During Sony's Summer 2022 State of Play, fans got a first look at new horror epic The Callisto Protocol. It's not often that horror games are treated as AAA titles and this is one of those rare occasions. It's taking on the classic trope of a character fighting off monsters in a sci-horror setting, mixing horror and action.
This game comes from the newly formed Striking Distance as well as Krafton, the minds behind PUBG. There are a few things to know about The Callisto Protocol; such as its interesting history with another horror franchise, explaining why it may look familiar to some gamers and why it is one of the most anticipated horror games.
Spiritual Successor Of Dead Space
For years, fans have wanted to see a Dead Space 4 come to fruition but sadly, the developers of Dead Space parted ways from EA and thus, the franchise was canceled. Thankfully, The Callisto Protocol happens to be coming from Striking Distance, a new company featuring creators of Dead Space.
As a result, there are a lot of similarities between the two games: the style of gameplay, the horrific mutated zombie-like monsters, and even the HUD being part of the main character's costume. Though fans are excited for Motive's remake of Dead Space, it will be great for fans to see what comes next from the original creators.
Classic Third-Person Horror
In of gameplay, it has been shown from the trailers that The Callisto Protocol will be going with a classic style. The over-the-shoulder third-person gameplay is in the same vein as Dead Space and even features the aforementioned HUD being displayed on the back of the character like with Isaac Clarke in the Dead Space trilogy.
In interviews with the developers, they mentioned that The Callisto Protocol will also have puzzle elements, which is reminiscent of Alien: Isolation; which also featured a lot of similarities to Dead Space.
Set On A Moon Of Jupiter
The Callisto Protocol is set in the year 2320 on the moon of Callisto orbiting Jupiter. The players will be playing as Jacob Lee who is trapped on Callisto within the high-security facility of Black Iron Prison.
Though not identical, it is a very similar setup to Dead Space. A regular worker arrives upon a derelict location on another planet that has become overrun with monsters. It's also the classic setup for a lot of sci-fi horror films such as Alien which has always been a big inspiration for the Dead Space franchise.
Used To Be In The Same Universe As PUBG
Much like with movies, sometimes video games start off as one thing and then evolve into their own standalone story. In this case, The Callisto Protocol was originally meant to be a spin-off of PUBG. As bizarre as that sounds, it's not exactly the first time games with little to no similarities have connected.
However, it was recently reported by GameInformer that the PUBG universe connection is no longer in play. The Callisto Protocol is now its own standalone story, which is probably for the best for a story-driven horror game such as this.
Josh Duhamel Is The Main Character
The official Twitter page for The Callisto Protocol confirmed that the cargo pilot Jacob Lee will feature Metal Gear Solid V.
The trailer also hinted that Josh Duhamel will not be the only famous face in The Callisto Protocol. There is an ominous voice taunting Jacob Lee throughout the trailer and it sounds a lot like Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Morgan is no stranger to playing villains and the undead which will make him a great addition to the game if true.
Pre-Order Bonus And Different Editions
For those wanting to pre-order The Callisto Protocol, there are pre-order bonuses. With the Day One Edition, The Callisto Protocol will come with an alternate skin for Jacob Lee, two weapon skins, and a PlayStation Exclusive DLC pack known as the Contraband Pack.
The Digital Deluxe Edition features all of the previously mentioned content, the season , and PlayStation owners will get all new DLC 48 hours early. Finally, the Collector's Edition will add a Jacob Statue, a steelbook case, a comic book, and two collectible pins.
Platforms And Availability
Though a lot of developers are starting to leave the previous generations behind for logical reasons, Striking Distance will be bringing The Callisto Protocol to the PS4 and Xbox One. Of course, it will still be mainly for new generation consoles: the Ps5 and the Xbox Series X, as well as PC.
Given the graphical quality of The Callisto Protocol, Nintendo Switch fans are likely out of luck unless it gets the same cloud treatment as Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy.
A Holiday Release
With all of this information, gamers and Dead Space fans are going to be excited for this new return to the sci-fi survival horror genre. Thankfully, the wait won't be that much longer as it has been confirmed that The Callisto Protocol will release on December 2 of 2022.
This will make it a morbid but ideal gift for gamers around the holidays. However, many games have been delayed in the last few years, including Starfield, so there is a chance that The Callisto Protocol could suffer the same fate.