Naughty Dog's Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Trailer Has Completely Won Me Over

While watching the numerous trailers showcased at last night’s Game Awards, I experienced several moments of excitement, thinking things like, “This looks awesome!” and “Oh, that seems entertaining!” However, it was the announcement of Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet that truly caught my attention and made me think, “I want to play this right away.” This reaction surprised me, especially since I wasn't a fan of The Last of Us at all.

I'm a big fan of movies and video games that explore space themes. I also have a soft spot for stories about solitude. In my perfect world, I imagine myself drifting aimlessly in a small space station, enjoying a strong internet connection, and maybe even having a module for my wife and child. When I come across these scenarios in games, they always captivate me. Titles like No Man’s Sky, Subnautica, Raft, and even Minecraft from 2008 draw me into the peacefulness of being alone. And even though I can’t quite remember its name for long, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet instantly gave me those same feelings.

This isn’t really about a specific genre, I should mention. It definitely has the appearance of an action-packed game where you take on wicked robots, rather than a survival simulation. Instead, it’s focused on being an individual who enjoys their own company. A misanthrope? Not exactly. Let’s call it “introverted.”

I immediately found myself drawn to the character. Her name is Jordan A. Mun, a bounty hunter who seems to be fixated on a mission that her agent wishes she would abandon. The newspaper clippings displayed on her ship reveal that she was once a member of a notorious group of criminals known as the Five Aces, and one of those members is the target of her pursuit: Colin Graves, portrayed by Kumail Nanjiani (from The Big Sick and The Eternals). It seems that the gang disbanded, and now she’s on a quest to track down each of them.

Mun, portrayed by Tati Gabrielle, has an incredibly charming personality right from the start. Her bright eyes and playful demeanor shine through, especially when she chooses to ignore her agent's suggestions. Thanks to impressive motion capture and artistic design, she expresses a lot about her character with even the slightest facial movements. I’d love to spend time with her, but in reality, we’d probably keep our distance, exchanging nods before settling at opposite ends of the ship.

Image credit: Naughty Dog / Kotaku

Although the part of the trailer where a robot gets hit with a sword didn’t exactly excite me, I find it oddly satisfying that this is a Naughty Dog production, despite my, well, somewhat lukewarm feelings toward their previous work.

Honestly, when it comes to games made by Naughty Dog, I can be a bit of a wet blanket. I really can’t stand Crash Bandicoot—it feels like the very opposite of enjoyable gaming to me. You can’t see where you’re going, and you have to fail to move ahead: ugh. It reminds me of Rick Dangerous in 3D. Since I mostly played on PC during the PS2 and PS3 years, I totally missed out on the early Uncharted titles. When The Last of Us was released, I was curious but ended up really disliking it. I loathed it! It was a level of dislike that I would typically describe as somewhat concerning in a person!

I really disliked how it casually took the life of a child just to motivate some uninspiring character (I’ve discussed this in more detail previously), and I also couldn’t stand that it was yet another cover shooter during a period when so many games were following that trend. I found it exceptionally annoying and pretentious!

Image credit: Naughty Dog / Kotaku

I’m not trying to justify my feelings as a strong viewpoint. It’s just an emotional response that’s unusual for me. Since I know many smart and thoughtful people who really enjoy the game, I can’t help but think I’m missing something important. That said, I still believe that what happened was a terrible and shocking instance of “fridging,” and I might just end up sulking about it.

I finally got around to playing Uncharted, and I'm excited to share that the games are really impressive! I had some challenges along the way, and I did encounter a lot of crates. However, overall, they are truly fantastic games, primarily thanks to their engaging and relatable storytelling.

This really makes me consider, "You know, I might just tough it out and keep battling robots with swords if it means I can enjoy the kind of impressive acting I saw in that trailer, along with a storyline that fits the character. I’m totally on board! Also, a shout-out to the actress voicing the agent—I adored her performance as well! I'm excited and feeling great about this! I want to step into the role of a badass space bounty hunter who's got her own back!"

Sure, it might turn out to be a total disaster (a term you probably don't know). Who can say? No one really knows for sure. It would be pretty foolish to make judgments about a game based on just one trailer. But if I allow myself to feel a bit optimistic about it, out of all the games in that stack of ads, this one really caught my attention. I’m feeling excited about it!

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