Callisto Protocol: Is It Worth the Hype?

All of the characteristics of a space survival horror game are present in The Callisto Protocol. You choose Jacob Lee, a prisoner at the high-security Black Iron prison on Callisto, a moon of Jupiter. Jacob must leave when the inmates transform into frightening monsters with severe aggressiveness problems. The peculiar setup of space horror makes it hostile from the inside out. Jacob can't just flee outdoors into the tundra of a moon in space without any escape strategy. He can't stay in prison with all the monsters. Moving through the tunnels of a prison previously utilized as a secret laboratory adds to the stress, as monsters can appear anytime.

Controls & Gameplay

Unfortunately, Callisto Protocol's gameplay does little to alleviate the plot faults, and it is in this area that the game's flaws are most apparent. The combat system in the game removes everything that made Dead Space's combat system effective and replaces it with a clunky, slow set of controls. The Callisto Protocol is not a game that is meant to be completed quickly due to its awkward camera. Jacob's motions are frequently restricted to wading through waist-high water, crawling through vents, or walking over anything that isn't steel for some reason, despite having the sprint button.

Items and Resources

The Callisto Protocol features scarce resources in an authentic survival horror style. Even though it doesn't appear early in the game, health injectors and ammunition are hard to come by. Several parts in the game are meant for side exploration to help you uncover valuable resources, even if there aren't many places where you can diverge from the game's linear pathing. Usually, there are valuable objects in the lockers, supply, and storage rooms.

Level Design

The latter is utilized to power your GPR Glove, which essentially alters gravity by lifting things off the ground and hurling them at your adversaries. If you pull foes in and use it to blast them at environmental dangers like spiky walls or fans, it can genuinely one-shot kill enemies. Additionally, you can update your glove at upgrade stations, which is strongly advised because it solves a few combat-related problems.

Escape From Black Iron

Recapturing the enchantment of a series that is so highly regarded presented a difficult challenge for The Callisto Protocol. It tries to capture lightning in a bottle once more in reality, but the glass breaks and crumbles. The Callisto Protocol, however, is a good game with stunning visuals as a stand-alone experience, but it falls short of the soaring, horrifying heights of those that came before.

Conclusion

Naturally, this brings up the characters and plot once more. This can sometimes be redeemed by solid characters or a gripping tale with such a weak gameplay loop. Both are present in the Callisto Protocol. The tale teases a sequel, which may or may not be released after next year's planned DLC. The characters are wafer-thin with simplistic motivations, the big bad is far too clear, and the big bad is much too obvious.