Naughty Dog unveiled its first new IP since 2013 at The Game Awards 2024, a sci-fi game titled Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. This marks a significant departure from the studio’s established franchises, Uncharted and The Last of Us. While a release date remains undisclosed, a 4-minute, 33-second trailer offered a glimpse into the game’s universe. However, initial reactions have been surprisingly divided, trending towards negative sentiment.
The announcement trailer, hosted on both the official PlayStation and Naughty Dog YouTube channels, has garnered more dislikes than likes. Interestingly, comments were disabled on the Naughty Dog version, perhaps anticipating the polarized response. This preemptive measure contrasts with the PlayStation channel, where comments remain enabled, revealing a wave of criticism.
This divisive reception is unexpected, considering Naughty Dog’s track record of critically acclaimed and commercially successful titles like The Last of Us Part 2, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, and the original The Last of Us. While 2017’s Uncharted: The Lost Legacy fell short of these benchmarks, the studio has generally maintained a reputation for excellence.
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The comments on the PlayStation trailer provide insight into the negativity. Several popular comments express disappointment, comparing the game unfavorably to Naughty Dog’s previous work. One commenter stated, “I can’t believe that this is the same studio that brought us the Uncharted series.” Another highlighted the unexpected decision to leave comments enabled: “The most surprising thing about this trailer is that Sony left the comments on.”
While criticisms are varied, much of the negative feedback appears to center on the game’s protagonist. Additional concerns include perceived excessive brand placement within the trailer and criticisms of the writing and tone.
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet’s rocky start raises questions about its future reception. While first impressions can be difficult to overcome, Naughty Dog’s reputation, talent, and resources suggest the initial negativity may not be indicative of the final product. The game is expected to perform well commercially, but it remains to be seen whether it can achieve the same level of critical acclaim and sales success as the studio’s previous titles. Given Naughty Dog’s prestige and the likely substantial investment in this new IP, the high expectations and less-than-ideal initial response create significant pressure.
As of this writing, neither PlayStation nor Naughty Dog have addressed the negative feedback surrounding Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Any updates on this matter will be reflected in future coverage.
