The Callisto Protocol is shaping to be the spiritual successor to Dead Space that fans have been craving for years, despite a Dead Space remake currently in the pipeline at EA’s Motive Studios. An inevitable comparison will be drawn between the two, sharing similar atmospheres, technology, combat, and enemies. Yet, with former Dead Space developer Glen Schofield, firmly in charge of his studio, Striking Distance Studios, and crewing the mission to bring The Callisto Protocol to life, players will be able to see the whole vision and scope he has for the project and its potential future.
Schofield has stated that he hopes to present The Callisto Protocol as the scariest game in its genre, focusing on keeping it grounded in as much realism as possible to truly up the scare factor. Jupiter’s moon Callisto has been surmised to contain an ocean of water beneath its surface, and Schofield felt those facts served as an excellent basis for the story’s setting. Further, with the natural-world mysteries of Callisto yet to be discovered, numerous possibilities exist to tie into the story about what could live there and its effect on humanity. The endless options result in many ways that players can battle the enemies that Schofield calls Biophages allows players, including with the help of the Grip weapon.
Combat in The Callisto Protocol
The June 9 Summer Game Fest Showcase presented brand-new gameplay demo footage of The Callisto Protocol to eager fans. It highlighted not only the dark, atmospheric gloom of Callisto’s colony prison, Black Iron, but the terrifying monsters lurking around every corner and every nook and cranny – even in the ceilings. Protagonist Jacob Lee, a current prisoner, finds himself caught in the horrific alien invasion that’s evolving around him. With minimal weapons and low ammo, Jacob must rely on stealth and cunning to survive.
The gameplay demo featured two locations: a med bay and a power station, both infested with grisly horrors ready to chew away at Jacob. From the demos, combat in The Callisto Protocol appears to involve switching between melee and long-range fighting with artillery. Melee combat allows Jacob to get up close and personal with his enemies, delivering powerful blows to repel and stun them. The long-range fire appears standard; however, it’s easy to see how fast these beasts can multiply and swarm. Lastly, a unique Grip gun allows Jacob to transition between his weapons easily.
The Grip Gun
Schofield referenced the Grip gun as a form of gravity gun that pulls Callisto Protocol's enemies toward Jacob in an almost stunned force before allowing the monsters to be hurled brutally into any obstacles in the way. This includes walls, desks, and even giant fans that appear throughout the demo. The Grip's ability to throw enemies around will allow players breathing room to plan their attacks before being overwhelmed. Additionally, Schofield mentioned the Grip could rip enemies apart horribly, hinting at how powerful this weapon can be.
Fans of Half-Life will undoubtedly draw parallels to the Gravity Gun from that series, where the weapon could switch between two modes. The first fires blasts striking objects with immense force, and the second grabs enemies and holds them within range of the gun, allowing players to drop or throw them. In the Callisto Protocol demo, fans observed Jacob using the Grip to hold an enemy at bay while switching to a traditional weapon to finish the job. What other attacks and features the Grip has remains to be seen, but from the little revealed, it appears it will be a force to be reckoned with.
The Callisto Protocol has fans teeming with excitement at the sci-fi horror tale it promised at Summer Game Fest. With an alien outbreak mutating prisoners and staff at Black Iron prison, Jacob Lee will need to utilize all his resources to survive the horrors waiting to devour him. With combat alternating between melee and long-range and the introduction of a power Grip gravity gun, players can assume a fluid, dynamic combat system that will brutally destroy the mutants within.
The Callisto Protocol releases on December 2 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
