Summary
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophetis likely still at least a year or two away, but it already looks likeThe Last of Usdeveloper Naughty Dog’s most ambitious title yet. Not only does it signal the developer moving away from its most popular franchises for the time being, but it takes place in an entirely different world with brand-new characters, an original story, and fresh gameplay mechanics to boot. As such,Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophetwill be a big moment forNaughty Dog, in addition to it potentially having considerable impact on the video game industry as one of its most influential developers shifts gears.
Since it is a brand-new IP set in an unfamiliar sci-fi universe,Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophethas massive lore potential that it arguably needs to realize. Sci-fi worlds in general are already chock-full of interesting lore, and since lore is the one thing that can give these worlds context,Intergalacticcan’t afford to assume players will be interested in its world if they can’t follow its history. Assuming it does place a significant emphasis on its lore, the biggest issue, then, would be forIntergalacticto implement some way for players to both discover and keep track of said lore without any issues. As it turns out,Final Fantasy 16may have the perfect means for doing just that in its Active Time Lore.
Intergalactic Should Use Final Fantasy 16’s Active Time Lore
Active Time Lore Served as an Accessible Route to Final Fantasy 16’s Lore
Final Fantasy 16brought a great number of changesand bold innovations to the series' formula, with its real-time action combat and highly mature narrative being two of its most prolific. However, with all that it introduced to theFinal Fantasyfranchise, there may be nothing more innovative or influential than its Active Time Lore system. In fact, the system proved to be such an essential tool forFinal Fantasy 16’s lore that other games with extensive lore, likeMetaphor: ReFantazioandAvowed, have gone on to implement a similar system.
Final Fantasy 16’s developers implemented Active Time Lore when they discovered that even they were having a difficult time keeping track of the game’s lore.
Final Fantasy 16’s Active Time Lore feature allowed players to pause cutscenes or gameplay and pull up relevant lore entries about characters, factions, locations, and historical events in real-time. In the end, this ensured that players never felt lost in the story, even when complex layers were added toFinal Fantasy 16’s storyand world-building, and important terms and references were always available without interrupting the flow of gameplay. Additionally, rather than digging through menus to find a specific lore entry, players could view these as soon as they’re mentioned.
Intergalactic’s Lore Potential Makes a Strong Case for a System Like Active Time Lore
IfIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophettakes the plunge headfirst into its lore potential, it would be remiss not to feature a system like Active Time Lore, especially if it wants to keep players immersed in its retro sci-fi world. In doing so, certain words in lines of dialogue could be highlighted to indicate that they have been added to the game’s lore, with the option for players to immediately access that lore if they wish to. They could also see the different stages of a lore entry’s development, just asFinal Fantasy 16’s Active Time Loresystem allows, thereby giving them a better timeline of the knowledge they’ve gained.
Since it is a brand-new IP set in an unfamiliar sci-fi universe,Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophethas massive lore potential that it arguably needs to realize.
GivenIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophet’s ambition, a lore system like Active Time Lore could be the key to balancing the potential depth of its world with a level of accessibility that anylore-heavy gameshould arguably strive to maintain. With Naughty Dog stepping into uncharted territory,Intergalacticwill need to provide players with the right tools to immerse themselves in its universe without feeling like they’ve been left in the dark. Considering the fact that other major RPGs are followingFinal Fantasy 16’s lead, this could be the kind of innovation that helpsIntergalacticsucceed in the long run.
