As popular as The Last of Us has become over the last decade, it’s no secret that many Naughty Dog fans were disgruntled with the lack of new projects from the studio. That’s all changed though, as they revealed their new game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, which looks like a return to the studio’s roots… sort of.
The announcement trailer, which runs for over four minutes, arrived during December 12’s Game Awards 2024 ceremony, marking the final reveal of the show. We already knew that Naughty Dog had been working away on a secret new project for years now, but a potential timeline was still a mystery. Well, we have to wonder no more, as the first-ever trailer packs quite a lot of information and dives deep into a solid ‘cassette futurism’ aesthetic. Before we get into all the juicy details, watch it below if you haven’t already:
According to the official PlayStation Blog, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is in development exclusively for PS5, which comes as no surprise this far into the current generation. It’s been in development since 2020 (when TLOU: Part II came out), and it follows “a dangerous bounty hunter” named Jordan A. Mun. The basic pitch? She ends up stranded and alone on the distant, enigmatic planet of Sempiria, a world “whose communication with the outside universe went dark hundreds of years ago.”
Jordan is on a mission that seems slightly personal, at least from what we can gather by watching the first trailer, but she’ll also “have to use all her skills and wits if she hopes to be the first person in over 600 years to leave its orbit.” If her voice sounds familiar, that’s because she’s played by Tati Gabrielle, who had a key role in the so-so Uncharted flick released in 2022.
Naughty Dog is teasing an “emotional, character-driven epic journey” that feels natural for the studio while also citing seminal anime sci-fi works such as Akira and Cowboy Bebop as strong inspirations. Anime even has an in-universe presence in the teaser, so they’re definitely cooking with gas over there.
While it’s too early to tell for sure, all signs (especially that final stretch of the trailer) are pointing to a more adventurous and lighter affair – even more so than Uncharted’s – that could bring the studio back to its more playful roots. Sure, it’s not a literal return to Jak and Daxter, but we’ll gladly take any sort of movement toward those colorful, swashbuckling sci-fi vibes. This is instantly becoming one of our most anticipated upcoming space games for sure.
