The Callisto Protocol was announced in 2020 during one of the worst years for humanity in recent history. Announcing a game about a breakout may have been a bad idea, but players were hungry for some escapism. Fans of the Dead Space franchise had been waiting since 2013 for EA to announce anything related to that series.
The Callisto Protocol then was like the next best thing. Plus Glen Schofield was involved, who helped co-create Dead Space. That was the only game he directly worked on though. There is a lot of Dead Space DNA in The Callisto Protocol, but it does several things differently as well. These are the biggest changes.
6 Emphasis On Melee
The only melee ability that was present throughout the Dead Space games was the stomp. It was satisfying in those games and it is equally as satisfying in The Callisto Protocol. Players must stomp on enemies to make sure they are dead and to release goodies trapped inside. However, players will also get a stun baton, which is the weapon that Jacob will be armed with for at least a third, if not half of the adventure.
It’s a good idea to upgrade it to its max attack potential asap. Players will get a pistol early on too, but ammo will be scarce until a few upgrades and new gun mods get added to the equation. Dead Space was all about imaginative weapons and in The Callisto Protocol, everything is a bit plain. Finally, along with the melee emphasis, players can dodge and counterattack too.
5 No Map Or Waypoints
A good horror game will aim to immerse the players in its world. Sometimes developers like to give players a sense of dread and aimlessness by not having a map. That’s the case in The Callisto Protocol. There is no map and there is no guiding system either. The Dead Space games had a map, but players probably relied on the waypoint system more.
Clicking in on the thumb stick would have Isaac create a tracing light in the direction players had to go. It was a mechanic that other games started to copy and for a good reason. It’s unfortunate that the guidance system in The Callisto Protocol is so lackluster, but again, that may be on purpose to further immerse players into the horror that is Black Iron Prison.
4 Jacob Speaks
In the first Dead Space, Isaac did not speak. Players didn’t even get to see his face until the end of the game. The sequel gave Isaac a voice as did the third and final game. The upcoming remake of Dead Space will give Isaac a voice as well. Jacob does have a voice right away in The Callisto Protocol.
Players will also be more familiar with his face since Jacob doesn’t wear a helmet often. It’s also based on a famous Hollywood actor, Josh Duhamel, which makes the familiarity easier. Another interesting change in The Callisto Protocol’s communication department is the lack of holograms. While they do appear in some instances, they are not as omnipresent as they were in Dead Space. Whenever someone communicated with Isaac, they would appear as a hologram. It’s a small detail that made that series feel more futuristic.
3 The Inventory System
When it comes to item management in horror games, fans can get frustrated fast. Dead Space has a limited amount that could be upgraded in various ways such as getting Isaac new armor. Players can get an armor upgrade for Jacob as well but there is only one in the game. The inventory expanse from it is good, but there is another issue as this game does not have a storage facility.
As limited as Isaac’s suit was, at least players could store whatever they wanted for later at various stations. Players can strategically drop items in The Callisto Protocol, hoping they will still be there upon their return. However, as the game is more linear than Dead Space, chances are that item will be lost forever. Hopefully, this is an issue that can be fixed with a patch in The Callisto Protocol. No one wants to miss out on an essential item like a gun schematic.
2 How Saves Work
The Dead Space games had some checkpoints and autosaves. However, players were more encouraged to manually save their adventures at kiosks. It was an old-school horror game mentality that was seemingly paying homage to the typewriter in the Resident Evil franchise.
Players can manually save in The Callisto Protocol, but it won’t technically record data. Checkpoints will activate autosaves and that is the only way data will truly be recorded. For example, if players hit a checkpoint, then shoot ten rounds from their pistol, save, and then back out, that ammo will still be there upon their return. The reliance on checkpoints could be an example of the developers trying to take power away from players to make them feel less safe.
1 Doesn’t Take Place In Space
The Callisto Protocol technically takes place in space. The game begins aboard Jacob’s ship, in space, before he crashes on the moon, Callisto. The first two Dead Space games took place on ships and space stations, with the player often having to go outside to fix a problem. Oxygen was a mechanic built into the suit as a separate health system for Isaac.
Jacob never gets to have that haunting feeling of being stuck in the vacuum of space. It’s good for him but bad for the player as those segments with Isaac were some of the coolest in the series. The Callisto Protocol, overall, also doesn’t have puzzles. It’s much more of an action horror game in this way, straying away from its survival horror roots.
The Callisto Protocol was released on December 2, 2022, and is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.