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When the announcement trailer for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet concluded the barrage of trailers and 'world premieres' at last year's Game Awards, the jaw-dropping fidelity of its in-game cinematics captured on PS5 would have been enough for anyone watching to sit up and pay attention. But let's be real, the biggest reason to be excited was cemented at the end of this lengthy four-minute trailer came at the end as it was confirmed that this is a brand new game from Naughty Dog, "the studio that brought you Crash Bandicoot, Jak & Daxter, Uncharted, The Last of Us."
It's no understatement that the Santa Monica-based studio has been the jewel in PlayStation's crown ever since it was acquired by Sony back in 2001, all the more so with the success of The Last of Us that has gone beyond video games. I also don't think it's hyperbole to call The Last of Us Part 2 a masterpiece from the PS4 generation.
The past of us
That was however the last generation, and as the years of the PS5's life has marched on, it's just been feeling like a bad hangover that's been milked within an inch of its life. Don't get me wrong, The Last of Us Part 1 is arguably the best way to experience the post-apocalyptic story today, not just visually but also by incorporating all of the accessibility features first introduced in The Last of Us Part 2.
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But while its sister studios have released new titles this generation, it feels like the most pioneering studio in Sony's stable has been forever hung up with its past success. The HBO adaptation (which it seemed studio president Neil Druckmann had also been spending too much time on, by his own admission), hasn't helped matters, nor goodness knows how much time and resources were wasted on the cancelled online multiplayer spin-off, The Last of Us Factions.
So what does Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, the studio's first new IP in more than a decade, have in store for us? Apart from its initial reveal, there really hasn't been much to go on other than that it is a sci-fi adventure that has been in development since 2020, with space bounty hunter Jordan A. Mun as its protagonist, portrayed by Tati Gabrielle. Looking nothing like Samus Aran, Jordan is once again an example of Naughty Dog crafting female leads that don't stick to convention, haters be damned.
The game will largely take place on the distant isolated planet of Sempiria where Jordan becomes stranded after pursuing a bounty in desperation. It's a set-up that's already giving me Returnal vibes (even if for those actual vibes, Housemarque's already got Saros cooking for next March), although Jordan looks more comfortable swinging a meaty energy sword at a giant killer robot in a misty alien forest. Whatever kind of game it ends up being, those few seconds of kick-ass action is still enough to make a statement that this is not another harrowingly gritty tale that we've endured with Joel and Ellie.
Sempiria is, naturally, a hostile dangerous planet where, apparently, no one who has flown to it has ever been heard from again. Though, the inclusion of Sempirian script in both the trailer and the title would suggest that it is home intelligent alien civilization – or at the very least, was. But, from the brief banter seen between Jordan and her bounty handler AJ (played by The Last of Us Part 2's co-writer and narrative lead Halley Gross), while the former slurps on a milkshake and we get a Pet Shop Boys needle drop, it's fair to say that the tone is comparably lighter than a parable on the cycle of violence.
Old dog, new tricks
There must surely also be more than just nostalgia-baiting for the trailer to proudly reference the studio's backlog.
That's not to say that Intergalactic is Naughty Dog going back to the days of Jak & Daxter or Uncharted (admittedly both series took darker and more mature tones over time), but there must surely also be more than just nostalgia-baiting for the trailer to proudly reference the studio's backlog. When Neil Druckmann claims that Intergalactic will have "the deepest gameplay in Naughty Dog’s history, taking our learnings from our previous franchises and pushing them beyond anything we’ve ever done before", I'm willing to bet he isn't just referring to The Last of Us.
Sony's output is undeniably packed with cinematic blockbusters, and judged on their own, God of War Ragnarok, Ghost of Yotei, and Marvel's Spider-Man 2 do all have their own merits, but I think they're also missing the secret Naughty Dog sauce.
No other AAA studio tells stories like it does, that is not only something that looks like it could be playing in the theater but actually has the script and performances to chuck all the awards at – and there's not been a story that has been as divisive, uncompromising and unforgettable as The Last of Us Part 2's. Photorealistic visuals have never been more in reach for studios but who else has the same painstaking care and attention to detail as the rope physics in that sequel? I'm just waiting with bated breath for it to repeat that magic and raise the bar again but for something genuinely new.
I'm slightly worried that Intergalactic may be the latest victim of Sony's tendency to reveal upcoming projects too early, as there's still no update on the game since its initial reveal nor release window. With 2026 already set for being the year of the Wolverine, it probably won't be a surprise if it ends up landing in 2027 or beyond. Nonetheless, last year's trailer was a necessary line in the sand to remind naysayers that Naughty Dog is still very much relevant, and in a post-TLOU world, its future is looking bright.
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