Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is the next big adventure by developer Naughty Dog. After franchises like Uncharted and The Last of Us, the hard sci-fi turn of Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is an intriguing change of pace compared to its more grounded counterparts. There is a lot to be excited about regarding Intergalactic, but one of its most compelling features is its setting.
The story of Intergalactic follows bounty hunter Jordan A. Mun, who ends up stranded on the mysterious and isolated planet of Sempiria. A sci-fi game that doesn’t put its focus on exploring multiple planets could be risky but, based on Naughty Dog’s track record, Intergalactic‘s universe is bound to be anything but boring.
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Although Intergalactic will likely differ from The Last of Us in a lot of ways, it will probably share one of the franchise’s strengths.
Intergalactic’s World Beyond Sempiria Can Still Feel Larger Than Life
Naughty Dog’s Has a Knack for Environmental Storytelling
An apparent lack of space exploration in Intergalactic doesn’t have to be bad news for sci-fi fans. Games like No Man’s Sky and Starfield boast the ability to venture into the unknown and discover new worlds, but narrative-driven stories have always been Naughty Dog’s bread and butter. Uncharted and The Last of Us utilized the environments within their respective stories to help build the lore further, especially when it comes to the latter.
Despite not being an open-world setting, The Last of Us makes its environment just as integral to the story as the interactions and dialogue of the characters. When rummaging through abandoned houses and sneaking around in crumbling skyscrapers, collectibles sprinkled throughout these areas tell their own smaller stories within the larger narrative. From the humorous to the downright heart-wrenching, finding something as simple as a piece of paper in The Last of Us games can shed light on how others have survived, or failed to, after the Cordyceps outbreak.
As of now, Intergalactic does not have a release date confirmed.
Intergalactic is Bound to Carry The Last of Us’ Torch
On the surface, both The Last of Us and Intergalactic are incredibly different, but the latter seems primed to continue the former’s tradition of expanding its lore through environmental hints. The Last of Us is incredibly detailed, even when it comes to small things, which makes the world feel far more rich. Since Intergalactic is based on a fictional planet, this gives Naughty Dog the opportunity to have even more fun with its environmental storytelling, as it can be an effective way to truly paint a picture of what life is like outside the orbit of Sempiria.
Even more fascinating, since Sempiria has supposedly not made outside contact in over 600 years, this could offer an incredibly skewed view of the greater universe. Due to the planet’s isolated nature, the citizens living on the planet may have resorted to crafting legends about what lies beyond Sempiria, which could be a compelling turn for the story.
Other Details Confirmed About Intergalactic, So Far
- Naughty Dog has been working on the project since 2020.
- The game stars actors Tati Gabrielle, Kumail Nanjiani, Tony Dalton, and Troy Baker.
- Protagonist Jordan fights with a laser sword that seems to be her primary weapon of choice, teasing a melee focus for the game’s combat.
- The game is being developed for the PS5.
Tati Gabrielle will also be playing Nora in Season 2 of HBO’s The Last of Us series.
More Insight Into Intergalactic’s World Will Hopefully Come This Year
The announcement of Intergalactic was a huge surprise at last year’s Game Awards, and this year hopefully has even more surprises and updates in store. As the year continues, it will be exciting to see what other details Naughty Dog chooses to share about its brand-new bold IP and the universe it has teased.
- Publisher(s)
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Sony Interactive Entertainment