Naturally, when I start a game I generally have some idea of how the game was received upon release. Unless, of course, it is a brand new game. In the case of The Callisto Protocol, I certainly knew that I was about to play a game that got many mixed reviews. However, I am pleased to say that I enjoyed my time with the game.
Dead Space, It Is Not
Having played both Dead Space and Dead Space 2, I can confidently say that The Callisto Protocol does stand on its own, despite being inspired by those games. I think part of the confusion and frustration with The Callisto Protocol stims from its similarities with the Dead Space franchise. While I understood going into this title that it would not out shine Dead Space, that didn’t make it a bad game.
In The Callisto Protocol’s defense, any survival horror game set in space will probably be held to the standards of Dead Space. In my eyes though, art is subject and there is always room for more. The Callisto Protocol was a welcome addition to my survival horror experience list. My time with it doesn’t blur with Dead Space or any other game.
That being said, it is hard to recommend this game solely based on if you enjoyed Dead Space. I don’t think it is completely fair to compare the two, as there are vast differences, especially in gameplay. Your love for Dead Space just might cloud your judgment on this game like so many others. If you like survival horror though, this one just might scratch that itch. I just think it is important to have the right headspace going into this one.
Enter Jacob Lee
The Callisto Protocol’s main protagonist, Jacob Lee is a little rough around the edges. While I didn’t find him super likeable, it didn’t really ruin my experience with the game. At this point I think I’m fairly familiar with the stoic male leads of the horror genre. That being said, he did have a few shining moments. What really stood out for me though was his interactions with the other characters in the game.
After his cargo ship crashes on Callisto, Jacob is found and escorted back to Black Iron Prison where he is wrongfully imprisoned. Afterwards, things start to take a turn for the worst and begin escalating pretty quickly. Prisoners and guards alike begin transforming into what this game refers to as Biophages. Essentially, they are mutated beyond recognition and can take quite the punch before going down.
As the story unfolds Jacob, with the help of some unlikely allies, begins to make his way to what he hopes is escape from Callisto. Much like other survival horror games things, of course, go wrong more than once. I found the story to be pretty engaging though and was honestly impressed by it. I became invested in Jacob, despite me not finding him very interesting.
Black Iron Prison
Black Iron Prison sits on the surface of Callisto, one of Jupiter’s moons. That was already an intriguing concept to me, but starting the game as a prisoner was an interesting twist. It added a layer of complexity to things which I appreciated. The setting also opened the game up to some really exciting combat opportunities.
In addition to the Biophages, Jacob must evade and sometimes fight the automated androids that used to guard the prison. Without anyone monitoring them, they are shooting everyone on sight. I thought this added a nice touch of difficulty to the game.
Despite the game’s setting mostly being the prison, the environment varies from chapter to chapter. I almost expected it all to look the same but they did a fantastic job mixing things up. I never once felt like there were locations being reused or re-skinned.
Don’t Make A Sound
During my time with The Callisto Protocol, I was never bored with combat. There were moments where fighting was the only option and moments that allowed you to start off slower and stealthier. On top of that, the weapons varied enough and the melee felt really powerful. The melee did take some getting used to, but ultimately it became second nature.
Enemies had many unique variants that forced me to experiment with different approaches to combat. There were some enemies that couldn’t see you but could hear you, and some that required special ways to defeat. Towards the second half of the game, enemies really start getting strong so you’ll want to make sure you upgrade your favorite weapons.
All in all, this game kept me on my toes. Its jump scares were perfectly timed, and the combat was difficult but flexible, allowing for multiple playstyles to succeed. I enjoyed shooting, melee and stealth equally and never felt like one kept me from having a good time with the game. In fact, I think everything complimented each other really well.
Atmosphere Is Everything
While there are a lot of elements that make the survival horror genre, one that is always present is atmosphere. If the atmosphere fails to captivate the gamer, the game probably won’t succeed at scaring them either. Thankfully, The Callisto Protocol really delivers in this department. In my opinion, it is its strongest asset.
The game’s graphics are absolutely outstanding. The lighting effects and overall ambiance created by said lighting really sets the mood throughout the game. Shadows dance around Jacob as he explores dark, tight corridors. Enemies hide in those shadows so look carefully while you navigate Black Iron.
The sound design is breathtaking. Do yourself a favor and play this one with some quality headphones on. You’ll hear every creak, footstep and breath. Not to mention the fact that you’ll even hear things happening in other areas of the map. It really adds that extra layer of immersion you can’t find in every game.
The Callisto Protocol
All in all, this was one enjoyable game. I was able to take its inspiration from Dead Space at face value and let it tell its own story. While playing the game, you don’t feel too powerful or too weak. As the game progresses, you’ll upgrade your gear and stay on par with the difficulty.
While it may be a tough game to recommend on paper, what I can recommend is giving it a shot. Like with most games, at least for me, I have to form my own opinions despite the reviews online. That’s one thing that really inspired me to start this blog. I don’t consider my perspective pieces to be reviews but rather just my overall experience with the game. My experience with The Callisto Protocol was honestly amazing.
