How The Last of Us May Decide the Size of Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet’s Adventure

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Without a doubt, The Last of Us Part 2 has been a common trend among AAA blockbusters in the last decade, given its lengthier gameplay duration compared to many action-adventure games. On a New Game playthrough, it typically lasts around 25–30 hours, considering the extensive exploration required. Conversely, The Last of Us Part 1 manages to tell an engaging narrative within a relatively shorter timeframe, despite Joel and Ellie’s grueling journey from Massachusetts to Utah and back to Wyoming spanning nearly a year. Remarkably, The Last of Us Part 2 is significantly longer in terms of gameplay, even though the story unfolds over just several months (excluding flashbacks) between Joel’s demise and Ellie’s return to her farmhouse from Santa Barbara.

The upcoming game titled “Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet” hasn’t revealed its length yet, but an interview between Neil Druckmann and Alex Garland provided some crucial timeline insights. It appears that “Intergalactic” is set 2,000 years into a future that diverges from our own in the late ’80s, which leaves Naughty Dog with plenty of creative freedom since it’s roughly contemporary to our current century. The game’s length could be influenced by whether its narrative follows the structure of “Part 1” or “Part 2”.

The Last of Us Part 1 is the Epitome of ‘Long Story Short’

In the initial part of “The Last of Us,” which is now referred to as Part 1, it fell upon this segment to establish necessary exposition and world-building expectations. This gradual introduction is a key aspect of Part 1’s design, and it might be said that the training wheels for the game aren’t fully removed until players encounter Lincoln and Bill. Only then, after meeting these characters, are Joel and Ellie left to face the hunters in Pittsburgh on their own.

Massachusetts serves as a location where characters learn about the functioning of quarantine zones under strict FEDRA regulations. It’s crucial to understand the dangerous consequences of escaping from a QZ, even for Joel and Tess who frequently break these rules due to their smuggling profession. The upcoming sci-fi game Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet might draw inspiration from The Last of Us Part 1 in terms of introducing its lore through environmental storytelling and a relentless opening, given the intricate and rebellious nature of Intergalactic‘s science fiction setting.

For the character Jordan A. Mun, it would be intriguing to delve into her role as a bounty hunter and perhaps reveal details about her home planet or the civilization during the timeframe of the Intergalactic narrative. However, it might not be essential to provide a backstory for Sempiria if Jordan is just as unaware of the planet as the players will be when they arrive there after crashing.

The Last of Us Part 2 Tells the Same Story Twice

Neil Druckmann’s remarks on the game “Intergalactic” suggest a preliminary outline of its unique identity, distinct from popular titles like Naughty Dog’s “Uncharted” and “The Last of Us.” By focusing on creating a game that explores feelings of solitude, Druckmann hints at the absence of a character named Jordan as an ally. The aim seems to be for players to become immersed in a location where they grapple with uncertainty about its past inhabitants, their identities, and the events that transpired there.

In my perspective as a movie critic, the intriguing narrative of “Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet” promises to unfold various mysteries. If the primary focus is on our character’s quest to escape Sempiria, it might resemble more the gripping survival storytelling of “The Last of Us Part 1“, diverging significantly from the complex emotional journey presented in “The Last of Us Part 2“.

One potential reason why Intergalactic might not follow in the footsteps of The Last of Us‘s sequel is that the latter’s narrative is presented from two characters’ viewpoints, effectively doubling its length. Since no additional playable character for The Heretic Prophet has been disclosed by Naughty Dog, it seems unlikely that the story would require a game of the same length as Part 2. However, given that Naughty Dog’s games have been growing in scale over time, it wouldn’t be shocking if Intergalactic matches or surpasses the length of Part 2, contingent on how much of Sempiria players choose to explore.

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2025-05-03 14:07