We remember a time when it was quite the challenge to keep up with Naughty Dog. It was a studio that moved as fast as some of its protagonists, and was one that was already to switch things up, abilities that allowed it to be a major player in defining every PlayStation generation that it was a part of.
Think about it. Crash Bandicoot’s PS1 debut made the character an almost permanent fixture in modern gaming. The Jak franchise was a solid platformer that made great use of the PS2’s beefier configuration to make a compelling cast of characters and their adventures very popular. Things got even better during the PS3 era, with the studio managing to develop The Last of Us even as it brought three, yes, three Uncharted games. That momentum carried forward with the PS4, and it resulted in the studio giving us Uncharted 4, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, a sequel to The Last of Us, and a remaster of Joel and Ellie’s first adventure.
That’s quite the track record, but it’s also the main reason for our concern with what the studio has brought to the PS5. The Last of Us Part 1 was a great remake, and the remaster of the second game was also quite welcome. They were great final products, bringing the studio’s usual polish to the table, but they were still not new experiences, something that we had come to expect from the studio. So, just two games and that too a remaster and a remake, and that too at a time when the PS5 is likely on its last legs. Consider that against the PS5 bringing the scope for what could have been a great current-gen experience from Naughty Dog, and you begin to see why we’re in disbelief that we’ve not had anything new from it, yet. Yes, we know Intergalactic is in development, but hear us out first.
Sustained Progress
We’ve got a few reasons for that, and the first one is that this was once a studio that didn’t shy away from new ideas. Its identity in the preceding generations wasn’t just tied to the excellent games it was churning out, but in the way that those games often pivoted into areas that it hadn’t visited before. Crash Bandicoot and Jax were wildly different, yet equally potent experiences. The same goes for Uncharted and The Last of Us.
There’s also the fact that each of the franchises we’ve mentioned had multiple titles coming out, each of which tried new ideas set within the respective frameworks of the stories and gameplay loops that they set up. There were multiple Crash titles and a very entertaining racing one in Crash Team Racing. The Jak trilogy and Jak X had us quite entertained on the PS2. The Uncharted trilogy and The Last of Us are obvious ones that made the PS3 a very desirable console in the process, and the PS4 also had multiple titles from both franchises.
Naughty Dog felt like it was among the most relentless studios under Sony’s first-party umbrella, and one that was capable of banger after banger despite bold new gameplay ideas taking the stage in each one. That’s no easy feat, and the studio deserves credit for what it has achieved over those years. But that sense of forward momentum has been oddly absent for the PS5. Yes, everything that it has brought to the current-gen powerhouse has its usual polish, great technical upgrades, and the preservation of what made each franchise great in its own right. But it hasn’t felt like the studio was carrying Sony into the future this time around, and that’s a problem.
Yes, Intergalactic has been in the works for a while, with the studio saying that it’s been in development as early as 2020 before it was announced in 2024. Yes, there’s a strong chance that the studio’s claim that it’s going to be its most ambitious PlayStation title yet turns out to be true. But we’re yet to see any gameplay or receive any clarity regarding its release over the years, and with the next generation of gaming hardware now looming larger on the horizon with every passing day, it’s kind of hard not to feel like the PS5 era has cut into the studio’s penchant for quicker production and originality, instead positioning it as one focused on remakes and remasters in the public eye, at least for the last few years.
Intergalactic might prove all of this wrong, but it’s still a long way away from the looks of it. But until it does that, the studio is now defined not by what it’s creating, but on what it’s re-releasing.Of course, The Last of Us Online was in development before its cancellation. a decision that, in hindsight, we’d still call the right one, even if it slightly complicates the point we’re making here. The justification that it would require the diversion of valuable resources to post-launch support for years was valid, and we’d say it was a great way of thinking long-term.
But in the short-term, that choice has come with consequences. It has resulted in silence on the single-player front, the very thing that the studio was trying to save by avoiding a live-service commitment. It’s left a very noticeable gap in the PS5 generation, denying fans of an online game that might have been quite compelling, while simultaneously leaving them hanging on the promise of a big single-player title that’s yet to come.
The Challenges Of A New Generation of Games
You might argue that making great games takes time, and you’d be right. Modern AAA games are more expensive and time consuming, and games from a name like Naughty Dog are going to face even more scrutiny thanks to the studio’s own reputation for great visuals and technically sound releases. The audiences they’re made for are getting increasingly discerning, and quite vocal in calling out a perceived lack of quality, which makes the process of developing games that click right off the bat a challenge. There’s no denying that reality.
But this is Naughty Dog we’re talking about, and it continues to be an important part of Sony’s line-up of studios. It’s also experienced enough to tackle these issues head-on, and still come out on top. It isn’t a small inexperienced team, and we believe it’s justified to expect more from one of modern gaming’s biggest game studios It isn’t wrong for the studio to take the time it needs to craft something truly special, but the timing of it all does mess with the expectation of a generation defining title for what it currently the most iconic console in Sony’s line-up.
Which leads us to the question of what has changed in the years since the PS4 and PS5’s respective releases? The pivot into other media immediately comes to mind, as The Last of Us has now grown beyond its beginnings as a great video game into a prestigious TV property alongside its cycle of remakes and remasters, merchandising, and a PC release strategy, all of which require time and effort from the studio. All of that’s fine. We love Joel and Ellie’s gameplay mechanics, and the grim and gritty world that it takes place in. It’s a great choice for a serialized story or a riveting gameplay loop, depending on how you would like to consume it.
But has it become a sort of trap for Naughty Dog? Has the studio become too focused on a single IP, taking on the role of its guardian to the exclusion of all else? Has The Last of Us dominated the studio’s attention and distorted its output? Perhaps not, but it is a significant detail that must be considered against the backdrop of everything else we’ve talked about. But all hope isn’t lost, not while Intergalactic remains in its pipeline.
However, that’s a game that now has to bear the weight of an entire generation all on its own, as opposed to multiple releases in previous ones. It isn’t just the next big title from the studio, but a vehicle for the studio’s reputation. It’s a game that has to prove that Naughty Dog still has what it takes to make great new worlds, and that it isn’t in a creative rut that’s preventing it from looking past The Last of Us. The long silence from the studio must be justified, and Intergalactic isn’t going to be judged merely as a new IP from a major studio in modern gaming, but as a game that must allay years of frustrating silence and unmet expectations.
Why is that the case, though? Well, it’s a paradox of Naughty Dog’s own making. It raised the bar so consistently over the years that it now competes against itself, and now finds that everyone expects extraordinary things from it. We’d say a couple of great remakes and remasters from any other studio wouldn’t warrant any additional scrutiny unless the studio in question has consistently one-upped itself from release to release. It has trained us all to expect more from it, and not just see what it’s already managed to achieve just repackaged, no matter how attractive those options may be.
Looking To The Future
There’s still time, though, and the studio might even learn of our concerns and smile as it delivers an experience that makes the wait for Intergalactic worth it. But until then, the PS5 generation feels like Naughty Dog has lost a bit of focus, and has let the past few years be the strangest and perhaps the weakest period in its history. It certainly hasn’t lost its talent, but it definitely needs to work on its rhythm.
It’s played things too safe this time around, relying on its past instead of clearly looking into the future as it always has. But we hold out hope for Intergalactic flipping the script, and feeding us a slice of humble pie we’d gladly chomp into when it finally comes along. Let’s hope, for Naughty Dog’s sake, that it happens sooner rather than later.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.
