Review of the Callisto protocol – form over content

Callisto Protocol isn’t exactly a bad or mediocre game. As for the audio-visual processing, I wouldn’t even hesitate to call it first-class, especially when it comes to characters’ faces or lighting, fog work, and so on. However, as I predicted in the Gamescom podcast, building the gameplay around melee combat turned out to be a mistake that absurdly degenerates in the second half of the game. Likewise, my fears of a superficial story far removed from the thoughtfulness of Dead Space’s Markers, which are only emphasized by uninteresting heroes and villains, despite having otherwise good actors, have come true. However, it’s still an interesting game for fans of the genre if you wisely lower your expectations in time.

• Platform: PS5 (review) PS4, XSX|S, X1, PC
• Publication date: 12.02.2022
• Producer:Striking Distance Studio (USA)
• Genre: Thresher/shooter
• Czech localization: Not
• Multiplayer: Not
• Data to download: 60 GB
• Game time: 8 ocloc’k
• Price: 1499 CZK (couples)

Form over content

Jacob Lee is a charter pilot who just carried cargo from one place to another, not really caring about what exactly they contain. Unfortunately, soon after that, both locations are attacked by a devastating virus, due to which people not only die, but also turn into bloodthirsty zombies. At the beginning of the game, Jacob is imprisoned in the Dark Iron on the moon Callisto. But even this place is under attack by mutants, and Jacob has to fight for his life in order to escape from imprisonment for at least months. Along the way, he meets several other characters, but like the plot of the entire game, these characters and their roles in the story are completely superficial and predictable. I don’t know when was the last time I played a game where even the audiologists were so insipid and boring – it freezes, especially compared to the previous game of the creators: the story of Dead Space was one of the most interesting things in the game.

The opening hour of the game is undoubtedly its best part, as the writers skilfully guide the player through a narratively crafted sequence of story events that progress well, look great, and hook you in very effectively. Unfortunately, the game then degenerates into a predictable mixture of gaming clichés, both in terms of plot and the design of individual corridors and rooms, or weapons and enemies. One of the things I most regret about the game is the almost complete lack of tension or creepiness. The creators will absurdly often throw cheap jump ropes at you, which are even worse because they also have game consequences: the fourth time when a tentacle head pops out at you from around the corner and you have no way to defend yourself, it will annoy you – especially on a higher difficulty, where even this small amount of health is not enough.

The opening hour of the game is undoubtedly the best part of it.

At the same time, the atmosphere of the overall impression is saved only by excellent audiovisual processing, which in terms of aesthetics and manufacturability is even higher than in the case of Dead Space (since Callisto has so much in common with this series, it makes no sense to avoid such comparisons). The most impressive part of the whole game is the environment you’ll be moving around in – the humming algae turbines in the greenhouse, the rattling gears of the waste grinder, the frozen ruins of the original base – these are all gorgeous locations that are a joy to watch. However, in the entire game, there was only one moment when the creators managed to combine a great setting with story context and game mechanics in such a way that the game became truly scary, at least for a minute: when you first make your way through a crowd of frozen characters and suspect that one of them will definitely move. But the rest of the game is more or less non-stop wild bitter with ill-conceived mechanics.

Thresher or shooter?

The decision to conceive a sci-fi horror set in the future on a space base where the hero also fights a highly contagious virus like a threshing machine was, in my opinion, completely wrong from the very beginning. moment. The last thing a real astronaut would do in such a situation is probably to engage in hand-to-hand combat with opponents and beat them with a blunt object so that as much of their bodily fluids as possible splash out on them. However, I would give it a try sometime if it worked well in terms of gameplay. But instead, the creators came up with a ridiculously outdated system where you alternately dodge enemy attacks, pressing the left and right buttons to hit him between attacks. Everything works exactly the same as in Punch-Out!! since 1983:

Sure, it’s wrapped in the aforementioned great audio-visuals, but mechanically it’s exactly the same as it was 40 years ago – dodge the enemy left, right, and land one in between their strikes. I would even go so far as to say that it doesn’t look too good from the animation side as well, as the characters have to perform this very legible movement from left to right very clearly – if you compare it to, say, how melee animations look. in practice, The Last of Us Part II is not a very flattering comparison. But what really kills it all are the mechanical implications of how it’s implemented. To allow the player to only dodge left or right, their character is automatically “locked” on the opponent in front of them. Which only works as long as there are several such opponents at the same time – and, of course, this is exactly the scenario for most fights in the second half of the game. As a sort of solution, the authors give you more ammo for this part of the game, but unfortunately, shooting isn’t much fun either, due in part to poor arsenal and clunky, tedious weapon switching.

To allow the player to dodge left/right, the character will “attach” to a single opponent.

Among the minuses, it is also necessary to note the low variety of opponents (almost everyone you will fight with are humanoids), which culminates in several repeated encounters with exactly the same mine bosses, who can also kill you with one hit. When I entered the room and saw this mini-boss surrounded by a bunch of other monsters, no joke, I turned off the game and went to meditate in order to mentally prepare for the match with the stupid design of mechanics and encounters. With the above in mind, you will no doubt be shaking your head, how is it possible that the verdict is not much lower? Well, I confess without torture. I have a big weakness for sci-fi horror, action games, and impressive audiovisuals. It made me enjoy the eight hours I spent playing the game, despite all the flaws and the occasional loud swearing. If you don’t believe me, perhaps you should also know that I voluntarily bought the game with my own money (as did many of my colleagues) because both the publisher and distributor sabotaged the reviewers as best they could. Looking back, I’m not really surprised by them, but I really wish they would give the developers more time next time to improve their game.