The Callisto Protocol Review

Before The Game

When I first saw this game all I kept hearing was that if you loved Dead Space then this was a game you would love as well because it was remarkably similar to Dead Space. That would make sense considering the co-creator of the series was now the head of the studio that created The Callisto Protocol. I had dove into the first Dead Space but never completed it so when I saw this I was extremely interested in it. I have also been a fan of science fiction/ alien films so this seemed like something I would enjoy. From the initial trailers and what I had seen prior to the release, I could see the similarities in the games. As the game drew closer, I could sense that this game was different. I got the feeling that it had its own story to be told and was not a Dead Space clone. Initially, I planned to wait for this game to be out for a little bit, but the anticipation built up enough that I wanted to get it on release day.

During The Game

Audio

When I popped it in the first thing that grabbed me was the sound design. It was suspenseful, dramatic, eerie, and LOUD. I liked it. When a game can capture my attention from the sound before the visuals that is a good sign to me. The audio had many different elements that I enjoyed and found annoying at times. I’ll start with the annoying part first since it is only one minor thing. The bothersome audio aspect that tugged at my patience were the audio ques that would keep playing when loading into a new level or after dying. It seemed like a repetitive glitch that never got resolved and really did deter my attention. Sometimes it would overwhelm my senses when playing certain parts of levels. For example, I love when I am on certain parts of an environment and the infected are running or scurrying around above, below, or both and they can be heard. This creates an unnerving anticipation of something happening, but it never does. However, when this is happening and then an infected creature attacks followed by more attacking, the sound becomes overbearing and makes it hard to focus on what is exactly going on. I don’t mind the intended disruption of the senses to create challenging gameplay. However, sound design that is disruptive to the point of being unpleasant takes away from the experience. While this was noticeable, it did not happen enough for me to say that overall, it was such a bad experience that it made me not want to play. Rather, it was a minor deficiency that I could not say definitively most players would experience. The great audio elements were vast and very enjoyable. The soundtrack, the sound design for the atmospherics of each environment and voice acting of the characters and weapon sound design made the game feel amazing. The music itself was a homerun for me because it really nails the science fiction aesthetic that I enjoy. These elements really capture the feeling of the story and, to me, separate it from Dead Space. It provides the element necessary for this game to have its own lane in the outer space horror sci-fi genre. Having a captivating score to accompany the visuals of a game along with stellar mechanics and storytelling can create a long-lasting experience for a gamer. I felt that this game really did try to do that.

Visually

One look at this game and you know that this game is top notch. After hearing of the many issues that were plaguing the game on PC, I opted to play on PlayStation. I intended to play on PS5, but I mistakenly purchased the PS4 version. It did not matter when I played it because it still looked amazing. The colors and art design made the worlds and characters look so realistic and vibrant despite it being in an eerie, dark environment. I got the Aliens vibe several times. Part of what attracted me to this game was the idea of being able to explore these strange desolate planets that exist within our solar system. Some of the level design, while being simple in its navigation felt massive because of the art design. The shadows and the flashing or flickering lights created a feeling of the environment swallowing my character every chance it could get. The gory brutal aftermath of what had transpired prior to my arrival not only raised my curiosity but heightened my senses to a fight or flight state. That was something I thoroughly enjoyed. If there is one aspect of this game that had no flaws it was the visual design and presentation. Everything from the cut scenes to the gameplay was amazing. The death animations almost lend themselves to that similar desire I had when wanting to see each Mortal Kombat fatality. My only gripe would be, which I do not think is a visual flaw, was the load time after dying. It took a good 30 seconds to 45 seconds to load back into the level. I am assuming this is an issue with running the game on PlayStation 4, but I don’t know definitively.

Characters

Overall, the characters of the story are presented well from the actors that played them. Where they fall short is the depth of the characters. While they are introduced and enough of their story is told to get an idea of who they are, not enough is done to capitalize on their interactions and involvement with the lead character to create a really engaging collaborative memorable story. For example, Elias and Dani are the main accompanying characters that help you navigate through the many obstacles but not enough of their story is provided or even added to create memorable interactions. I honestly felt like, the way the story initially started, they were going to have much more involvement in the story other than a few guiding interactions and cut scene parts. The same can be said about the two antagonists of the story. With the approximately five main characters active on Callisto and in Black Iron, I feel like more should have been done to involve them to create a very engaging story. Regardless, all the actors did a phenomenal job playing them which made me want more of them in the story. Hopefully, this was done to segue into a prequel or sequel.

Environments

Callisto, the dead planet, really does feel like that. It feels like there is so much hidden on the planet that Black Iron prison and the surrounding areas do not even scratch the surface of what can be discovered. From the prison cells to the underground areas, to the deathly cold outside, the environments left me with a strong desire to search and discover more about them. While most of the game is linear, what could be explored gave a glimpse of the tragedy and ruthless actions that had taken place and that are still taking place. While the idea to remain linear makes some sense, I feel that, without a deeply engaging story, it left room for a desire to explore the planet and locations to build the story. While being a little bit of a letdown, this did not detract from my desire to play this game all the way through.

Pacing

The pace of the game at times, did seem to drag. In areas of heightened difficulty this did become increasingly frustrating to want to complete the level to go on to the next part of the story. This had nothing to do with the difficulty of the level but more to do with the rinse and repeat design that becomes redundant in several parts of the game. Having to repeat actions several times before being able to advance did begin to take its toll towards the end of the game. In the moments where this was minor and the story moved along steadily, the game kept me engaged and wanting to progress on more.

After The Game

The Callisto Protocol is a great entry point in a possible series of games that have the potential to tell a very engaging memorable story. I am a fan of sci-fi horror movies so being able to play a game, especially in third person, is something I thoroughly enjoyed. Being engaged in a very rich, deep, lore filled story or being able to explore and discover the story on my own will make any future entry of this potential series a classic, in my mind. The visuals and the audio are already flawless. The cast of characters have left enough for me to want to know more. While it has its issues, The Callisto Protocol is a must play when you have time.