Callisto Protocol
This game has been prophesied to be the third coming of Survival horror games, the beginning of a new era, a second chance for Dead space in the hands of the people behind the original so horribly mismanaged by EA. Well I can safely say that it wasn't, but despite it not being what we hoped, it does have qualities that might still make it worth checking out for fans of this genre.
Callisto Protocol holds much to appreciate, seemingly overlooked amongst the complaints spreading throughout the internet. Sure I have experienced some bugs and a single crash, but the rough nature of it, hides a gem that could be revealed as patches polish and grind the rough bits away.
You can really tell how it was inspired by Dead Space, Alien, Last of Us and more but still brings its own spirit to the mix. Glen Schofield’s Artistic sense for visual detail is impressive and it is incredibly often that you get that screensaver WOW! moment as you take in the design and lighting of a new area.
This is a magnificent use of color, lighting and fantastic 3D models, supported by some of the best sound design in modern horror. It succeeds so well in building the tension and atmosphere that has defined the horror genre since its beginning.
The ingame visuals holding details usually restricted to pre rendered cutscenes, makes it feel like you are playing a movie in the best way possible. The immersion, not having a HUD, the feeling of being surrounded and watched through 3D sound is chilling, but this experience can be clouded by certain things sadly.
This is why I would actually recommend playing Callisto Protocol on minimum security if you die often, the reason being, that too many deaths can take you out of the atmosphere that it is building. The occasional death is fine, but dying over and over desensitizes you and takes you out of the immersion. And the game only being 10-15 hours long does leave space (hehe) for a second playthrough at a higher difficulty.
Having covered the visual experience and the immersion that comes with it I feel like I have come to the gameplay.
This is where this game could use some polish, at least on PS5. saving still has you reset to the last checkpoint, the combat can feel a bit bullet spongy and the dodge seems inconsistent at times. These are the rough bits I was talking about, and I am heavily counting on Striking Distance fixing these issues with time. Many have been talking about the new way this game does dodging and when it works as intended I actually don’t mind it much. It could use a little bit of tweaking for situations with more than one enemy, but overall I consider it temperarily acceptable and with patches a refreshing new take on an age old mechanic.
When it comes to the story, the story is mostly just a reason why you have to go through this horrific setting. Callisto did have some character development, but most of the moments attempting to make me emotional fell flat to me.
At the end of the day, this game is very much worth buying, if you are into the genre and can't wait for “Dead Space Remake” in January. I think that Callisto’s amazing presentation and beautiful art more than compensates for the shortcomings elsewhere. I myself is a huge story simp, but I can also recognise when an experience grabs me in ways I'm not used to.
Like a rollercoaster of tension going up and down but always present, not necessarily making me cry but still entertaining throughout. If I had to give it a score I would give it around a good 7/10 but as patches roll out and stuff is fixed probably an 8/10.
Its no Dead Space, but who said it had to be.
