Fight to survive the horrors locked within the walls of Black Iron Prison in The Callisto Protocol, a new video game from Striking Distance Studios. Available December 2nd, 2022. Pre-Order now on PlayStation.
The Callisto Protocol is nearly here, and there’s a lot of expectation on this hugely-exciting AAA sci-fi survival horror from the brand-new studio at Striking Distance to deliver unbridled fear and terror when it drops on December 2nd.
Set on Jupiter’s moon, Callisto, in the year 2320, The Callisto Protocol is a new-generation take on survival horror that will challenge players to escape the maximum security Black Iron Prison and uncover its terrifying secrets. A blend of horror, action, and immersive storytelling, The Callisto Protocol aims to set a new bar for horror in video games.
Will it be scary though? We have every reason to believe that not only will The Callisto Protocol be a spooky good time, it might well earn itself the title of one of 2022’s most terrifying games if all falls into place. Here’s why we reckon this game could be the one that truly keeps you up at night going well into the new year:
It’s Helmed By The Masters Of Spooky Space Games
If there’s one thing that’s been clear from the outset, it’s that The Callisto Protocol has some serious pedigree behind it. This is more than just a game inspired by the likes of Dead Space, it’s quite nearly a spiritual successor with the talent at Striking Distance stacked with veterans of the industry and some key names from that franchise.
For starters the studio is headed up by the former Executive Producer on the original Dead Space, Glen Schofield, a fact that has been front-and-centre in The Callisto Protocol’s marketing. Also along for the ride though are names like Steve Papoutsis, who directed Dead Space 2 and produced Dead Space 3, as well as a heap of former animators, designers and more. What I’m getting at, I guess, is the same people responsible for how creepy, gory and generally unsettling the Dead Space games were? A lot of them are here, and they’re determined to push the envelope even further in The Callisto Protocol.
It’s (Sometimes Literally) Dripping With Atmosphere
The most immediately-recognisable result of this team of cosmic sci-fi horror vets is that The Callisto Protocol’s got some serious spooky atmosphere going on, despite the frequent lack of it (that’s a space joke).
Bleak, moody and regularly scarce lighting mixed with unsettling volumetric fog effects, claustrophobic surroundings and anxiety-inducing environmental audio will come together to create an altogether suffocating and foreboding sense of impending doom and danger around every corner. Long have survival horror games strived to make players feel unsafe and afraid simply by existing in the worlds they create, and with the tech driving The Callisto Protocol’s horrific encounters inside a crumbling space prison there’s every reason to believe this game will achieve that goal and then some.
You Can Smell Josh Duhamel’s Sweat Through The Screen
A fact that I feel has gone underappreciated for much of the lead-up to The Callisto Protocol’s launch is how utterly impressive its character models are. The recent launch trailer certainly gave us our best look at the game’s cast of characters, played by some recognisable names and faces from movies and TV like Josh Duhamel, Karen Fukuhara and Sam Witwer, and they look incredible in their in-game forms.
How does that contribute to the spooky factor, you ask? Well, I don’t know about you but I’m an empathetic sweater. When I’m looking at the photo-realistic Jacob anxiously walking through pitch-black corridors, his neck craning and eyes darting around at every minute sound, I’m right there with him. And then, when that same penchant for hyper-realism and immense detail powered by new-generation gaming hardware extends to the menagerie of nightmarish monsters and their pustule covered, writhing, misshapen and unhinged forms I wish I was anywhere but.
It’s Bloody Gory
One look at any of The Callisto Protocol’s trailers is enough to tell you that one thing’s for certain – expect buckets of blood, viscera and generally gross shit thrown at you with reckless abandon. This game isn’t pulling any punches with its depictions of bodies being absolutely torn, crushed, shredded, bisected, trisected, and whatever comes after trisected. Regular humans and fucked-up spider people alike are going to have their insides unceremoniously made outsides in incredibly shocking and explicit ways.
That’s especially true of all of the horrific ways you’re likely to see Jacob die, whether it’s having his face caved in by brutish mutants, being pulverised by giant machines or impaled on jagged space junk the aforementioned impeccable character models on display are ripe for the ripping and more than likely to elicit some winced faces from everyone learning just how detailed everything truly is. If it’s gratuitous violence and unspeakable gore that makes you jump from your seat (in either fear or excitement, I’m not judging) then there’s plenty here for you.
Close Encounters With Space Zombies
Of course a significant reason why The Callisto Protocol’s menagerie of space mutants is so threatening and why the gore is so hard-hitting is because you’re going to be seeing all of it very up close and personal.
Tight quarters, a tight camera angle and a heavy focus on scarcity of resources means you’ll quite literally be going face-to-face with the horrors lurking around every corner. You’ll need to rely on the game’s unique and robust melee system when ammo is low, dodging aggressive enemy attacks from multiple angles and fighting back hard with your stun baton. It’s one thing to be able to pick off space zombies from a distance with powerful weapons, it’s another to have them spring up from hatches in the floor and have to fight within an inch of your life at any given moment.
The Callisto Protocol is available December 2nd, 2022. Pre-Order now on PlayStation.
