Summary
Naughty Dog recently announcedIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophetat The Game Awards 2024, ending a long wait for a new IP from the Sony-owned studio. While its first reveal offered a brief look at the sci-fi game, Naughty Dog has now gone ahead and reportedly shed light on some more details aboutIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, ranging from its anime-rooted inspirations to how it goes back to the studio’s origins.
Being the developer behind some of the most iconic PlayStation IPs, Naughty Dog is a highly celebrated name in the game industry. This has been the case especially since 2013’sThe Last of Usburst onto the scene – raking in millions and bagging several awards – and established Naughty Dog as one of the leading developers in the business. In the following years, the American studio’s continued success with titles such asUncharted 4: A Thief’s EndandThe Last of Us Part 2has further cemented this position. Finally, after 11 years, theJak and Daxtercreator has revealed a brand-new IPthat will take players into the far frontiers of space.
In an interview with theNew York Times, Naughty Dog Studio Head Neil Druckmann describedIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophet’s story as “quite ambitious,” with faith playing a central role in the plot. Touching upon the fictitious religion featured in the game’s story, he revealed thatIntergalacticrevolves around “what happens when you put your faith in different institutions.” He further added that the forthcoming game would mark a return to the studio’s roots of making action-adventure titles likeCrash Bandicoot. Moving on, theNaughty Dog veteranshared that the game takes inspiration fromAkiraandCowboy Bebop, which are popular anime from the ’80s and ’90s respectively. It’s also worth noting that the announcement trailer showed protagonist Jordan A. Mun wearing a red jacket akin to that worn by theAkiracharacter Kaneda.
Naughty Dog Shares More Information About Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet
Talking about Tati Gabrielle, who plays Jordan in Naughty Dog’s new IP, Druckmann underlined her “intimidating presence.” Praising the Hollywood actress, who also appeared in theUnchartedmovie adaptation, theIntergalacticdirector recalled being blown away by her audition for the lead role. The Naughty Dog boss said that it was “like when I first saw Ashley Johnson as Ellie,” hinting at Gabrielle’s suitability for playing Jordan’s character.
Naughty Dog’s first look atIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, which introduced fans to bounty hunter Jordan and her mission on the isolated planet of Sempiria, seems quite promising, to say the least. The inclusion ofSony and other real-world brands, such as Adidas and Porsche, into the game’s alternative universe is another interesting highlight from the trailer. Based on the developer’s impressive portfolio, hopes are certainly high for its first original game in over a decade. However, whetherIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, which started development in 2020, meets those expectations or not is something only time will tell.
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet
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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.
