With the first anniversary of The Last of Us 2’s release fast approaching, a palpable sense of anticipation is building amongst Naughty Dog fans who are eager to see what the studio turns it hand to next on the PS5. For the last two console generations, the studio has routinely released some of the most critically and commercially loved games, somehow pushing the envelope further in terms of narrative and cinematic excellence with each successive hit.
Coming off the high points that Uncharted 4 and The Last of Us Part 2 both were, demand and speculation is naturally at an all-time high when it comes to potential brand new IPs, genres, and settings. The idea of a sci-fi game in particular has persisted within the studio’s fanbase thanks to numerous rumors, and at times, it seems to even been teased by Naughty Dog itself.
Life After The Last of Us 2
If a brand new sci-fi adventure is on the cards from Naughty Dog, it’s worth bearing in mind first of all that it’s unlikely to see the light of day until the studio has finished with its current work. That’s because the studio’s next immediate project, The Last of Us 2’s Faction multiplayer mode, has already been talked about candidly by a host of different people close to the project. Credible leaks have also recently pointed to the existence of a remake for The Last of Us now being in development within Naughty Dog too, which would bring the original installment in the series more in line mechanically with The Last of Us Part 2.
Savage Starlight
Naughty Dog has developed a cheeky reputation for leaking its own future projects without any outside assistance, via Easter eggs strategically hidden within its games. For years, no one realized that the first public hint that The Last of Us was in development, for example, could actually be seen in a newspaper article found within the opening sections of Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. Because of this revelation, a higher level of public scrutiny has since been applied to every Easter egg teased within the dense worlds the studio loves to construct.
That’s why one particular sci-fi themed rumor has persisted on the internet, ever since the release of The Last of Us. Throughout that game, Joel and Ellie could uncover collectible comic books based on an IP called Savage Starlight, an in-universe science fiction adventure series set in the year 2186. By comparison to previous teases, the Savage Starlight rumor has always appeared to be too out in the open and almost like a deliberate ruse set up to distract from other rumors. In 2013 when the rumor was at its peak, Naughty Dog did publicly visit Elon Musk’s SpaceX headquarters, which if noting else, lends credence to some form of science fiction themed game being at least considered.
Revisiting Old Ideas
Reading through The Art of Naughty Dog, a book dedicated to the first 30 years of the studio’s history, paints the picture of a studio that holds the sci-fi genre particularly close to its metaphorical heart. That makes particular sense when considering how important the fantasy and sci-fi infused Jak and Daxter series was to the studio’s history during the PS2 era. Howeve,r evidence exists that there’s more to the idea in the present as well, beyond just nostalgia themed reminiscing. Before charging ahead with the Uncharted franchise, one potential untitled concept the studio pursued for some time revolved around the idea of a science fiction adventure game that featured robots, androids, and a mysterious futuristic city.
Extensive concept art can be seen within the book for the canceled project, which features a host of photorealistic characters that line-up with the mature narrative themes that would likely be a part of any new IP. In a 2016 interview, the now former Naughty Dog game director, Bruce Straley, refused to comment on the concept art due to his belief that it could still one day play a part in the studio’s plans. One photo in particular was said at the time to still be of relevance, and would have formed an interesting challenge for the team. Even though any game in development for the PS5 based on those same pieces of art would likely have deviated dramatically by now, they could still be worth keeping in mind going forward.
Stray’s Cross
One science fiction themed leak in particular has persisted on the internet more than others, and has reared its head on multiple occasions. Specific details regarding the leak originally cropped up in various image boards before making its way over to Reddit in 2019, which means it should naturally be taken with a considerable grain of salt. According to one user who claims to have acquired information from a meeting between Naughty Dog and Sony, the studio’s next IP will be a first-person action game currently referred to internally by the codename Stray’s Cross.
Narratively the leaked plot is said to once again take Naughty Dog into the realms of the apocalypse, but would this time feature a steampunk aesthetic and locations ranging from Ancient Egypt to the far future. Of note is the fact that the game would incorporate both a male and female protagonist, in addition to being compatible for the recently announced second iteration of PS VR. In 2018, content creator Daniel Ritchman revealed he had reason to believe Naughty Dog were auditioning for a Black/African American male in one of their games, which would theoretically line up with the Stray’s Cross leaks.
Based on the amount of times Naughty Dog has flirted with the idea of a science-fiction themed game, and Neil Druckmann’s own professed love for games like Half Life, it’s hard to discredit this leak completely. With Sony likely to hold another gaming showcase over the summer, hopefully there will be definitive answers soon, but with the nature of Naughty Dog, fans may want to avoid holding their breath.
The Last of Us Part 2 is available now on PS4.
