WARNING: Major The Callisto Protocol and The Callisto Protocol Final Transmission DLC Spoilers ahead. Proceed at your own risk.
The Callisto Protocol Final Transmission DLC and Dead Space 3 Awakened share a disappointing narrative twist. The Callisto Protocol Final Transmission promised to be the final chapter following the base game’s cliffhanger ending. The DLC’s last-minute twist finds the protagonist Jacob in a tragic narrative predicament.
The Callisto Protocol ended similarly to EA’s Dead Space 3. In both base games, the protagonists conclude their stories against seemingly impossible odds. The credits roll as players are left to assume that these characters have sacrificed themselves. The Callisto Protocol’s Jacob sends the Outer Way leader Dani off in an escape pod, saving her from the self-destructing Black Iron Prison. Players of the base game last see Jacob getting attacked by Ferris. Dead Space 3 similarly ends with Isaac and Carver saving Ellie and sacrificing themselves. The Dead Space 3 Awakened DLC extends this ending to a more complicated cliffhanger.
The Callisto Protocol Final Transmission and Dead Space 3 Awakened’s Endings
The Callisto Protocol Final Transmission’s ending reveals that the DLC's narrative happens entirely in the mind of the dying Jacob. In the last moments of the DLC, players see Jacob severely wounded and on life support while Dr. Mahler transmits data from his implant. The ending not only casts doubt about the players’ experience but also about the future of The Callisto Protocol franchise.
Sadly, the DLC is but a dying dream. Players of Dead Space 3 Awakened experienced a similar twist as they discover that Isaac and Carver suffer from severe hallucinations throughout the game. These hallucinations cast doubt on the final conversation between the protagonists and the moons. This ending could be read as either setting up the events of Dead Space 4 or just another shared hallucination.
The Callisto Protocol Final Transmission’s ending could also set up a sequel with a different protagonist. The Callisto Protocol left mysteries and plot holes to explore. There is still much to uncover in terms of Dr. Mahler and Dani’s stories. Dr. Mahler, after all, still has that data taken from Jacob’s implant, and Dani might be infected, which would have real ramifications for The Callisto Protocol’s world. Striking Distance Studios could do so much to expand the established lore and world that it has built. The Callisto Protocol could be the foundation for a new horror franchise, but this may also be the last time that players see these characters, their world, or this franchise.
Dead Space 3 Awakened left players in a similar predicament ahead of the franchise’s long hiatus. The follow-up to Dead Space 3 was never released. While remakes of the Dead Space sequels are possible after the success of this year’s Dead SpaceRemake, there is no guarantee that a Dead Space 3 remake would follow the same narrative or gameplay features as the original.
Maybe in a decade or so, The Callisto Protocol will accumulate enough of a cult following to be remade, remastered, or reimagined. Until fairly recently, Dead Space was thought to be a dormant horror franchise in need of a resurrection. The series has found new life through a well-received remake and a new scripted audio podcast. It is an exciting time to be a Dead Space fan. Maybe one day it will be a great time to be a fan of The Callisto Protocol.
The Callisto Protocol is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
