Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Has To Improve This Feature From Last Of Us & Uncharted

With the recent reveal of Naughty Dog's upcoming major release, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, fans of the studio's previous hits will be excited to learn about new, overhauled, or improved gameplay mechanics that the game brings to the table. At first glance, The Heretic Prophet seems like could take full advantage of the sci-fi genre and capitalize on what possibilities the genre will open up. However, players will want to see if Naughty Dog has learned any new tricks, and whether they have updated or improved any mechanics from their previous hit franchises - in particular, The Last of Us and Uncharted series.

One feature of Naughty Dog's most popular series, The Last of Us and Uncharted, are the puzzles that players will come across throughout each journey. In the Uncharted series, puzzles range slightly in complexity, but are overall very simple and easy to solve, requiring minimal effort compared to similarly styled games in the same space. Similarly, The Last of Us suffers from oversimplified puzzles in both major installments. While none of these games are meant to be puzzle-intensive, the puzzles found throughout The Heretic Prophet's storyline shouldn't feel boring, or like players are being given a chore.

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Needs Better Puzzles

Puzzles Don't Need To Be Simple In The Heretic Prophet

When looking at the opportunities that a sci-fi-based Naughty Dog game opens up, many will look to story elements or combat mechanics, but puzzles are almost certainly going to be a feature of the new game, at least given the developer's track record. In both The Last of Us and the Uncharted franchises, puzzle-solving is a common part of traversing most levels, but these tasks are often tedious and mundane, such as Ellie crossing some water using a palette because she can't swim. The Heretic Prophet does not need to make puzzles impossible, but they should scale in difficulty as the game progresses.

These puzzles should also serve some purpose aside from introducing obstacles for the sake of it. While the Uncharted series gradually introduced more challenging puzzles with each new game, these acted as a reprieve from combat. Even the most challenging puzzles in Uncharted 4 were simple compared to other action-adventure games in the same space, and the most complex puzzles in The Last of Us merely require finding safe codes in nearby areas. Puzzles that teach or introduce new mechanics typically engage players more than those that simply get players from A to B.

Not all The Heretic Prophet players will even care if there are puzzles in the game at all, as sometimes these end up breaking immersion or feel out of place. A sci-fi setting opens many possibilities for excellent combat and narrative development, and players will expect more out of what purpose these puzzles serve. Ideally, the puzzles will not feel like an afterthought or a chore, and will give players more incentive to complete them. More complex puzzles that serve a clear purpose or function would also add to replay value, and can still be made widely accessible to many players.

Many Puzzles In Uncharted 4 And Last Of Us 2 Were Too Simple

The Heretic Prophet’s Puzzles Should Be Challenging And Add To The Story

Looking back at the puzzles in both Uncharted 4 and The Last of Us 2, there's no particular puzzle that stands out as especially difficult, but there are many that stand out as frustrating or tedious. This is largely due to the puzzles being a progression mechanic, meaning their core purpose is to get players from point A to B on the map, and that's about it. There are exceptions, such as the safe codes in Last of Us that reward players with much-needed supplies, or occasional treasure puzzles in Uncharted 4. However, these exceptions are still not particularly challenging.

In Last of Us 2, many fans complained about the overall lack of puzzles, while others thought fewer puzzles made sense for a story-driven action-adventure game. It's clear that if puzzles are going to be a part of The Heretic Prophet, developers at Naughty Dog need to strike the right balance between functional and traversal types of puzzles. These puzzles need to serve the larger story, give the player a strong incentive for completing them outside of getting to the next place, and be enjoyable at some level to complete. These puzzles should give players a sense of accomplishment, above all.

When it comes to the mechanics, purpose, and complexity of puzzles in The Heretic Prophet, it will be important that they serve a greater purpose than simply getting players across the map or rewarding some minor supplies. Hopefully, with the possibilities that a sci-fi setting introduces, the puzzles in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet will be improved from previous games.