Ethan Crossfield 
Gamescom 2026 has delivered early looks at two sharply different action games: Remedy Entertainment’s supernatural Control Resonant and the grindhouse-inspired Nekome: Nazi Hunter. One leans into strange worlds, flexible boss progression, and aggressive combat; the other turns historical revenge into an intentionally excessive action spectacle.
What happened at Gamescom 2026
The Control Resonant presentation was hands-off, but it showed Dylan Faden, Jesse Faden’s brother, exploring a Manhattan-inspired area overtaken by blue mold. The setting is not a direct recreation of real-world locations. Instead, Remedy is giving familiar ideas a distorted spin.
Dylan’s objective was to locate a Resonant boss called the Collective. Reaching it required fighting mold creatures, consuming mold to uncover information, and using gravity-shifting abilities to traverse walls. Combat focuses on pressure rather than defense: there is no blocking or parrying, while perfect dodges can slow time. Health comes from blue orbs dropped by defeated enemies, encouraging players to stay aggressive.
Nekome: Nazi Hunter offered a playable 30-minute preview. Players control Vano Nastasu, a survivor pursuing members of the Nazi regime and its supporters. The demo moves between a violent opening assault, Vano’s childhood trauma, and a later hunt through New York City. Its combat is straightforward, combining attacks, parries, block breaks, and stealth kills. The pre-beta build showed some rough edges, but the central revenge fantasy remained clear.
Why it matters
Control Resonant appears to be a meaningful change in direction for Remedy. The studio is combining the surreal identity associated with Control with melee weapons, RPG elements, environmental traversal, and boss encounters that can unfold in a flexible order. The first and final bosses remain fixed, while the Resonants between them can reportedly be tackled in different sequences.
The preview also highlighted a more reactive version of Dylan. His abilities include fire damage, rock-based attacks that increase Falter damage, and a force-like push. Filling an enemy’s Falter meter creates an opening for an execution, while dialogue choices can influence how non-player characters treat Dylan and alter some side-quest outcomes. Remedy says the main story has one ending.
Nekome takes a less subtle route. Its appeal rests on exaggerated violence directed at fascist villains, supported by a revenge story that gives Vano a personal reason to keep fighting. The preview’s simple systems may limit its depth, but the focused premise gives the game an immediate identity.
What to watch next
Control Resonant is scheduled to launch digitally on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on September 24. A physical edition is planned for October, with a Mac release arriving later. The biggest unanswered question is whether its unusual boss structure and gravity-based encounters remain compelling across the full campaign.
Nekome: Nazi Hunter is expected to launch sometime early next year. Its developers still have time to improve the pre-beta combat, but the project will need to preserve its forceful tone without letting technical roughness undermine the action.
Key takeaways from the previews
- Control Resonant uses aggressive combat, dodge timing, and enemy drops instead of blocking or parrying.
- Its optional mid-game Resonant bosses can be approached in different orders.
- Dialogue affects NPC attitudes and some side-quest outcomes, but not the main ending.
- Nekome: Nazi Hunter combines simple melee combat with stealth and a deliberately exploitative revenge tone.
Expert View
Control Resonant is the more intriguing of the two previews because its systems appear to reinforce Remedy’s surreal storytelling rather than merely decorate it. The fixed opening and final bosses, optional middle encounters, and wall-walking arenas could give the campaign a distinctive rhythm. Nekome has a narrower proposition, but its unapologetic premise may be enough to separate it from more conventional action games if the developers use the remaining development time to tighten the combat.
