Review
Played on: Xbox Series XReleased: 2022
Released in the same time frame as the Dead Space remake, review here, Callisto Protocol probably could've chosen a better timing. Being a huge fan of the Dead Space titles, I went ahead and picked up Callisto Protocol on a digital sale. I’d heard it was similar to Dead Space, yet I wasn’t prepared for it to be this alike.
While on the surface it has a similar industrial sci-fi setting, atmosphere and in general brutal depiction of horror, down to the exact same foot stomping for downed enemies, Callisto Protocol has a few tricks up its own sleeve. Featuring a melee focused gameplay approach.
Developed by a subsidiary of PUBG Studios, yes that battle royale game, based in South Korea. The Callisto Protocol development was interested in making a sci-fi horror when Glen Schofield, who script wrote and directed the original Dead Space, came onboard the project. It’s easy to understand why it’s resemblances EA’s, sci-fi horror, series so much!
Comparisons will be made, but let’s take a closer look at what this Callisto Protocol is all about.
In typical sci-fi horror fashion, hello Alien, Callisto Protocol begins onboard a freighter spaceship. As the main protagonist Jacob, with a super detailed character model, inspects the ship's cargo, the whole ship is boarded. A dramatic shootout later, and the ship crashes on one of Jupiter's moons, Callisto. Still confused after the crash, Jacob is arrested, alongside one of the female terrorists which boarded his ship, and locked into prison.
However, Jacob awakens in his cell, door broken, amidst a chaos of fire, destruction and escaped prisoners. Confused, he's guided by a fellow prisoner to escape and get out of the whole mess. However, Jacob quickly realises there’s something truly sinister and horrible going on.
Soon enough you'll realise prison cellmates have turned into aggressive, mutants. From here, you're quickly taught the game's more unique aspect of it's swerve based, dodging melee combat, differentiating itself from Dead Space. When an enemy attacks, depending on it's movement, you can make Jacob swerve from left to right to avoid oncoming hits. Allowing him breathing room to strike with his own baton weapon. Think boxing swerves, basically.
It’s a dodge and attack combat, which even on the lowest difficulty is quite tricky. I can imagine this appeals a lot to people enjoying hard, time based, combat in other games. I found it enjoyably intense though, feeling the sheer brute force of hits and enemy attacks. You can make the left and right dodging easier with a toggle to allow you to dodge in any direction, regardless of enemy attack.
Released in the same time frame as the Dead Space remake, review here, Callisto Protocol probably could've chosen a better timing. Being a huge fan of the Dead Space titles, I went ahead and picked up Callisto Protocol on a digital sale. I’d heard it was similar to Dead Space, yet I wasn’t prepared for it to be this alike.
While on the surface it has a similar industrial sci-fi setting, atmosphere and in general brutal depiction of horror, down to the exact same foot stomping for downed enemies, Callisto Protocol has a few tricks up its own sleeve. Featuring a melee focused gameplay approach.
Developed by a subsidiary of PUBG Studios, yes that battle royale game, based in South Korea. The Callisto Protocol development was interested in making a sci-fi horror when Glen Schofield, who script wrote and directed the original Dead Space, came onboard the project. It’s easy to understand why it’s resemblances EA’s, sci-fi horror, series so much!
Comparisons will be made, but let’s take a closer look at what this Callisto Protocol is all about.
In typical sci-fi horror fashion, hello Alien, Callisto Protocol begins onboard a freighter spaceship. As the main protagonist Jacob, with a super detailed character model, inspects the ship's cargo, the whole ship is boarded. A dramatic shootout later, and the ship crashes on one of Jupiter's moons, Callisto. Still confused after the crash, Jacob is arrested, alongside one of the female terrorists which boarded his ship, and locked into prison.
However, Jacob awakens in his cell, door broken, amidst a chaos of fire, destruction and escaped prisoners. Confused, he's guided by a fellow prisoner to escape and get out of the whole mess. However, Jacob quickly realises there’s something truly sinister and horrible going on.
Soon enough you'll realise prison cellmates have turned into aggressive, mutants. From here, you're quickly taught the game's more unique aspect of it's swerve based, dodging melee combat, differentiating itself from Dead Space. When an enemy attacks, depending on it's movement, you can make Jacob swerve from left to right to avoid oncoming hits. Allowing him breathing room to strike with his own baton weapon. Think boxing swerves, basically.
It’s a dodge and attack combat, which even on the lowest difficulty is quite tricky. I can imagine this appeals a lot to people enjoying hard, time based, combat in other games. I found it enjoyably intense though, feeling the sheer brute force of hits and enemy attacks. You can make the left and right dodging easier with a toggle to allow you to dodge in any direction, regardless of enemy attack.
There's guns at your disposal too, but these serve best after hitting an enemy a few times with the baton, then using the bullet force to push back or end an enemy's life. Later in the game, you can of course take out a few from afar, but mainly the guns serve as a finishing move.
Guns are all based around the same trigger handle, requiring you to discover blueprint schematics for several types of firearms. Be it a handgun, shotgun, machine pistol etc., they can all be upgraded with higher damage, ammo counts, less recoil and so forth at 3D printing machines. Neatly enough, extra parts are added visually, making the whole firearm appear larger for each upgrade.
Ammo is sparse, so melee is required to get yourself through the many enemies. Unfairly, I found the inventory extremely limited, forcing you to drop items before finding the next 3D printer shop to dispose of them and earn cash. The money is limited too, mostly earned through killing enemies. More profitable is trading in electric components you find hidden here and there.
There’s a feeling of sparse interactivity throughout, with only obvious breakable crates and some select wardrobes which contain items to pick up. Otherwise, there are some obvious, Dead Space like, boxes with lights to either stomp or drag down from high ledges with your gravity ability. Sounds familiar, maybe a little too familiar to that "other" sci-fi horror game!
Ammo is sparse, so melee is required to get yourself through the many enemies. Unfairly, I found the inventory extremely limited, forcing you to drop items before finding the next 3D printer shop to dispose of them and earn cash. The money is limited too, mostly earned through killing enemies. More profitable is trading in electric components you find hidden here and there.
There’s a feeling of sparse interactivity throughout, with only obvious breakable crates and some select wardrobes which contain items to pick up. Otherwise, there are some obvious, Dead Space like, boxes with lights to either stomp or drag down from high ledges with your gravity ability. Sounds familiar, maybe a little too familiar to that "other" sci-fi horror game!
Visually, Callisto is stunning. It utilises the previous Unreal Engine 4 in an extremely impressive manner, right up there with Gears of War 4 & 5 in quality. Tons of small detail in interiors, all down to particles drifting about in the air. While there’s a somewhat sparse variation in location styles, think a consistent metallic and dark look. That said, it's more varied as such than the Dead Space Remake.
From nasty looking rooms with organic matter growing on the walls, and eerie basement areas where you wade in water, makes for some visually uncomfortable places to explore. Same goes for the medical wing with tiles and blood splattered experiments scattered about. It’s not exactly reinventing anything with its environments, but they're very detailed. Same goes for the excellent character models, their faces look stunning.
This eye for detail, makes for some uncomfortable and scary exploration in many areas. You have to venture forth, yet your're reluctant to enter the next creepy room or blood soaked corridor!
What didn’t impressive me technically are the rather limited areas to roam, with sparse interactivity, consistently interrupted with sequences where the main character squeezes through tight corridors and ventilation shafts. Obviously masking loading sequences. The animation is a tad automated too, resulting in impressive and gory finishing kills, but predetermined and uncontrollable while they run their course.
Although it’s a current console platform, it still feels as if it’s built for an older generation when it comes to room sizes and frequent loading corridors to squeeze through. Maybe a result of its use of the UE4 engine?
For the gameplay there are some annoying aspects, pulling down the overall impression for me. Firstly, I found the camera angle too close to Jacob, limiting the field of view and making it easier to miss enemies or things of interest in my peripheral vision.
What didn’t impressive me technically are the rather limited areas to roam, with sparse interactivity, consistently interrupted with sequences where the main character squeezes through tight corridors and ventilation shafts. Obviously masking loading sequences. The animation is a tad automated too, resulting in impressive and gory finishing kills, but predetermined and uncontrollable while they run their course.
Although it’s a current console platform, it still feels as if it’s built for an older generation when it comes to room sizes and frequent loading corridors to squeeze through. Maybe a result of its use of the UE4 engine?
For the gameplay there are some annoying aspects, pulling down the overall impression for me. Firstly, I found the camera angle too close to Jacob, limiting the field of view and making it easier to miss enemies or things of interest in my peripheral vision.
Secondly, there's something off with the timing when turning away from enemies and trying get some space between them. This especially gets annoying in boss fights, where the super slow healing animation is encumbered by hardly any time before the enemy is right up in your face again. In combination with the camera view, makes it a chaotic and unfair fight.
Overall, it’s been a scary and enjoyable playthrough. It's a obviously linear experience and extremely close to what Dead Space already has delivered. Yet, this is what also makes it great for those seeking something similar.
Overall, it’s been a scary and enjoyable playthrough. It's a obviously linear experience and extremely close to what Dead Space already has delivered. Yet, this is what also makes it great for those seeking something similar.
It’s great sci-fi horror, full of gore and jump scares, the story is interesting and quite shocking at times. Prepare yourself for a tough fight though, the game relentlessly throws tough enemies at you, consider lowering the difficulty for your first playthrough.
I must make a note here, that the true ending is a DLC. Not a problem in hindsight, as you’ll probably pick up the deluxe edition including it, but still it’s a bad choice by the developers.
