[News] The Callisto Protocol Review - I Don't Belong Here

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Despite releasing a full 15 years later, you could argue that The Callisto Protocol is the spiritual predecessor to Dead Space, given the original pitch from director Glen Schofield was for Visceral Games' survival-horror title to be set within a prison, not a mining vessel. And in a lot of ways, The Callisto Protocol similarly dazzles with its incredible art direction and sound design, even emulating Dead Space's over-the-shoulder third-person perspective and integrated HUD. However, The Callisto Protocol goes its own way by focusing on melee strikes and dodges, utilizing a combat system that feels great at first but isn't suitable for the game's more action-focused latter half. Plus, lengthy death animations compound the frustrations of surprise difficulty spikes, creating an experience that feels like an uneven mix of horror and action that fails to adequately commit to or excel at either.

In The Callisto Protocol, you play as Jacob Lee, a freight transporter contracted to ferry cargo for the United Jupiter Company, moving supplies from the UJC-operated Black Iron Prison on Callisto to the colony on Europa. On a routine trip back to Black Iron, Jacob's ship is boarded by Outer Way, a group blamed for a recent terrorist attack on Europa. In the ensuing struggle, Jacob and Outer Way leader Dani Nakamura are the only survivors, stranded on Callisto. They're both picked up by Black Iron security head Captain Leon Ferris and incarcerated in the prison on orders from warden Duncan Cole. Jacob awakes in Black Iron hours later, discovering a mysterious infection has been released into the prison, transforming the prisoners and guards into biophage monsters. Escaping from his cell, he teams up with fellow prisoner Elias Porter to find a way out.

The Callisto Protocol doesn't devote too much time to storytelling and worldbuilding. None of the characters (save for Elias) are especially likable, and though the main villain has an intriguing motivation--you can clearly see how The Callisto Protocol was originally intended to fit into the PUBG: Battlegrounds' universe once you find out what the bad guy is up to--it's only revealed right as the game is concluding. I wish it had been revealed far sooner because, though the ramifications of it are interesting, there's not enough space in the plot for those ramifications to be explored. The game fleshes out the world up to that point with optional audio logs to discover, but most don't actually reveal all that much, and those that do aren't very interesting to listen to. It's ultimately not worth going off the path in pursuit of these collectibles.

The Callisto Protocol features a combat system heavily focused on melee attacks and dodging while also keeping a careful eye on resources and health. This encourages a hyperaggressive fighting style where getting within clawing range of the threat and overwhelming them with a quick but controlled beating is the key to success. Dodging is fairly simple to pull off, though curiously assigned to the same stick used to control Jacob's movement. Not only do you use the left stick on a controller to move Jacob, but pushing it to the left or right as an enemy attacks you is how you dodge in either direction. In one-on-one encounters, this isn't too much of a problem--you're facing the threat at hand and moving or dodging accordingly. But it becomes unmanageable when confronted with larger groups of enemies. When you're surrounded by multiple biophages, turning to keep track of an enemy could cause you to dodge an attack from a different enemy instead, potentially repositioning you into a disadvantageous corner and twisting the camera away from the threat you're trying to track. It doesn't happen every time, but it happens enough to be frustrating, and in a game as difficult as The Callisto Protocol, losing track of your positioning even for a moment can result in taking game-over-inducing damage.

The integrated HUD works against The Callisto Protocol's combat in this regard. Much like Dead Space, The Callisto Protocol doesn't feature a traditional user interface. Instead, Jacob's health is conveyed via the life support system grafted to the back of his neck. And instead of an ammo counter in the bottom corner of the screen, it's displayed as a holographic projection on whichever gun Jacob is holding. In a game like Dead Space where protagonist Isaac Clarke is battling necromorphs from a controlled distance, it's a lot easier to quickly glance at the displays on Isaac's armor and keep an eye on the approaching necromorphs, weighing the situation against your current health and ammo count. It also helps that Isaac doesn't really move when firing any of his weapons, managing to keep all his systems in clear view at all times. But in The Callisto Protocol, Jacob is moving around a lot more, twisting his body as he dodges attacks or swings his stun baton within the throes of close-quarters combat. It's difficult to keep track of your resources because not only is the threat at hand more immediate, the displays detailing the relevant information are moving around more.

Link: https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-callisto-protocol-review-i-dont-belong-here/1900-6418007/