Former Naughty Dog Animator Hopes Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Draws from Jak and Daxter and Crash Bandicoot, But Expects God of War Influence

Concrete details surrounding Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet remain tightly under wraps, with Naughty Dog quietly developing the highly anticipated PlayStation exclusive ahead of a full reveal scheduled for 2027. Based on initial teasers, the game promises to deliver an action-packed experience with a heavy emphasis on dynamic combat and narrative depth.

Recently, a former studio member offered his perspective on the project, where he expressed a desire to see the team return to the classic animation styles that defined earlier hits like Jak and Daxter and Crash Bandicoot.

However, he acknowledges that the game’s actual combat direction will likely align more closely with modern Santa Monica Studio blockbusters, particularly God of War.

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Should Be Inspired by Jax and Daxter and Crash Bandicoot, According to Naughty Dog’s Former Animator

Long before The Last of Us, Naughty Dog built its identity on platformers and adventure franchises that reshaped the PlayStation lineup. Some of the most iconic were Jak and Daxter and Crash Bandicoot, which marked a step forward for adventure and platformer games.

As such, a former studio member Rico Flores who worked at Naughty Dog as an animator suggested that Intergalactic could benefit from reviving keyframe-based combat, a technique heavily relied upon during the studio’s platforming era.

Unlike modern motion-capture systems that track real actors, keyframe animation relies on artists crafting movement frame-by-frame, allowing for exaggerated expressions, fluid motion, and distinct stylization.

“I’m really excited to see them return to a little more Jak and Daxter-like, keyframe kind of combat, because Naughty Dog was a heavy keyframe studio back in the day with Crash Bandicoot and Jak and Daxter and all these. There was really awesome keyframe talent there, with squash-and-stretch stuff. But then it got super hyper-real,” he said.

While Flores praised the Intergalactic trailer, he admitted to having mixed feelings about certain creative choices. Nonetheless, he remains eager to see the final product, believing Naughty Dog will draw heavy inspiration from one of PlayStation’s premier franchises.

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet’s Combat Could be Similar to God of War

Flores is confident Naughty Dog will pull off a dynamic, impressive combat system for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet and sees the potential for it to match the spectacle of God of War, which set the benchmark for the genre.

While Naughty Dog could easily build on what Santa Monica Studio accomplished, Flores believes his former studio will deliver something entirely unique that captivates PlayStation fans.

“But I think, with Intergalactic, because the combat is a bit more action, I think they’re going to do a little crazier combat than what you had. You could tell when she fights the giant robot and she jumps up in the air with a sword. She jumps 15 feet up in the air. I was like, ‘Oh, that’s cool.’ That’s going to be maybe more like God of War or something. But I want to see their take on that stuff, because it’s just been so long,” he stated.