Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is switching gears from Naughty Dog’s more recent franchises. This time around, Naughty Dog is combining sci-fi with a retro edge. Between a Porsche-branded spaceship and the use of “It’s a Sin” by Pet Shop Boys, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is clearly seeking to blend futurism with heavy 80s inspiration. While this mix of 80s product placement and groundbreaking future technology isn’t entirely new, one of the core features that helps Intergalactic still feel unique is its apparent melee focus.
Naughty Dog’s hard turn into a new genre could be a breath of fresh air for the studio. Between The Last of Us and Uncharted, the developer has stayed fairly grounded with its IP’s worlds. The Jak and Daxter franchise blends futuristic and fantasy elements, but Intergalactic opting for a full-blown sci-fi world is an exciting frontier that Naughty Dog has yet to explore. One of the most exciting features showcased in the game is protagonist Jordan’s plasma sword, suggesting a preference for melee over guns. This is a compelling shake-up for Naughty Dog, and Insomniac’s Wolverine game could potentially serve as an unlikely, but perfect, blueprint.
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What The Last of Us’ Tattoo Significance Suggests About Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet
Because Ellie’s tattoo in The Last of Us bears symbolic layers, it isn’t inconceivable to think that Jordan’s tattoos in Intergalactic will, too.
Intergalactic and Wolverine’s Primary Weapons Create Gameplay Hurdles
Between Intergalactic and Wolverine, the two games seem to mostly have a melee combat system. Of course, it’s important to note that in Intergalactic‘s trailer, Jordan has a gun strapped to her leg in the end cutscene, but with the main emphasis being on the plasma sword, it feels safe to assume that this is the main weapon used in combat. Naughty Dog embracing melee is intriguing, as it has previously put a huge focus on fine-tuning long-ranged combat with Uncharted and The Last of Us. Putting melee front and center is a bold departure, and Wolverine could help inform the developer on how to approach this combat method in a way that avoids becoming repetitive.
Intergalactic stars actress Tati Gabrielle. She will also be playing the role of Nora in season 2 of HBO’s The Last of Us series.
Wolverine’s Claw-Based Fighting Mechanics Will Have to Stay Dynamic
The biggest issue with a single weapon is that it can grow stale the longer players spend time with a game. Wolverine only has his claws at his disposal, and Insomniac has yet to reveal how it plans to keep its combat exciting. After a while, simply hacking and slashing is bound to grow old, so it’s likely that Wolverine’s claws will either receive upgrades, or there may be undisclosed extra weapons that bring some long-ranged moments to combat.
Similarly, Intergalactic seems bound to offer sword upgrades in some capacity. Although it was a far more grounded approach, The Last of Us made upgrading weapons an important part of its mechanics, so it’s definitely not outside the realm of possibility for Intergalactic to do the same.
Naughty Dog’s hard turn into a new genre could be a breath of fresh air for the studio.
Everything Confirmed About Intergalactic
- Follows Jordan A. Mun, a space-dwelling bounty hunter.
- The story takes place on a mysterious planet known as Sempiria.
- No one has been able to contact or leave Sempiria in over 600 years.
The teased plasma blade in Intergalactic is just as compelling as its setting and story, so hopefully Naughty Dog will drop more details later this year. Between Intergalactic and Wolverine, the release date of the two games currently remains a mystery. At this point, it is unlikely that both will be released this year. However, both Naughty Dog and Insomniac offering insight into the combat mechanics of their respective games would answer a lot of questions.
These two titles seem like unlikely companions on the surface, but their shared use of melee-heavy fighting methods serves as an exciting connection. Although it’s still a while away, Intergalactic teases plenty to be excited about, and it will be fascinating to see how Naughty Dog and Insomniac approach similar combat styles.
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.
- Publisher(s)
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Sony Interactive Entertainment