One of the more intriguing rumors over the past few years has been the sci-fi game that may be in the works over at Naughty Dog. The Santa Monica-based developer could be dipping its does back into the science fiction realm for the first time sinceJak and Daxter, a franchise it has not worked on in over a decade.
The information on this secret sci-fi title varies. There have been hints ofa game namedSavage Starlightthanks to an Easter egg inThe Last of Us, a codenameStray’s Crosshas popped up online thanks to possible insider knowledge, and even the co-founder of Naughty Dog has teased at wanting to work on projects that would fall in line with something fresh and exciting for the developer. If any of the rumors are true, and for now they should likely be taken with a grain of salt, the Naughty Dog sci-fi game could be somewhat of a spiritual successor toJak and Daxter.
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Rumors on the Naughty Dog Sci-Fi Game
There arecountless rumors about Naughty Dog’s sci-fi title. The aforementionedSavage Starlightidea is one that picked up steam thanks to its place withinThe Last of Us. Naughty Dog likes to place Easter eggs within its own games that hint at future titles, as the apocalyptic world ofThe Last of Uswas foretold within anUnchartedEaster egg; for example. Fans have wondered if theSavage Starlightcollectible inThe Last of Usis hinting at something more from Naughty Dog. However, the nameStray’s Crosshas taken off as of late as well.
Rumors started a few years back thatNaughty Dog is working on an action-adventure namedStray’s Cross. The details of the time of the leak had the game being played in the first-person perspective. Additionally,Stray’s Crosswould have steampunk elements and follow two protagonists (much likeJak and Daxter).
Although there is a lot ofmystery aroundStray’s Cross, rumors and hints point to the idea that Naughty Dog and co-president Neil Druckmann are interested in a sci-fi game and taking the development team to new places. There would be a lot of value in capturing what the team has learned from games likeUncharted, The Last of Us, and its sci-fi days ofJak and Daxterand making something truly exciting with this now entirely new generation of video games.
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The Evolution and Growth of Naughty Dog
Naughty Dog has a rich history, as it has worked on huge titles and franchises such asThe Last of Us, Dream Zone, Uncharted,andCrash Bandicoot. The developer was founded back in 1984 under the name JAM Software (the name Naughty Dog took over in 1989). Naughty Dog is mostly known for being a subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment, meaning it develops first-party titles for PlayStation.
Naughty Dog has been a very respected developer in the gaming industry, but it reached new heights of endearment with theUnchartedseries, and thenThe Last of Us. While games likeCrash BandicootandJak and Daxterare looked back on fondly, they may not be seen in the same light as some of thegreatest story-telling games of all timeinUnchartedandThe Last of Us. That is not the scoff at a series likeJak and Daxter, by any means. Naughty Dog evolved over time. In fact, the developer likely took a lot of what it learned from the action-adventure and applied it to future titles; which it could again do with this rumored sci-fi game.
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The Jak and Daxter Games
TheJak and Daxterseries is now 20 years old, with the first releasing on the PS2 in 2001. The franchise launched the same year asHalo,but has not at all been able to reap the same type of long-term success. However, for a time the games were somewhat of the mascot of PlayStation.
The mainline trilogy released in just a three year-span;Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacywas the first, asJak 2launched in 2002 andJak 3released in 2004. Those threeJak and Daxtergames were a huge hit, both among fans and for Naughty Dog. The developer did help with or work on a couple ofJak and Daxterspin-offs, but it quickly moved on toUnchartedafter the release ofJak 3.
Jak X: Combat Racingreleased on the PS2 in 2005,Daxterwas a PSP game that launched in 2006, andJak and Daxter: The Lost Frontierin 2009 released on the PSP. Although a beloved series,Jak and Daxterwas a bit of a flash in the pan, as only collections/re-releases have been released sinceThe Lost Frontier,andNaughty Dog has confirmed that it is not working on any games in theJak and Daxteruniverse.
TheJak and Daxterfranchise incorporated science fiction, steampunk, and even cyberpunk elements into its gameplay and story. There are plenty of elements ofJak and Daxterthat could easily return in therumored Naughty Dog sci-fi game. Even ifJak and Daxteris gone, for now, it could spiritually return.
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What a Modern Naughty Dog Could Do with Sci-Fi
Naughty Dog’s recent franchises have been grounded–at least as grounded as something can be when globe traveling to steal ancient artifacts or when trying to escape from a natural organic zombie-like apocalypse. There certainly is a distinct difference between the recent games (UnchartedandThe Last of Us) and Jak trying to help his buddy Daxter who was transformed into a talking ottsel (half otter, half weasel), and Crash Bandicoot who is a marsupial that wears jeans. The sci-fi angle of a new series could allow Naughty Dog to lean back into some of that less-grounded nature–at least a little bit.
Seeing a grounded sci-fi Naughty Dog game in space could certainly be exciting, as well. That would be the decision that the developer would need to make. ButDruckmann has also talked about wanting to make aCowboy BeboporGhost Ridertype game, and that could certainly lean more towards hoverboards, cooky characters, and even “unrealistic” non-human beings.
Although it has been some time, Naughty Dog has proven to be a sound developer of over-the-top action adventures as well as games with grounded story-telling. The award-winning developer could certainly take things that it has learned fromUnchartedandThe Last of Us, but also create a spiritual successor toJak and Daxter, and make an interesting and special sci-fi.
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