The 2024 Game Awards had a jaw-dropping moment when Sony's Naughty Dog unveiled their brand new IP, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. After nearly two decades of focusing on The Last of Us and Uncharted, it’s thrilling to see the studio finally break new ground with something fresh—especially since it’s been in development since 2020. And, as expected, it will be a PlayStation exclusive.
Intergalactic marks Naughty Dog’s first new IP in almost 20 years, so expectations are high. The trailer gives off strong retro sci-fi vibes, reminiscent of Guardians of the Galaxy. The main character, Jordan A. Mun, a tough-as-nails bounty hunter, is stranded on Sempiria—a mysterious planet that’s been cut off from the outside world for centuries. Anyone who’s tried to explore it before has disappeared without a trace. Now, it’s up to Jordan to figure out how to be the first in 600 years to escape its orbit.
The trailer definitely leans into nostalgia, with Jordan embracing everything from ‘80s anime to a Sony CD player, Porsche branding on her ship, and even sporting Adidas shoes. It’s fun but feels a little like a string of ad placements more than anything that helps define her character. Here’s hoping the full game uses these details in a more organic way.
One thing that stood out to me is the irony of a game called Intergalactic being focused on a single planet. I’m hoping we’ll get to explore more locations across the galaxy, though. The debut trailer didn’t quite hook me—it felt like the nostalgic sci-fi theme has been done to death, and it didn’t give much of a sense of what the game will actually be like. But, we all know Naughty Dog is an incredible studio, so I’m still excited to see what they can do with something outside of The Last of Us. Personally, I was hoping for a bit more of a bold return to their cartoony roots with something like Jak & Daxter or Crash Bandicoot, but maybe this will surprise us in ways we didn’t expect.
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