intergalactic: next to fall or next big hit?
Naughty Dog’s Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, revealed at The Game Awards on 12 December 2024, is a warp-speed leap into sci-fi, starring bounty hunter Jordan A. Mun on the enigmatic planet Sempiria, per GamesRadar. With a 2027 release and a cast including Tati Gabrielle and Kumail Nanjiani, it’s Naughty Dog’s first new IP since The Last of Us in 2013, per GameSpot. But the trailer sparked a firestorm, with X posts slamming it as “woke” for Jordan’s design and 1980s product placement like Porsche spaceships, per VideoGamer. Gamers on Reddit fear Naughty Dog’s bending to cultural trends, while others hope it’ll dodge the drama that tanked Concord, per r/naughtydog. Will Intergalactic kneel to social pressures or frag the naysayers like a DOOM demon? Let’s blast through the controversy with enough gamer wit to outsmart a Portal turret.
Intergalactic: Naughty Dog
The “Woke” Witch Hunt: A Tired Respawn
The backlash against Intergalactic’s trailer, racking up 51,000 YouTube dislikes versus 38,000 likes on Sony’s channel, centers on Jordan A. Mun’s design, played by mixed-race actress Tati Gabrielle, per Forbes. Critics on X, like @YorchTorchGames, call her “uninspiring” and the game “terribly woke,” citing her non-traditional look and the trailer’s Adidas hi-tops and Pet Shop Boys vibes, per @YorchTorchGames. This echoes The Last of Us Part II’s 2020 hate storm, where Laura Bailey faced death threats over Abby’s muscular build and Ellie’s lesbian arc, per Insider Gaming. Naughty Dog disabled comments on their trailer, signaling they expected the rage, per VideoGamer. This knee-jerk outcry is likely to fizzle, as The Last of Us Part II sold 10 million copies despite backlash, per GamesIndustry.biz. Intergalactic’s character-driven focus, with a 50% female-led cast, is very likely to prioritize story over pandering, judging from Naughty Dog’s history.
Naughty Dog’s Playbook: Story Over Sermon
Naughty Dog’s track record—Uncharted’s 44 million sales and The Last of Us’s HBO triumph—shows they weave diverse characters into compelling tales, not preachy manifestos, per VGChartz. Intergalactic’s plot, exploring faith and isolation on Sempiria, a planet cut off for 600 years, draws from Elden Ring’s depth, per GamesRadar. Neil Druckmann, studio head, emphasizes “the deepest gameplay” yet, with melee combat and open-ended exploration, per ScreenRant. The trailer’s 1980s nods—Sony cassettes, Porsche ships—ground its retro-futurist vibe, not a political agenda, per GameRant. X posts like @JustLycis_ fear “identity politics,” but Uncharted 4’s Nadine, a Black female mercenary, won fans without forcing a message, per Reddit. Intergalactic is almost certain to follow suit, crafting Jordan as a flawed, charismatic hero, not a soapbox, judging from Druckmann’s Creator to Creator podcast.
The Concord Trap: A Lesson in Execution
Sony’s Concord, a 2024 hero shooter, bombed with 25,000 sales and a two-week shutdown, partly due to its diverse cast being blamed for “woke” designs, per GamesIndustry.biz. But uninspired gameplay and a generic vibe were the real culprits, per Forbes. Intergalactic dodges this trap with Naughty Dog’s pedigree: The Last of Us Part II scored 96/100 on Metacritic despite controversy, per Metacritic. Tati Gabrielle, prepped for hate by Druckmann, brings star power from Uncharted and The Last of Us Season 2, per Insider Gaming. The game’s 250-person team, working since 2020, aims for a franchise, with job listings hinting at sequels, per GameRant. Intergalactic is very likely to succeed if it nails gameplay and story, as only 2% of 2024’s flops tied to diversity alone, per TechRadar. Naughty Dog’s got the ult ready to outshine Concord’s wipe.
Fan Fatigue: The Real Enemy
The “woke” debate masks a deeper issue: gamer burnout from AAA missteps. Star Wars Outlaws’s $200 million flop and Suicide Squad’s $300 million loss in 2024 show fans crave polish, not politics, per Bloomberg. Intergalactic’s delay to 2027, per GameSpot, risks hype fade, but Naughty Dog’s playable build at their office signals progress, per r/naughtydog. X users like @drjonesjnr predict a flop, but The Last of Us’s 17 million sales by 2018 prove Naughty Dog’s pull, per Sony’s earnings. Reddit’s r/uncharted hopes for Uncharted’s charm, not The Last of Us’s gloom, per r/uncharted. Intergalactic is likely to buck trends by leaning on Naughty Dog’s storytelling, with 80% of their games scoring above 90/100, per Metacritic. Fans want fun, not lectures—Naughty Dog knows the score.
Execution Over Excuses
Will Intergalactic bend to “wokism” or break free? Naughty Dog’s history—Crash Bandicoot to The Last of Us—shows they prioritize heart over hashtags, per GameRant. Jordan A. Mun’s journey, scored by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, promises a 1980s-infused epic, not a culture war pawn, per NaughtyDog.com. The 50% dislike ratio on YouTube is loud but fleeting, as The Last of Us Part II’s 4 million launch sales crushed haters, per VGChartz. Intergalactic’s melee focus and Elden Ring-inspired depth, per GamesRadar, suggest a game built to thrill, not preach. This sci-fi saga is almost certain to buck the “woke” panic, delivering a banger that’ll have gamers grinding Sempiria’s secrets, not X’s comment section, judging from ScreenRant. So, holster your pitchforks—Naughty Dog’s ready to respawn with style.
