Developer Striking Distance Studios' upcoming chilling sci-fi title, The Callisto Protocol, is finally giving up some of its secrets. Thanks to new trailers shown during both PlayStation's State of Play and the more recent Summer Game Fest 2022, players were able to get a good look at the game, as well as having its release date confirmed for later in the year. The Callisto Protocol was a surprise feature of the recent PlayStation showcase, with players not expecting to see the game in action for some time, but it was a welcome addition to the lineup and has helped stoke fan excitement for the upcoming launch.
The Callisto Protocol is being headed up by Dead Space co-creator Glen Schofield, so it's unsurprising that players are already drawing comparisons between the new IP and the seminal survival horror classic series. While The Callisto Protocol is wearing its Dead Space inspirations on its sleeve, it's also looking to strike out into new territory with its own unique set of characters, story arc, gameplay mechanics, and setting. One aspect that has raised a few questions from fans is the meaning of 'rebirth' mentioned during The Callisto Protocol's State of Play trailer in a sinister voiceover, and what significance it could have to the plot.
The Set-up for Callisto Protocol's Story
Set in 2320, The Callisto Protocol takes place in a prison called Black Iron Prison based on Jupiter's 'dead moon' Callisto. Callisto is a real natural satellite and the third-largest moon in the solar system, but scientists also think that it might have a subsurface ocean of liquid water and could therefore be potentially habitable for humans in the distant future. This element of realism was important to the developers, as they wanted to inject a level of authenticity alongside the more futuristic or fictional elements.
The game follows Jacob Lee, who is rescued from a wreck and taken to Black Iron Prison as an inmate. Jacob's past and his current predicament remain slightly mysterious, so part of the game will no doubt involve an exploration of just how he found himself in this nightmarish scenario. As if being locked up in a remote maximum security detention facility wasn't bad enough, Jacob must undergo a harrowing fight for survival as the moon becomes overrun with a mysterious outbreak. Other inmates and even the prison guards start to turn into mutated creatures called Biophage, which Jacob must face as he attempts to escape.
Explaining Rebirth
While the basic premise for The Callisto Protocol has been revealed – with its undoubted similarities to Isaac's desperate fight for survival inside the mutant-infested mining ship the USG Ishimura – the game still has a few secrets to uncover. Not only is Jacob's origin story a bit of a question mark, but the trailers also hint at something a little off about the moon and its prison facility (besides the rampaging mutants, that is). The prison is run by the United Jupiter Company, and a few recent glimpses of the game have suggested that they have more in mind than just running a detention facility. Jacob must uncover their dark secrets, which will likely reveal the source of the Biophage mutants at the same time.
The State of Play trailer for The Callisto Protocol features a voiceover that urges Jacob to let go of his old life and to abandon his last spark of hope because his "new life is entirely in [their] hands." The voiceover goes on to say that they're "just trying to give [Jacob] a chance at rebirth" over visuals of a Biophage stumbling out of the shadows. This strongly suggests that the type of 'rebirth' that this mysterious character is offering is to be turned into one of these grotesque creatures.
The prisoners might have been subjected to some inhumane experiments that somehow went awry, and the contagion spread throughout the facility, or else there is some Biophage source on the moon that someone has deliberately unleashed. The section of the trailer where a Biophage detaches itself from a stone slab and approaches a suspended Jacob while the unknown narrator says "I just love that last part, gives me chills every time" points to a very deliberate creation, if he's referencing the mutants.
The constant reference to the harrowing secrets buried beneath the surface of Callisto and the nefarious behavior of the powerful United Jupiter Company points to some subterranean terror or a potential source of the Biophage mutation, which could link the outbreak to the moon's subsurface ocean. The quest to search out the cause of the Biophage will probably be the center of The Callisto Protocol's story, and it wouldn't be the first game to explore how corporate greed or negligence can have catastrophic consequences.
How The Callisto Protocol Is Shaping Up
The source of the Biophage, the motivation of the unknown speaker, and the culpability of the United Jupiter Company are all still a mystery at this point, but it is something that players will no doubt get to the bottom of throughout their The Callisto Protocol playthrough. The game's focus on horror, claustrophobic sci-fi settings, and rampaging humanoid mutations will unsurprisingly bring to mind plenty of Dead Space comparisons, but from a few comments from the development team, it seems as if The Callisto Protocol is consciously moving away from these similarities as well. This can only be a good thing, especially with the Dead Space remake also on the horizon.
The Callisto Protocol will feature a mixture of gunplay and melee action, with Jacob able to use a variety of weapons and environmental factors to help dispatch enemies in increasingly gruesome ways. Jacob will also be able to use a handy gravity gun that was previously deployed by prison guards, and this will help to give the combat a unique dimension. The tense atmosphere, the rapidly-deteriorating prison, and brutal violence of The Callisto Protocol are painting a great picture for survival horror fans, and many players are excited to get their hands on the game.
While the process of 'rebirth' and the intent behind it remains cloaked in shadow, The Callisto Protocol is one of the year's most anticipated horror games thanks in part to its many mysteries.
The Callisto Protocol releases on December 2 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
