When it was initially announced at the 2020 Game Awards, The Callisto Protocol turned plenty of heads. Horror games have some of the most devoted and most hardcore fan bases out there, so when it was revealed that Dead Space co-creator Glen Schofield would be directing a new sci-fi-horror game, The Callisto Protocol, immediately put itself on the map.
Schofield piqued prospective fans' interest even further by revealing that the game would be set in the PlayerUnknown's BattleGrounds universe. This was a puzzling reveal, to say the least. Many didn't know that PUBG even had a universe to share, so what exactly does that mean the setting of The Callisto Protocol?
Jupiter IV, the Callisto Moon
So far, there isn't a ton of public information surrounding The Callisto Protocol, but it is enough for fans to already be speculating and theorizing about what might happen in the game. Set in the distant year 2320, the game takes place on a space prison colony located on one of Jupiter's moons, Callisto. The colony, called Black Iron, is in the middle of a hostile alien invasion when players take control of one of the inmates.
Discovered back in 1610 by Galileo, Callisto is the second-largest moon of Jupiter. Also referred to as Jupiter IV, Callisto has been considered potentially inhabitable by humans in the near-distant future by NASA. Due to its widely varied surface, Jupiter IV seems like a good place to set a game that needs a wide variety of areas and environments. Add the existential dread and fear of the unknown that comes hand in hand with deep-space life, and the blueprint for a good horror game seems to be already there.
It's unclear if the cast of The Callisto Protocol will ever make it outside the walls of Black Iron, but if they do, they'll be in for some treacherous hiking. According to a 2014 entry on NASA's official website, Callisto is, "the most heavily cratered object in the solar system." Covered entirely in giant craters, maneuvering around the moon seems like hard work without any sort of movement devices or vehicles.
Black Iron and Beyond
Glen Schofield is no stranger to the potential scares of outer space. The Dead Space series was well known for its cold, industrial environments, which would make excellent settings inside a deep-space prison. If the creepy atmosphere from Dead Space's USG Ishimura is transferred and transformed into the sterile, oppressive atmosphere of Black Iron, The Callisto Protocol will already be set up for success.
One of the big questions hanging over the entire conversation surrounding the setting of The Callisto Protocol is "how does all that relate to PUBG?" Schofield addressed, saying that there will be a connection between PUBG and The Callisto Protocol, but it won't be "really deep." The lore surrounding PUBG hasn't quite left Earth yet, so it seems like the links will mainly be in the form of references in The Callisto Protocol.
It's not impossible that PUBG will connect itself to the game further as there's still plenty of time between now and when The Callisto Protocol is set to release in 2022. Who knows, PUBG might do some sort of map set in space. While that's unlikely, players can probably expect some details referencing the game to be littered throughout the map. It's also possible that, because of the limited information known about The Callisto Protocol, the references are already there, but no one's made the connection yet.
The Callisto Protocol proves the interesting point that a setting can really make a game special. While very little is known about the details of the plot or gameplay, the relatively simple setting of a prison built on one of Jupiter's moons is enough to pique interests. Hopefully, Striking Distance is able to capitalize on The Callisto Protocol's setting to make something great.
The Callisto Protocol is scheduled for release in 2022 for PC, PS5, and the Xbox Series X/S.
