Game

Control

2019

Platforms: Xbox Series S/X, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PCGenres: Action, Shooter, Adventure

12Score

Peak Gaming

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Game metadata from RAWG.

Is Control Woke? Quick Answer

Control scores 12/100 on the IsItWoke scale and falls into Peak Gaming.

That is the story-first end of the scale for this game.

Dialogue serves the narrative without overt moralizing. Characters are primarily defined by their roles in the story, not as symbols.

See the full breakdown below.

Woke profile

How the score is shaped

Eight stored dimensions, each scored from 0 to 20.

Message

Characters

Story

Legacy

Politics

Lead

Tradition

Norms

Column height is the stored score out of 20

Message-first dialogue
5/20
Tokenistic characters
3/20
Ideology over story
4/20
Legacy rewriting
0/20
Modern politics injection
2/20
Protected protagonist pattern
3/20
Anti-traditional framing
1/20
Cultural normalization framing
0/20

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Why it received this score

Based on: Published title analysisConfidence: MediumLast updated: 2026-05-29

Key reasons

Dialogue serves the narrative without overt moralizing.
Characters are primarily defined by their roles in the story, not as symbols.
The plot focuses on supernatural elements rather than ideological themes.

View full breakdown

No significant alterations to existing franchises or properties.
Contemporary issues are not heavily injected into the narrative.

Score signals

Signal	What was measured	Strength	Impact
Message-first dialogue	How much the dialogue, monologues, or character interactions feel driven by overt messaging, moral lecturing, ideological framing, or making a point instead of serving the story naturally.	5/20	+3
Ideology over story	How much the overall storytelling prioritizes ideological framing, message delivery, social commentary, or activism-coded narrative choices over pacing, conflict, immersion, and entertainment.	4/20	+3
Tokenistic characters	How much characters feel inserted or shaped primarily for symbolic representation, political signaling, or demographic checkbox value rather than narrative depth, organic fit, or strong characterization.	3/20	+2
Protected protagonist pattern	How much the protagonist fits the protected-protagonist pattern (agenda-driven character construction) rather than competence fantasy. Score HIGH only when: competence appears unearned or unexplained; protagonist rarely faces consequences; antagonists exist mainly to demonstrate protagonist superiority; narrative treats protagonist as symbolically superior; plot shields protagonist from vulnerability. Score LOW when: competence is grounded in training, profession, or past experience; protagonist suffers damage or setbacks; real physical danger and survival tension exist (normal action storytelling). Do not penalize competence fantasy.	3/20	+2
Modern politics injection	How much contemporary political discourse, activist framing, or modern culture-war signaling appears injected into fantasy, sci-fi, historical, or otherwise escapist settings in a way that feels noticeable or immersion-breaking.	2/20	+1

AI cultural analysis

A short read on tone, themes, and messaging — not a plot synopsis.

AI read

Control excels in crafting an engaging narrative that prioritizes story over message. The dialogue feels organic, supporting the surrealist atmosphere without veering into preachy territory. Characters like Jesse Faden are developed through their experiences and challenges rather than being reduced to mere symbols or tokens.

The game avoids legacy rewriting, presenting a fresh narrative that stands on its own without relying on existing franchises. While there are hints of modern themes, they do not dominate the storytelling, allowing players to immerse themselves in the bizarre world of the Oldest House.