The team that developed Dead Space is sort of back with an entirely new franchise by the name of the Callisto Protocol, and it’s safe to say that the game gives us a lot of Dead Space Vibes. Striking Distance, the developer behind the game, was founded by former Dead Space lead Glen Schofield.
Just because of that connection, the game has generated a lot of hype but is the game going to bring something different to the table, and will it have a few Dead Space tropes included? Here’s everything we know so far about Callisto Protocol.
The Trailer
We got our first look at Callisto Protocol sometime back in December of 2020. Players were treated to a cinematic opening with no actual gameplay footage whatsoever, but it was pretty evident that the game was going to be a horror game with survival elements incorporated into it, just like Dead Space.
From everything we know so far about the trailers of Callisto Protocol, it’s certain that the game is going to be filled with gore, creepy hallways, and an equally creepy looking alien! We get to see a prisoner walking in a gloomy prison cell before he gets mangled by the Alien in question.
The POV shifts to a camera that’s taking all of this in. The camera pans out to a figure who’s observing all of the footage. He wanders off to a nearby window that shows us an unfamiliar landscape that doesn’t seem like Earth.
But that is not all the footage that we’ve got so far. There was a gameplay trailer where we got to take in Jacob Lee, the protagonist’s situational standing.
From the looks of it, he has crash landed pretty close to a prison on the Dead Moon of Callisto. Players take control of Jacob as he makes his way through the prison while he’s bashing and killing humans and aliens.
Although not exactly similar, we got similar creepy vibes from another upcoming survival horror game that you might find interesting as well! Check it out here: Sons of the Forest: Everything We Know.
Gameplay
It’s obvious that the Callisto Protocol pays homage to Dead Space as it takes a lot of key elements from the latter for its gameplay. This has successfully generated a lot of hype as veteran Dead Space fans were flabbergasted by what they got to see. We were treated to a third-person perspective, with access to both melee and ranged combat.
Gore mechanics are in play, too, as we got to see guts and blood flying across the screen. Whether it’s hacking off limbs or chucking enemies into interactable environments, The Callisto Protocol has got it all. We were also introduced to a new gravity weapon by the name of the Grip to manipulate enemies in space.
If the hype holds true, it’s not going to be all that easy as The Callisto Protocol may be equally or even more challenging than Dead Space used to be. Watch out for that gun recoil cause it’s pretty overwhelming, as seen from the trailer.
And as for the death animations, they’re as gruesome as you’d expect them to be. Another game that’s known for its gruesome animations is The Last of US, which is getting a remake! You can find out more about it here: Last of Us Part 1 Remake Changes.
Location
We’re definitely not on Earth as shown by the different trailers. So, where exactly are we? Well, here’s everything we know about Callisto Protocol’s location.
We got a bit of lore on our hands, and it turns out the game takes place on a dead moon. To be precise, you’ll be navigating your way on the dead moon of Jupiter, which is called Callisto.
It’s very much real, but we’re not sure if it’s an actual representation of the real Callisto. The United Jupiter Company built a maximum-security prison colony by the name of Black Iron. And unfortunately for us, our protagonist finds himself waking up to the facility overrun with aliens.
The developers wanted to create this feeling of dread and isolation, and they nailed it with the setting, which is a prison far away in space on a freaking dead moon. Schofield stated that the Callisto Protocol would be one of the most terrifying games of all time, which is a pretty big statement.
We hope it lives up to the expectations and the ambitions of the developers, but that would be kind of hard to nail down with games like Silent Hill, Murder House, and, of course, the Original Dead Space franchise.
Another game that has a unique setting and you might find interesting is STALKER. You can find out more about it here: STALKER 2: Release Date, Gameplay, Pre-Order & More.
PUBG Universe
FYI @CallistoTheGame is its own story and world. It no longer takes place in the PUBG Universe. It was originally part of the PUBG timeline, but grew into its own world. PUBG is awesome, &we will still have little surprises for fans, but TCP is its own world, story and universe.
— Glen A. Schofield (@GlenSchofield) May 26, 2022
The game was said to take place in the PUBG Universe, which sounds pretty ridiculous if you ask us, but the PUBG Studio and Striking Distance are owned by the same company. Fortunately, it’s not, and there isn’t going to be any tie-in DLC content with elements of PUBG.
In our opinion, that would have compromised the integrity of the game as a survival horror game. Schofield came up with this idea as he met up with the people over at the PUBG studio and what he did was he incorporated elements from the PUBG Storyline.
It would’ve made sense on the business side of things considering Striking Distance is owned by Krafton, the company that also oversees PUBG Studios. To the relief of many and to the disappointment of very few, that has changed for the best.
It was later in May of 2022 that Glen Schofield finally tweeted that the Callisto Protocol was set in its own world and story and that it wouldn’t be a part of the PUBG Universe. He stated that although PUBG is awesome, TCP is going to have a world, story, and universe of its own.
Speaking of universes, a huge universe is getting a reboot and it’s almost here! We’re referring to Saints Row, and you can find out more about the reboot here: Saints Row Reboot: Release Date, Gameplay, Pre-Order & More.
Will Callisto Protocol Have Co-op?
Unlike games such as Skate 4, if you incorporate Co-op into a game that’s pretty much directed to make you feel alone and isolated from humanity, then Co-op would basically ruin the experience. So, no. We won’t be getting any Co-op for the Callisto Protocol.
Glen Schofield explained in a discord call last year that they want to tell a story in the best possible way, and it would only be possible if the Callisto Protocol was a single-player game. In co-op, you don’t follow instructions or the story all that well. He said that they wanted us to be alone in the game all the time, which makes it all the scarier.
Even though the Callisto Protocol sounds awesome, some fans want a Dead Space game instead but don’t worry. We’ll be getting a Dead Space Remake sometime in 2023!
And that is everything we know so far about Callisto Protocol! The game is looking promising so far, but we’ll have to stick around to hear more news and leaks to learn more about the game!
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