Game Help on PlayStation 5 and Assist Mode in Control: A Deep Dive

 
Hi all! Today, I’m handing the keyboard over to Thomas Puha, Communications Director at Remedy Entertainment. Thomas will be talking about one of the PlayStation 5’s all-new features known as Game Help, as well as Control’s Assist Mode.
 
Game Help on PlayStation 5 and Assist Mode in Control: A Deep Dive
 
One of the unique features of Control Ultimate Edition on PlayStation 5 is its support of Game Help. This is an optional PS5 feature found in the Activity cards, available to PlayStation Plus subscribers. Control’s Game Help was built in close collaboration with Sony’s Help team, who did an incredible job in bringing this feature to life with our development team.
 
Back in September 2020 when Control Ultimate Edition launched for the previous generation consoles, we put in an expansive Assist Mode feature into the game, which was made available on all platforms for free. In a way, Game Help on PlayStation 5 is a continuation of that, so let’s talk about Game Help for a bit.
 

 
All main missions in Control, including the missions in the two expansions The Foundation and AWE, are supported by Game Help. In total, there are over 200 videos with textual guidance (in multiple localized languages) to help players through the Control experience. If you like, you can bring up Game Help at any point during a mission. You can even pin the Game Help tab next to your gameplay window, so you can check the guidance while you play. What we like about this is that you are still in the game experience while consulting Game Help: it’s nice to be able to keep playing without going elsewhere for tips.
 
A lot of time and effort went into making the Oldest House a rich world full of secrets ready to be discovered. It feels good to be able to provide the tools that seamlessly fit with the game experience and hopefully help players see more of Control. Maybe Game Help will even help you secure a platinum trophy. Sometimes, it can be about getting those trophies!
 
Here’s how we approached Game Help guidance in Control Ultimate Edition. First, you are only offered hints on what to do. The further you read the steps, the clearer the guidance gets. In some boss fights, for example, Game Help recommends specific Service Weapon forms, and you can watch videos which show tactics on how best to approach the fight.
 

 
Here is an example of the fight against Tommasi, which is the first tougher boss fight that sets expectations for the rest of the game. You can take a look at a very valid (but not only!) strategy through Game Help.
 

 
Here is a section of the AWE expansion. We are deep in the Investigations Sector, solving a puzzle.
 
An intended part of the Control experience and the Oldest House is about exploration, and sometimes getting lost. However, there’s a fine line between the wonder that comes with exploring, and the frustration when you can’t find your way. Control was never going to have objective indicators or a mini-map on screen, as that just isn’t what the experience is about. Instead, you are meant to get around by consulting the signs and guidance in the world. In addition, we tried to give players a way to easily familiarize themselves with their surroundings by providing a map, but despite updates (thanks to your feedback!) that didn’t quite work as well as we’d hoped. Now, through Game Help you can get video guidance on where exactly to proceed in the Oldest House to advance Jesse’s journey.
 

 
Here is another example from the AWE expansion where players can choose which mission to pursue and receive some directions through Help.
 
Continuing on that topic, while Control is meant to be a challenging game, we understand some players prefer to experience the story and not spend hours (or days…) perfecting tactics on how to beat Mold-1. That’s why a year after launch we added the Assist Mode on all platforms (free for all players). This is a set of options that enable you to tailor the gameplay experience to what is comfortable for you. Among other features, we have enhanced what aim assist can do, and we gave you the option to make yourself immortal and have one-hit kills. And no, using the Assist Mode options does not impact Trophies (or Achievements) in any way!
 
Selected Assist Mode Statistics
 
Statistics are fun, so we selected a few about the Assist Mode…
 
Since the launch of Assist Mode in August 2020, 22% of console players and 12% of PC players have activated Assist Mode at least once. From those who completed the Control campaign, 19% of players on PC and 32% of console players used the Assist Mode options at least once. Immortality and Enhanced Aim Assist were the two most popular options players picked.
 
And here’s some more numbers!
 
How often did players who completed the main campaign activate or deactivate the Assist Mode options?
• 64% players turned on Assist Mode once and continued playing with it
• 10% tried Assist Mode, and then turned if off to complete the game without using it again
• 17% of players turned Assist Mode on or off multiple times
 
How long did players who completed the main campaign play with the Assist Mode options active?
• 53% players played with Assist Mode active for at least half of their play time
• 31% of players have 90%+ playtime with Assist Mode active
• 18% of players have almost no playtime with Assist Mode
 
Thank you for finding Assist Mode useful! And thank you to the community for your impressions and feedback on the options. We’re glad that the options we’ve given you are working as intended and have enabled more players to experience the game without added frustrations and hindrances. We hope that PlayStation players find the Game Help feature just as useful.