Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophetis a breath of fresh air for anyone who’s followed Naughty Dog’s games and longed for a brand-new IP.UnchartedandThe Last of Ushave sustained Naughty Dog solely for more than a decade and, whileIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophetbeing a science-fiction game was leaked a while back and only recently proven true, it’ll be exciting to see what outer-space boundaries this new IP will shatter as it doles out the necessary worldbuilding and exposition that its universe demands.
What little has been shown inIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophet’s reveal teaserleaves whatever narrative it’ll tell up to players’ imaginations, such as why there is a huge automaton enemy or why the protagonist, Jordan A. Mun, is pursuing Kumail Nanjiani’s character. It’s also uncertain how much Jordan’s role as a bounty hunter will come into play or if that’s simply a backdrop for her character before the game’s events begin. Either way, while it might sound appealing to Naughty Dog not to indulge in any overly controversial or divisive subject matter,Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophetis a refreshing lease on life and should be as bold as Naughty Dog wishes to be.
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet’s Story Has the Advantage of No Baggage
It’s difficult tonail downIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophettonally. Not much has been shown at all, but a zany, retro atmosphere seems guaranteed amid a potentially dramatic science-fiction romp in space.Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophetmight end up aligning somewhere more closely toUnchartedand lean into wholesomeness if for no other reason thanThe Last of Usbeing notably depressing in contrast, and yetIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophetshouldn’t be afraid to have its story or characters go through a wringer again if it’ll create a more profound or poignant story.
The only reasonwhyThe Last of Us Part 2seemed to cause the meltdown that it didis because that group of players adores Joel and felt as if their emotions were being toyed with in every narrative beat. How players perceive Abby’s own trauma and losses will ultimately have a significant impact on players’ perspective ofThe Last of Us Part 2in general, and a strong sense of empathy is needed to understand the emotional roller coasters Abby and Ellie coast on.
The Last of Usonly has two actual entries and yet its storytelling and character writing was able to affect players as enormously as it has.
WithIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophetbeing a new IP, it can hopefully get away with similar choices and not stir outrage as easily since players won’t be familiar with its characters or garner such sacred and impassioned opinions in the franchise’s infancy. It’d be a bit surprisingif Naughty Dog ever held its punches when telling storiesnow—not that reverting to wholesomeness would be a backstep, but it has earned a name for itself in being able to tell a mature story that challenges perspectives and only truly concerns itself with characters and what choices they would make, rather than the choices that players wish characters would make.
That said, a thirdLast of Usgame is reportedly going to be developed at some point in the future, andIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophetbeing a considerable departure in tone, storytelling, and gameplay would be extraordinary, even if it’sSony- and PlayStation-fueled emphasis on cinematicsis already ensured by a wild degree of photorealism and stunning graphical fidelity.The Last of Usdefinitely shouldn’t withhold any emotional knife-twists in its final game, and in the meantimeIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophetcan and should chart a novel course for Naughty Dog beyond what it has proven to excel at.
