at 15 hours or less depending on your skill level.

The thought of a 15-hour game might prove a disappointment to fans, however, this is an instance of quality over quantity. While some developer's pad their games with unnecessary content, Control delivers a tight, well-thought out experience that will keep you invested from beginning to end. No grinding, no busywork, just 15 hours of action-packed, thought-provoking Remedy goodness.

Control launches August 27 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Remedy plans to release two expansions — The Foundation and Awe — with the first slated to arrive in late 2019/early 2020.