I’ll just as well start with a warning. The horror game “The Callisto Protocol” is not exactly for the faint of heart. Every time you die, the developers of the game go into full “Game of Thrones” mode. There really is no limit to how bad things are going for you. It hurts terribly to watch. But this form of macabre sadism has a clear function that lifts the gore out of the speculative. When it’s so uncomfortable to fail, every step you take in this nightmare becomes extra intense and goofy. And intense and goofy are the mainstays of the experience. We plant both feet in a tough and leaden science fiction world inspired by the film classic “Alien”. “The Callisto Protocol” is also a spiritual sequel to the “Dead Space” series, with several of the central developers from there on the team. To Hell You control the pilot of a cargo ship that is thrown into prison on Jupiter’s moon Callisto. Naturally, everything goes to hell. Almost literally, which turns all inmates and staff into “The Last of Us”-like monsters. UNWILLING HERO: Jacob Lee, played by Josh Duhamel, is thrust into dire situations on Jupiter’s moon Callisto. Extremely against his will. Photo: Krafton Your mission will be to survive. And to find out what actually happened on Callisto. I allow myself to be a little disappointed that the developers have not taken the opportunity to take bigger risks in the game design. We are very much in the same street as both “Dead Space”, “Alien: Isolation”, “The Last of Us” and “The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay”. Fortunately, the disappointment is mild and easy to forget, because the atmosphere of the experience is almost second to none. The outstanding graphics. The wonderful soundscape. The lovely, detailed surroundings. All of this tightens around you in a relentless embrace. It’s disgusting, gruesome, sickeningly exciting and shudderingly intense all the way through. Just like a good horror game should be. SCARY ATMOSPHERE: When things first go to hell in the prison “The Callisto Protocol” takes place in, things really go to hell. Photo: Krafton Makaber “Punch-Out” The combat system in the game must also be praised here. You gradually gain access to a small arsenal of firearms, but the heart of the battles is an electric club. The monsters usually get right up in your face, and you have to block, duck and wait for openings to pounce. CLOSE COMBAT: You get the monsters close to you in “The Callisto Protocol”. The absence of information on the screen and a melee-based combat system increases immersion. Photo: Krafton It’s an excellent, modern version of Nintendo’s boxing classic “Punch-Out”, quite simply. With blood and gore and a very, very adult age limit. In addition to game director Glen Schofield, you’ll find a few dozen developers from the now defunct EA studio Visceral Games and the Schofield-led Sledgehammer Games on the team here. The message is clear: “The Callisto Protocol” is a middle finger to their former owners and a love letter to “Dead Space” fans. RISING STAR: Karen Fukuhara, known from the TV series “The Boys”, has a central role in the game. Photo: Krafton With “The Callisto Protocol”, Schofield and his Striking Distance Studios have laid the foundation for a new, powerful horror series. It is a terrible experience. And that is meant as praise from the top shelf. ATTENTION! The game has been tested on PS5, and it is reported that this version is by far the best. I had no technical problems, but the PC and Xbox versions are reported to be far more unstable. Hello! I am a freelancer and write about games for news. On a daily basis, I work at Level Up Norway. If you want to read more about games with horror elements, I can recommend my reviews of the games “The Last of Us Part I”, “A Plague Tale: Requiem” and “The Quarry”. news reviews Photo: Krafton Title: “The Callisto Protocol” Genre: Survival horror Platform: Playstation, Xbox and PC Developer: Striking Distance Studios Publisher: Krafton Date: 2 December 2022
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“The Callisto Protocol” for Playstation, Xbox and PC – Reviews and recommendations
