Remedy, the developers of Control, have a long history when it comes to Easter eggs. There are secrets, references and call-backs to their previous games everywhere in Control, and we’re here to share 10 of the best we’ve found so far. Whether it’s a story connection to Alan Wake, returning fictional bands, references to alternate realities, or literal secret quests you can complete, here are the 10 best Easter eggs in Control.
More Control guides:
- Control: 10 Mind-Bending Tips You Need To Know | Beginner’s Guide
- Control: All Optional Boss Monsters | Quest Locations Guide
- Control: How To Solve Every Puzzle | Punch Cards, Lightswitches & More Solutions
- Control: How To Get All Optional Abilities | Evade, Shield & Seize Guide
- Control: All Optional Boss Monsters | Quest Locations Guide
- Control: Where To Find All Altered Items | ‘Langston’s Runaways’ Locations Guide
- Control: How To Find Every Bonus Outfit | Gold Suit, Asynchronous & More
- Control: Three Lucky Players Got Free Bandcamp Albums With This Easter Egg
Alan Wake & Control Are In The Same Universe
This bombshell revelation happens late in the game. Once you gain access to the Prime Candidate Training area, you’ll be able to collect notes detailing the events of Bright Falls — when Alan Wake and most of the population of the town disappeared. Official FBC documents describe the many characters and their fates, stating that Alan Wake’s wife survived, but Alan Wake himself disappeared.
According to these documents, and even more that can be found in the Archives area — a room in Containment that players never need to access and is completely optional — Alan Wake experienced an AWE (altered world event) of his own making. Is Cauldron Lake itself an Object of Power?
Speaking of Alan Wake…
Alan Wake Is Back As Dr. Casper Darling
Alan Wake’s voice actor returns in Control, but this time he’s playing a character named Casper Darling, the head researcher of the FBC. Not only does the actor, Matthew Poretta, return as the voice, he’s also his live-action counterpart. And he isn’t the only Remedy actor returning for a role.
Max Payne Returns As Director Trench
The original Remedy action hero is reincarnated as Director Trench in Control. The voice of Max in Max Payne, James McCaffrey, returns as both the voice and body model for Director Trench. The actor only voiced Max in Max Payne 1 and Max Payne 2, but finally got to embody the vigilante cop in Max Payne 3. The gravely voice is here to pass the torch to Jesse Faden and impart some advice.
Even more interesting, Director Trench is a tragic figure in his own right. He lost his wife, and his child died — a man with nothing to lose, armed with a service weapon, fighting a lonely war? Sounds a lot like Max Payne, and considering Control delves deep into alternate realities, perhaps Director Trench is just another version of Max Payne, much like Alan Wake’s fictional novel ‘Sudden Stop’, the final in his series about a Max Payne-like cop named Alex Casey.
665 – Neighbor Of The Beast
This ridiculous reference to the original Max Payne appears in an FMV with Dr. Darling. If you catch the video, you’ll see Dr. Darling tell one of his assistants the code — 6-6-5. In the original Max Payne, 6-6-5 was a door number, and Max famously quips that it’s the ‘neighbor of the best’.
It’s the number right next to 6-6-6, get it? This silly line, respoken by Dr. Darling, even gets a little tease as Darling gives himself devil horns. Remedy was always willing to poke fun at itself.
Control & Ordinary Were Predicted In Alan Wake’s American Nightmare
Alan Wake did get a bite-sized sequel in Alan Wake’s American Nightmare. In this game, Alan Wake stays at a motel, one that’s very similar to the Oceanview (a strange inter-dimensional gateway in Control) — in that game, if you listen to the ending song backwards, you can discover a strange message. “It will happen again, in another town, a town called Ordinary.”
You can find this message tweeted by the game’s writer Sam Lake. What does it mean? Years ago, we had no idea. Now it all makes sense.
Jesse Faden, the hero of Control, first experienced strange events in her hometown Ordinary. Was Remedy dropping hints all about Control even back then? Maybe their plans changed, maybe they took ideas for an Alan Wake sequel and put them in Control. We’ll never know for sure.
Hideo Kojima Makes A Voice-Only Cameo
Sam Lake is the western Hideo Kojima — they’re both completely nuts, so it’s no wonder the two video game auteurs joined forced at least once. If you purchase the Season Pass, you’ll be able to experience two missions that Hideo Kojima, the creator of the Metal Gear Solid series, narrates himself.
Travel to the Extrasensory Lab in the Research Sector, and you’ll be sent to collect two audio tapes. With these tapes, you’ll be able to enter a palace of the mind — where Hideo Kojima’s voice makes objects appear as if by magic in an otherwise empty void.
The Old Gods of Asgard Return
A fictional band called the ‘Old Gods of Asgard’ makes another appearance in Control. This band first appeared in Alan Wake, as a pair of old rockers trapped in an insane asylum. Joining forces with Alan Wake, the old guys played one of their hits as you fight off swarms of shadows. The band returns in Control in a very exciting way.
Ahti, the mysterious Janitor, gives Jesse his Walkman with an ‘Old Gods of Asgard’ tape pre-loaded. You’ll need it, as the song allows Jesse to pass through the impossible Ashtray Maze. The song, called ‘Take Control’ is even about Jesse herself, explaining her story in song-form. It’s just like the song the fictional band played in Alan Wake. Ahti even says the Norse madmen are friends of his.
The Secret Of The NSC
Once you unlock the power to Levitate in Control, you’ll finally be able to learn the truth of the NSC Power Plant. The NSC, the giant facility at the center of the Maintenance Sector, is a mystery for most of the game. Nobody explains what it is. Well, if you fly up to the top, you can find the label under a bank of computers.
The label reads “Northmoor Sarcophagus Container” — Northmoor was the previous Director of the FBC. On the monitors, you can see the outline of a man burning with bright energy. Northmoor is still alive! When Director Trench stated that it’s the ‘director’s job to keep the lights on’, he meant it literally.
Good Luck For A Golden Suit
Located in the Research Sector, you’ll pass through a room called ‘Luck and Probability’ — once you get the proper keycard, you can even play Roulette here. Not only can you play Roulette, you can win with enough luck. In a document, you can find how objects effect luck in Control’s world.
If you manage to use all the lucky items to give yourself maximum luck, like turning on lights, moving fish, and planting four-leaf clovers, you can win yourself a shiny Golden Suit. Learn all the steps in our full guide here.
Burning TVs For Unlimited Ammo
Now here’s another weird Easter egg that defies explanation. In the Maintenance Sector, you’ll find a giant Furnace Chamber. If you locate and burn six televisions that are smoking, you’ll earn a unique weapon mod called the ‘Eternal Flame’ — which gives you 100% return on every shot that hits an enemy. If you’re a good shot, that’ll give you unlimited ammo.
The tricky part is just finding all six hidden televisions. They’re all over the Maintenance Sector. If you need help, check out the complete Furnace Easter egg guide here.
