Last Updated on Oct 29, 2025 @ 14:34:57 PM.
Director Neil Druckmann has established a reputation for himself, particularly for his contributions to iconic franchises such as Uncharted and The Last of Us. The gaming community fell in love with how he managed to make video game characters feel relatable and part of a massive Hollywood production full of action and drama, while revolutionizing traditional gameplay.
As a game developer and director, Druckmann had no other place to go but up. For his next major project, it is often described as ambitious and expansive for all the right reasons. While details about when the PlayStation community can get their hands on the next big Naughty Dog game are scarce, the director can only sing its praises and tease what he and his colleagues are cooking.
Neil Druckmann Describes the Gameplay of Intergalactic as an Evolution of Previous Games
After finding success in developing groundbreaking games like The Last of Us franchise, Druckmann is ready to move on from a post-apocalyptic and grounded game to a route with science fiction. The developers have been working on this game for the last five years, and Druckmann finally had an opportunity to talk about it.
In a recent interview, Neil Druckmann discussed how this new IP will be different from his previous games from a gameplay standpoint:
“You could look at our previous titles and see the evolution of going from “Uncharted,” where we’re really cutting our teeth on realistic character-action game, third-person shooter, combined with emotional storytelling.”
Druckmann also mentioned that the buddy system, which was present in The Last of Us and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, is something that will not be featured in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. In those games, you would have Ellie hanging out with Joel, or Sam and Sully helping Nate in a fight. It seems like Jordan will be alone for the most part and will create a sense that you are alone in a mysterious universe.
“With “The Last of Us,” we added some RPG elements, we started playing with wide linear layouts. Continue that trajectory forward, add sci-fi and you start to get the sense of what we’re doing, and then we’ve gotten even more ambitious than that.”
From the reveal trailer during last year’s The Game Awards, it seems this game will have a strong focus on melee combat as opposed to the third-person shooter and RPG mechanics from previous Naughty Dog games. The developers often find ways to one-up themselves and deliver something new and better.
“So really looking forward to see how it all comes together. I think you’re all going to be pleasantly surprised by it.”
Neil Druckmann has a clear vision for his upcoming game and is sparing no expense by fully committing throughout production. This could potentially be his most ambitious video game to date.
Uncharted and The Last of Us Ran So Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Could Fly
Aside from the visuals and storytelling, Naughty Dog was revered for the gameplay of each game and how they all feel similar yet different. In Uncharted games, players can go in and out of stealth while evading mercenaries with explosions that could rival most blockbuster films. On the other hand, resource management is a must in The Last of Us. There is no telling how far the developers can elevate the same gameplay DNA, especially for a brand new IP.
The gaming community has high hopes, and director Neil Druckmann aims to deliver. There is a good chance this new game will have familiar gameplay beats to previous Naughty Dog games, but will bring something new to the table. Do you think the gameplay will live up to the hype? Let us know in the comments section below!
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is coming soon, exclusively for the PlayStation 5.
For more Thumb Wars coverage, check out what the art director of 007 had to avoid while making the game, and new leaks for GTA 6 that involve parody websites.
Rouvin Josef Quirimit is a Content Writer, an avid gamer (on his PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch), and film enthusiast. He was fortunate to grow up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and was enamored by the storytelling of a shared universe full of heart and spectacle. His love for movies led him to great single-player games and he intends to cover major franchises for years to come!
