The Callisto Protocol Review
MandaloreGaming・42 minutes read
The "Callisto Protocol" faces challenges as a spiritual successor to "Dead Space" with tweaks in combat and competition from other similar games, set in a future where humanity colonizes parts of the Solar System, featuring a protagonist who faces a terrorist attack on the Europa colony. The game boasts impressive graphics but sacrifices player control, lacks depth in enemy variety, and combat feels tedious overall, with a story lacking depth and lore, leading to a recommendation to play the original "Dead Space" instead.
Insights
- The "Callisto Protocol" faces challenges as a spiritual successor to "Dead Space", with team members from the original game involved, but struggles to differentiate itself from its predecessor, leading to comparisons that favor the original.
- The game's combat mechanics, while undergoing heavy tweaking, lack depth and player engagement, with a focus on graphical realism impacting gameplay negatively, resulting in slower and less responsive controls that sacrifice player agency.
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Recent questions
What is the storyline of "Callisto Protocol"?
The game follows protagonist Jacob Porter Lee, a UJC cargo ship pilot, who faces a terrorist attack on the Europa colony. After a crash landing on Callisto, he is rescued by Captain Ferris and Dani Nakamura, leading to his arrest by the warden. The story unfolds with revelations about experiments, a virus outbreak, and the origin of the virus from a massive alien creature beneath the surface. Jacob is driven to help Dani, and they discover the Illuminati tower with bizarre furniture and displays, meeting Warden Cole and the Evil Council who discuss the Callisto Protocol.
What are the gameplay mechanics in "Callisto Protocol"?
The combat mechanics involve simple melee attacks, dodging, and blocking to reduce damage taken. Upgrades for weapons like the stun baton and guns are available through scavenging and a 3D printer. The game features a GRP module for crowd control, similar to "Dead Space's" kinesis ability. Ranged weapons are used to shoot tentacles on enemies, which can mutate if not dealt with promptly. Quick time events are prevalent, contributing to a lack of player control and engagement.
How is the visual and audio quality in "Callisto Protocol"?
The game boasts impressive graphics with detailed environments, realistic character models, and high-quality animations. The art direction shines in the prison colony setting but falters in generic environments and enemy designs. Sound design excels in environmental and machinery sounds but falls short in weapon and enemy sounds, lacking distinctiveness. Audio logs in the game are competent but generic, lacking substance and humor.
What is the reception of "Callisto Protocol" compared to "Dead Space"?
"Callisto Protocol" faces challenges as a spiritual successor to "Dead Space", with core team members from the original game involved. The game taps into nostalgia but also advertises a different game, creating a unique situation. The story lacks depth and lore, struggling to find its identity and is compared to Dead Space, with a recommendation to play the original instead.
How does the setting of "Callisto Protocol" impact gameplay?
The setting of "Callisto Protocol" is in a future where humanity has colonized parts of the Solar System, overseen by the United Jupiter Company (UJC). The game's focus on graphical realism impacts gameplay, making it slower and less responsive, sacrificing player control. The prison aspect feels underused, with limited exploration and lack of important areas like the yard or mess hall. Jacob, the main character, is haunted by visions and experiences hallucinations due to a health bar implant.
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Summary
00:00
"Callisto Protocol" challenges "Dead Space" successor
- The "Callisto Protocol" is facing challenges as a spiritual successor to "Dead Space", with core team members from the original game involved.
- The game's combat is undergoing heavy tweaking and is now competing against "Dead Space: The Dead Space" or "Dead Space '23".
- The game taps into nostalgia but also advertises a different game, creating a unique situation.
- The story is set in a future where humanity has colonized parts of the Solar System, overseen by the United Jupiter Company (UJC).
- The protagonist, Jacob Porter Lee, is a UJC cargo ship pilot who faces a terrorist attack led by Dani Nakamura on the Europa colony.
- After a crash landing on Callisto, Jacob is rescued by Captain Ferris and Dani, leading to his arrest by the warden.
- The game boasts impressive graphics with detailed environments, realistic character models, and high-quality animations.
- The focus on graphical realism impacts gameplay, making it slower and less responsive, sacrificing player control.
- The game's art direction shines in the prison colony setting but falters in generic environments and enemy designs.
- The sound design excels in environmental and machinery sounds but falls short in weapon and enemy sounds, lacking distinctiveness.
11:55
"Gameplay lacks depth and engagement"
- Audio logs in the game are competent but generic, lacking substance and humor.
- Combat mechanics involve simple melee attacks and dodging by alternating left and right movements.
- Blocking in combat reduces damage taken, but some attacks cannot be blocked.
- Upgrades for the stun baton are tempting but not always practical, especially on higher difficulties.
- Guns are more effective as combo finishers rather than primary weapons, with upgrades available through scavenging and a 3D printer.
- The game's weapon upgrades are expensive, leading to a lack of variety and uninspired alt-fires.
- The GRP module, similar to "Dead Space's" kinesis, allows for fun crowd control by throwing enemies into machinery.
- Ranged weapons are mainly used to shoot tentacles on enemies, which can mutate if not dealt with promptly.
- Enemy variety and mutations lack depth, missing an opportunity for more engaging gameplay.
- Quick time events are prevalent in the game, contributing to a lack of player control and engagement.
22:03
"Dead Space" vs "Callisto Protocol" Gameplay Comparisons
- "Dead Space" focuses on keeping enemies at a distance using weapons and powers to avoid being torn apart up close by necromorphs.
- "Callisto Protocol" takes a different approach, with a less intense feel compared to "Dead Space 2".
- A section in "Dead Space 3" involves facing blind, emaciated creatures in a stealth section that many players didn't realize existed.
- In "Callisto Protocol", a similar section occurs after traveling through a frozen hellscape, but combat options make it less tense and more trivial.
- The game feels tedious overall, with combat being too easy and lacking depth.
- The story in "Callisto Protocol" lacks depth and lore, with minimal information provided about the setting through character biographies.
- The game's prison aspect feels underused, with limited exploration and lack of important areas like the yard or mess hall.
- Jacob, the main character, is haunted by visions and experiences hallucinations due to a health bar implant.
- Elias, a character in the game, dies unexpectedly, evoking a rare emotional response from players.
- The story unfolds with revelations about experiments, a virus outbreak, and the origin of the virus from a massive alien creature beneath the surface.
33:40
"The Survivor battles for human evolution"
- Jacob is driven to help Dani and they discover the Illuminati tower with bizarre furniture and displays.
- They meet Warden Cole and the Evil Council, who refer to Jacob as "The Survivor" and discuss the Callisto Protocol.
- Warden Cole implies Jacob's guilt and explains the purpose of the Protocol for human evolution in space.
- The setting lacks clarity, with hints at struggling humanity in space and a prison moon as part of the Protocol.
- Jacob fights Ferris to prove evolution superiority and the warden's belief in Jacob's guilt.
- The Protocol involves a battle royale scenario inspired by PUBG, aiming to create an Alpha through chaos.
- The game's story lacks depth, struggles to find its identity, and is compared to Dead Space, with a recommendation to play the original instead.
