5 reasons why you should be excited for The Callisto Protocol

Last week, developer Striking Distance Studios and publisher Krafton unveiled the latest story trailer for The Callisto Protocol. Alongside showing even more of the game’s dark, bloody atmosphere, the latest trailer also brilliantly teases the evil mystery surrounding Black Iron Prison. If you haven’t seen the trailer yet, you can do so below.

If after watching the newest story trailer, you still aren’t aboard the hype train for The Callisto Protocol, here are five reasons why you should be excited!

1. Directed by Glen Schofield

For those who don’t know, Glen Schofield is the mastermind who designed the Dead Space series. Needless to say, giving him the reigns to direct another sci-fi horror game means The Callisto Protocol is in good hands. However, for those worried this new game won’t break any new ground from Schofield’s previous titles, the game director states otherwise.

In an interview with IGN, Schofield addressed the comparisons some players made between the two IPs. He states that while he understands the similarities, he also feels confidently that players will walk away with a totally different feeling.

 think you’re gonna get in there, and you’re gonna play the game, maybe, and think Dead Space. But when you’re done, it’s a different story, different characters, different universe⁠—different way we tell the story. We go really deep on story. The combat is different; enemies are different. I can’t see people going, ‘Oh, that’s Dead Space 4‘.

Glen Schofield, The Callisto Protocol’s Director

2. The visceral combat system makes you think

One area where The Callisto Protocol hopes to separate itself from Dead Space is combat. Where Dead Space heavily relied on engineering tools repurposed as firearms, Callisto relies more on conventional weapons and melee combat. Players will need to master both melee and ranged attacks in an environment where adaptation is crucial to handle anything thrown at you.

In fact, another gameplay trailer from Gamescom 2022 showed off the adaptive nature of combat in even more graphic detail. During combat scenarios, players will need to constantly evolve their techniques depending on the situation.

In some cases, environmental hazards paired with a gravity gun can become your best friend. While in other instances, you may need to be stealthy and use silent takedowns. However, the focal point here is that gameplay will constantly change, meaning players can expect an immersive experience that always keeps you thinking.

3. It emphasizes every bloody detail

Equally as exciting as the immersive and adaptive combat mechanics is the attention to detail the developers implemented. Namely, the gore and mutilation physics are some of the most realistic in all of gaming. Like Dead Space, The Callisto Protocol uses body dismemberment as an integral gameplay function. From hacking off arms to blasting away legs, players need to use strategy in targeting body parts to survive the bloodbath.

However, this time around, the effects will look that much grizzlier. Using an in-office motion capture studio gave the team far more time to flesh out unique animations to make every movement feel eerily lifelike. Additionally, next-gen improvements gave the team more room to build a believable environment on a large scale with no detail left behind.

4. The game offers more room for exploration than Dead Space

Because of the larger and more-detailed environment, The Callisto Protocol will give players more room to explore than Schofield’s previous franchise. In the new game, players can choose to follow “beta paths”. These side-paths reveal tons of hidden content and lore that explains the story in greater depth.

For players who do prefer the more linear route, choosing to explore the beta paths is wholly optional. That’s because the game still mostly operates in linear fashion. Essentially, this provides the best of both worlds for players who love exploration and for those who just want to stick to the main route and story.

5. The game highlights an engaging story

Speaking of story, the narrative campaign is the largest focus of The Callisto Protocol, and also one of the main reasons to be excited. If you’re anything like me, then you love when video games incorporate deep narrative storytelling. Well, this title certainly places an emphasis on this, and the trailers promise a chilling tale of suspense and mystery.

The gripping narrative focuses on inmate Jacob Lee’s struggle to escape Black Iron Prison on Callisto, a dead moon orbiting Jupiter, after other prisoners begin turning into horrifying mutants. However, as the game progresses, your objective evolves from simply escaping the horrors to learning the dark truth for how and why they began. Now, if that doesn’t make you want to get your creepy on and play The Callisto Protocol, I don’t know what will.

The Callisto Protocol breaches our atmosphere this December

The Callisto Protocol is developed by AAA studio Striking Distance Studios and published by the team behind PUBG Krafton. It officially launches on December 2, 2022 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC.

Ahead of the game’s December release, players can now pre-order both the Day One and Digital Deluxe Editions of The Callisto Protocol. Both versions of the game include the Retro prisoner Character Skin, as well as two Retro Prisoner Weapon Skins. However, the Digital Deluxe Edition also comes along with the game’s Season Pass. You can pre-order The Callisto Protocol now on the official website for all of the available platforms.

In addition, there will also be a Collector’s Edition you can pre-order as well. Along with the base game and standard pre-order bonuses, the Collector’s Edition also comes packed with a slew of cool memorabilia. The additional items include:

• Jacob statue
• Steelbook case
• TCP Comic #0 Edition
• Outer Way Collectable Pin
• UJC Collectable Pin

Are you excited to enter the horrors of The Callisto Protocol? As always, share your thoughts with us in the comments!