Summary
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophetis Naughty Dog’s next upcoming title.Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophetwill follow the adventures of bounty hunter Jordan A. Mun “2,000 years into an alternate future that deviated from ours in the late-80s.” Jordan stumbles upon Sempiria, a secluded planet where no communications have been received for over 500 years, and all previous attempts to explore and establish contact with it have resulted in mysterious disappearances.
As a new IP,Intergalacticwill be making some changes to the studio’s approach across its prior few franchises. Naughty Dog is best known forThe Last of UsandUncharted, and the developer now moving intodark futuristic sci-fifrom the more grounded nature of its preceding games is notable. Along with this, and based on statements made by creative director and writer Neil Druckmann, it could also mark a departure from one of Naughty Dog’s most recognizable design and narrative elements.
Jordan will be played by Tati Gabrielle, who also portraysNora inThe Last of Usserieson HBO.
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet May Be Moving Away From Naughty Dog’s Standard ‘Companion-Based’ Experiences
Naughty Dog’s Games Often Heavily Rely on NPC Companion Dynamics
BothUnchartedandThe Last of Usrevolve mainly around the player character navigating environments and combat with an NPC companion in tow.Uncharted’s Nathan Drake often had one of his various adventuring partners along for the ride, whileThe Last of Us' Joel and Elliehave become one of the most iconic video game duos. When the second title elevated Ellie to the role of protagonist, she was still joined by other friends like Dina, while Abby’s portions saw her team up with Lev.
This design allowed forgreat moments of organic character interactionsand emotional bonding, ranging from light-hearted banter to serious reflection after some of the more intense and harrowing events of the games. Accordingly, many of the puzzles and levels were created with this pairing in mind, and it’s become a fairly expected core part of Naughty Dog’s titles. However, over time and due to the limitations this incurred, it could start to feel a little stale or repetitive. But this might change dramatically inIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Might Be More of a Solo Story
Commenting onIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophet’s visionin Games Radar, Neil Druckmann stated that it will largely be about “being lonely,” adding, “I really want you to be lost.” This marks a significant turn fromThe Last of UsandUncharted, where even in some of the toughest situations and encounters, players had a friendly face to take some of the edge off. But with this new philosophy seemingly driving its plot and other designs,Intergalacticmay very well switch to a more isolating feel, matching the setup of a dangerous place where no survivors have yet emerged.
Depending onhowIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophet’s story is presented, there may still be sections where Jordan is joined by a temporary ally that sees Naughty Dog returning to the previous formula and playing to its experience and strengths with it. She may wind up finding a character who will explain more of what’s been happening on Sempiria and accompany her through story and gameplay sections. But given Druckmann’s description, it’s heavily implied players will be alone for the majority of the tale, and it will be interesting to see howIntergalactichandles incorporating this direction with its other components.
