Naughty Dog’s next project,Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, is shaping up to be a big one. A major departure from the more grounded, dark, and relatable stories ofUnchartedandThe Last of Us,Intergalactichas its feet firmly planted in sci-fi soil—remarkably fresh ground for the storied studio.
Though one could considerJak & DaxterandThe Last of Usto be science fiction, they are more like science fantasy and science horror, respectively. They are far removed from the synth-infused space-faring antics ofIntergalactic.
At the time of writing, very little is known aboutIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophetbeyond the broad-strokes elements of its genre roots. Knowing Naughty Dog, though, it seems safe to say that the story will be mature and character-driven, and that the game’s graphical fidelity, animation quality, and character design will all be industry-leading. Gameplay is a much bigger question mark, however, as the sense of exploration and adventure that comes along with the space opera framework could provide different opportunities than the setpiece-driven structure ofUnchartedand the survival horror staples ofThe Last of Us. But these more conceptual elements are Naughty Dog’s bread and butter. Combat may pose a greater challenge.
Intergalactic’s Apparent Focus On Melee Combat Will Be Interesting to Watch Unfold
Naughty Dog Isn’t Exactly Known for Melee Combat
UnchartedandThe Last of Us, for all of their many differences, share one major similarity: they are both designed around gunplay. Sure, they both have melee options, withThe Last of Us 2in particular doubling down on close-range combat, but fisticuffs are usually not the ideal way to approach enemy encounters in either of these franchises. This is reflected in the design of melee abilities, which are quite shallow, even at their most fleshed-out.
The Last of Us 2was reportedly meant to have a greater melee focus,inspired by the likes ofBloodborne, so perhaps these ideas could be carried over intoIntergalactic.
This could translate toIntergalacticin less-than-ideal ways. It wouldn’t be surprising if there were firearms in the game, of course, but its marketing thus far seems to imply that the vibrant red sword will be the player’s main tool for dispatching enemies. With a sword serving as the primary mode of attack for the game’s entire duration, any sense of novelty could theoretically be trumped by repetitiveness and shallowness. That is, unlessNaughty Dog steps up its game in the close-combat department.
Naughty Dog Will Probably Step Up Its Game in the Close Combat Department
Even in the days ofJak & Daxter, Naughty Dog has impressed with its writing, and there’s little reason to believe that things will be different withIntergalactic. But something that is often overlooked, and even unfairly decried, is the studio’s push for more complex and multifaceted gameplay.Uncharted 4, for example, is such a radical step-up from its predecessor in terms of combat that it can sometimes feel like it’s part of a different series: encounters revolve around a cat-and-mouse dynamic, with players being rewarded for both aggressive and measured tactics.The Last of Us 2improves even further on this framework by keeping the cat-and-mouse design while giving the player more unique tools to solve their problems.
All of this is to say that, althoughNaughty Dog is often thought of as “the story-driven developer,“it is quite capable of being ambitious when it comes to the interactive elements of its games as well. PerhapsIntergalacticwill continue to build upon the aforementioned cat-and-mouse framework, or perhaps it will adopt a different one entirely, but there’s definitely reason to believe that its combat will be thoughtfully designed.
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet
WHERE TO PLAY
Intergalactic: The Heretic Propher follows Jordan A. Mun, a dangerous bounty hunter who ends up stranded on Sempiria – a distant planet whose communication with the outside universe went dark hundreds of years ago. In fact, anyone who’s flown to it hoping to unravel its mysterious past was never heard from again. Jordan will have to use all her skills and wits if she hopes to be the first person in over 600 years to leave its orbit.
