Naughty Dog
Neil Druckmann reveals the difference between the protagonist of Intergalactic and the rest of his work: “I really want you to be lost”
The director speaks of a specific change of direction on the dynamics of his protagonist in the new game.
The interview that the director and co-president of Naughty Dog gave about Intergalactic gave a lot, but revealed very little. We know some contextual ideas, the reasons why the many 80s references make sense in a futuristic spaceship environment, or the importance of religion in the plot. But one particular aspect that caught our attention in the interview is why the protagonist, Jordan, will be alone in the adventure and the unexpected contrast that marks the studio’s history.
Alone in the unknown
And it is true, throughout the career of the Californian team, the bet has always been to accompany the protagonist well. Sometimes with a co-protagonist, as in the case of Jak & Daxter or Joel and Ellie, other times with important characters around them who act as partners, friends and mentors, even if they are less involved in the action, as would be the case with Sully in Uncharted. But in the case of Intergalactic, Jordan will be alone, crashing on an isolated planet for 600 years to try to get a particularly difficult reward. It is a strange, hostile environment, a mystery that surrounds everything and must be unraveled before he can even consider completing the objective and escaping.
The choice is neither casual nor capricious, as Druckman confirms. The team’s intention with this project is to make you feel alone on a strange and alien planet, “I really want you to be lost in a place that you’re really confused about what happened here, who are the people here, what was their history. And in order to get off this planet — again, no one has been heard from this planet for 600 years or so — if you ever have hoped to have a chance to get off, you have to figure out what happened here,” says the American-Israeli developer.
It’s easier to get that feeling when you don’t have an emotional anchor at your side, like other games that successfully evoke that alien feeling, like the best Metroid games. You can read more about the details of the project here.
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