The Callisto Protocol is a new survival horror game developed by Striking Distance Studios and published by Krafton. It‘s often referred to as the spiritual successor to Dead Space due to similarities in gameplay and the fact that Glen Schofield, the creator of Dead Space, leads Striking Distance.
The game launched on December 2nd, 2022 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Reviews have been mixed so far, with praise for its horror atmosphere and visceral combat but criticism of its repetitive gameplay.
One aspect in particular that impacts The Callisto Protocol‘s replay value is the lack of branching narratives, side quests, and hidden areas to discover. So in this review, we‘ll analyze if there is incentive to play through the game more than once.
Story and Setting
You play as Jacob Lee, an intergalactic cargo ship pilot who crash lands onto Jupiter‘s moon, Callisto. You wake up in the Black Iron Prison and must fight through hordes of mutated inmates to escape the facility.
The setting of an abandoned space prison overrun by monsters sets the tone for an intense and frightening experience. However, the story itself is quite linear without any moments where player choices impact outcomes.
Once you complete the 10-12 hour campaign, you‘ll have experienced all the narrative has to offer. The lack of branching storylines limits replay value for those looking to see alternative endings or scenarios play out.
Gameplay Loop and Replayability
The Callisto Protocol utilizes a gameplay formula reminiscent of previous survival horror titles. You cautiously explore environments, scavenge resources, craft weapons/ammo, and engage in brutal melee and ranged combat against grotesque enemies.
This loop is executed well, with a satisfying weight to the combat and haunting atmosphere dripping throughout the prison. But the repetitive nature of traversing similar-looking corridors, backtracking through locations already visited, and battling familiar monsters means that one playthrough is likely enough for most players.
There are no side missions, optional collectibles to find, or incentives to start a new game like unlocking new game plus. So replaying the campaign offers little in terms of new content.
The lack of replay value outside of experiencing the story again and testing higher difficulties is one area The Callisto Protocol falls short.
Graphics, Sound Design and Presentation
While the repetitive gameplay is one flaw, The Callisto Protocol excels when it comes to presentation – especially visually. The graphics are extremely impressive with excellent lighting, details in the prison, and horrifying creature designs.
The sound is also standout, creating an eerie, tense atmosphere. The unsettling ambient noises and bone-crunching combat all contribute to an audio experience on par with graphics.
So while you may not replay The Callisto Protocol numerous times, the stellar audio/visual experience alone makes one playthrough still well worth it.
What Could Be Improved for Replay Value
The Callisto Protocol focuses heavily on delivering a strong, tight narrative-driven survival horror experience. But for a game with little replay incentives outside higher difficulties, some features would‘ve helped immensely:
Branching Story Routes: Having certain decisions or actions lead to alternative story arcs and endings would incentivize multiple playthroughs.
More Enemy Variety: The enemies you encounter become repetitive with reskins and color swaps. Introducing new monsters over playthroughs could keep things fresh.
Randomly Generated Levels: Procedural generation of map layouts and item placement could help the same areas feel different session to session.
Unlockable Modes: Picture something akin to Resident Evil Mercenaries – an extra mode unlocked after completion supporting replayability with leaderboards.
VR Support: The immersive graphics and intense combat seem ideal for VR devices to really ramp up the horror factor.
Adding features like these, even if just small components rather than completely changing the fundamental game, would strengthen replay value substantially.
Final Verdict: Great On First Playthrough but Lacks Replay Incentive
The Callisto Protocol is an excellent horror experience that survival genre fans will enjoy – but likely only play once. The narrative and gameplay structure mean that one complete campaign showing is sufficient to see all there is.
There are frights, tense combat encounters, great graphics/sound that deliver a polished, high quality horror game. But the lack of reasons to return after the 12 hour runtime hinders its replayability.
- 7/10
So while not a flawless masterpiece, The Callisto Protocol is still an impressive horror title that I recommend fans of the genre play through once. Just don‘t expect much incentive for repeated replays.
Overall an exciting survival horror that nails the atmosphere, but needs more gameplay variety and replay incentives to become a classic.
