The Last of Us Director Neil Druckmann Wants Naughty Dog's New Game Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet to Make You Feel 'Really Lost and Confused'

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 controversial 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 become the first person in centuries to escape the planet where this religion is deeply ingrained.

Druckmann hinted at the game's narrative: "This religion exists on a single planet, and then all communication ceases. You play a bounty hunter pursuing your target, who crash-lands on this planet. Unlike our previous games, you'll be utterly alone, lost and confused about the planet's history and inhabitants. To escape—a feat no one has accomplished in 600 years—you must unravel the planet's mysteries."

Recent news regarding The Last of Us Season 2 confirms the return of spores, absent from Season 1. Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, the showrunners, revealed an escalation in both the number and types of infected, and a new method of infection involving airborne elements. Actress Kaitlyn Dever, who portrays Abby, also shared her experience with the role and her difficulty avoiding online reactions.