Druckmann Wants New Game to Leave Players Lost

Neil Druckmann, director of The Last of Us, has offered new insights into Naughty Dog's upcoming title, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. In a conversation with Alex Garland, writer of 28 Days Later, Druckmann discussed the four-year development process, acknowledging the polarizing reaction to The Last of Us Part II. He jokingly framed Intergalactic as a deliberate shift towards a less contentious theme: faith and religion.

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Screenshots

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, starring Jordan A. Mun as Tati Gabrielle, unfolds in an alternate history featuring a prominent, yet evolved and distorted religion. The game centers on Jordan's character, who must utilize her skills to potentially become the first person in centuries to escape the planet where this religion is deeply entrenched.

Druckmann hinted at the game's narrative: "This religion exists on a single planet, and then all communication ceases," he revealed. "You play a bounty hunter pursuing her, and she crash-lands on this planet. Unlike our previous games, you're truly alone, lost and confused. To escape—a feat no one has accomplished in 600 years—you must unravel the planet's mysteries."

Recent news surrounding The Last of Us Season 2 confirms the return of spores, absent from Season 1. Showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin revealed an escalation in both the number and types of infected, alongside a shift in the infection's transmission method. Druckmann explained that while Season 1 introduced tendrils as a new infection vector, Season 2 will feature airborne elements, as seen in the latest trailer. Additionally, actress Kaitlyn Dever, who portrays Abby, discussed the challenges of navigating online reactions to her performance.