The Callisto Protocol

[Moonface]

In this narrative-driven, third-person survival horror game set 300 years in the future, the player will take on the role of Jacob Lee – a victim of fate thrown into Black Iron Prison, a maximum-security penitentiary located on Jupiter's moon, Callisto. When inmates begin to transform into monstrous creatures, the prison is thrown into chaos. To survive, Jacob must battle his way to safety to escape Black Iron Prison, while uncovering the dark and disturbing secrets buried beneath the surface of Callisto. Using a unique blend of shooting and close-quarters combat, Jacob will need to adapt his tactics to combat the rapidly evolving creatures while scavenging to unlock new weapons, gear, and abilities to outrun the growing threat and escape the horrors of Jupiter's Dead Moon.

HORROR ENGINEERING
The Callisto Protocol is a next-generation take on survival horror from the mind of Glen Schofield. Blending atmosphere, tension, and brutality with terrifying moments of helplessness and humanity, The Callisto Protocol immerses players in a pulse-pounding story where unspeakable horrors lurk around every corner.

UNCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNITED JUPITER COMPANY
Set on Jupiter’s dead moon Callisto in the year 2320, The Callisto Protocol casts players as Jacob Lee, an inmate in Black Iron Prison. When a mysterious outbreak throws the moon into chaos, Jacob must face his darkest fears to defeat the bloodthirsty creatures that stalk him as he unravels the dark mysteries at the heart of the powerful United Jupiter Company.

MASTER BRUTAL, STRATEGIC COMBAT
The Callisto Protocol challenges players to master a thrilling blend of hand-to-hand and ranged combat, including a unique gravity weapon once used by Black Iron guards to control the prison population. Players will be forced to get up close and personal with their grotesque opponents, hacking off limbs, blasting off legs, and getting creative with whatever is at their disposal to survive each life-or-death encounter.

EXPERIENCE THE ISOLATION OF JUPITER'S DEAD MOON
One of the most hostile, isolated environments in the universe, Callisto looms large over Jacob’s desperate struggle to survive. Players must not only contend with the horrors of Black Iron Prison, but also the centuries-old secrets that plague Jupiter’s long-dead moon, both above and below the surface.

Want to see more? Check out these other videos for the game:

• Summer Game Fest 2022 - Official Gameplay Demo
  
• Official Red Band Cinematic Trailer
  
• Gamescom 2022 - Game Director on Customizable Combat and More
  
• IGN: Why The Callisto Protocol Isn't Just Dead Space 4
  

---

Decided to make this since I'm really interested in this, and I saw @Frank saying they were really excited for this one. Not sure if anyone else has any interest in this game but if you do, welcome!

I don't really have much to say that I didn't already say in the Gamescom 2022 thread, and while I like what I've seen so far I want to see adjustments made to the ability to pick up enemies. Not a fan of how it can seemingly be done at will with no requirements or limits, especially in the most recent footage where it just negates the enemy mutation which we were told would be a very bad thing to allow an enemy to do.

[Frank]

I love horror games, and this looks great! I've admitadly watched very little footage, as to keep it a surprise.

I would love for them to release a standalone demo, Resident Evil style, to give those of us excited about it a bite-sized taste!

[Moonface]

I would love for them to release a standalone demo, Resident Evil style, to give those of us excited about it a bite-sized taste!

This would be really cool, and would probably do good for this game because I can see a decent number of people holding off at launch to grab the Dead Space remake instead or to see how this game turns out overall. I admit that for as cool as it looks, I'm still on the fence as to whether I'd grab it at launch or wait for a price drop while I pick up Dead Space instead.

[Frank]

I'm absolutely waiting for reception and price drop.

[Moonface]

I'm absolutely waiting for reception and price drop.

Would you still do this if this game gets a demo prior to launch?

[Frank]

I'm absolutely waiting for reception and price drop.

Would you still do this if this game gets a demo prior to launch?

For me it would depend on how hooked I got on the demo. Some games take a grasp at me, early on, and I end up "binging". Others are a slow burn and take time for me to really get into. I would assume a game like this is more of a slow burner, but if a demo was to release and it got its hooks in me, I would consider getting it on or at launch.

[Moonface]

I was checking the gameplay videos to see if any sections appear across all of them, since if so it would be likely those parts could be part of a demo as it wouldn't spoil anything and would be a part of the game already refined due to the public showings of it, but everything is different every time.

Something I hadn't really paid attention to before but that caught my eye this time is the premise for the plot. The outbreak happens on purpose by the leader of the prison colony the game takes place in, which is similar to how the necromorph infestation breaks out on the Ishimura in Dead Space 1. I'm hoping that this game doesn't go down the cult alien worshipping route that Dead Space did, just so it has its own story to tell, especially with the Dead Space remake coming out alongside it.
Speaking of the prison setting, I think the main character will feel a little bit like a mix between Isaac Clarke's character in the first two Dead Space games. Being a prisoner I expect him to be more combat ready like DS2 Isaac, but to have the unease and out of their depth feeling of DS1 Isaac. I hadn't really put the connection of the main character being a prisoner with the competent melee combat and dodging that some of the gameplay shows them being capable of, but it makes sense now that I considered their background again. It had been so long since the original trailer I forgot the main character was a prisoner. XD

I also saw on Wikipedia that Skybound believe there can be additional multimedia opportunities beyond this game, so if this game does well we won't necessarily have to wait for a sequel to get more stuff set in the universe. Dead Space had great stuff made outside of the games and Skybound have a lot of projects under their belt already, most notably TWD.

[WR91]

Besides God of War: Ragnarök, THIS is my most anticipated game of this year. #BelieveIt

[Moonface]

The Callisto Protocol - The Truth of Black Iron Trailer

---

This trailer was really neat, although it felt a little too on the nose that this is a spiritual successor to Dead Space with the bloody writing on the wall saying to shoot off the tentacles. Still hoping the story isn't going to be something really cliché when it comes to why there were alien experiments and stuff going on, but this trailer gave me a stronger impression that will be the case and thus has made me lower my expectations when it comes to the story for this game.

[WR91]

I'm excited! I just wish this would have been an October release since you know, spooky and all that lol.

[Moonface]

I'm excited! I just wish this would have been an October release since you know, spooky and all that lol.

I doubt one is coming but October would be a good time to release a demo for this game for the same reasons you said the full release would be good timing for it.

[Moonface]

For anyone interested, there's going to be a narrative podcast that serves as a prequel to the story of the game:

Not sure if I'll care to listen to it; I'll probably just read up a summary at some point if I feel like reading up on lore for the game after I play it.

[Moonface]

So I've not bought the game to play it myself yet but I've seen a fair chunk of it through a Twitch stream and I'd say my overall impression of the game based on what I saw is that it's okay, but it doesn't seem to really do anything that doesn't end up falling noticeably short at some point.

I will say though that the combat was definitely unexpected. I thought it was going to be a typical third person shooter with the option for melee and instead the game is actually heavily melee focused and guns are more like a secondary weapon you use to inflict bonus damage during a melee combo. That said, the melee combat is really well done but it comes at the expense that most enemies are designed around it which limits the variety in their designs, since they all have to be tailored to the melee system.

Generally my feelings on the game is that it looks okay, but nothing I'm willing to shell full price on because of all the shortcomings I think it has. For it coming from the original creators of Dead Space it definitely falls short in any aspect that can be compared to that series I think which for me is a little disappointing. It at least feels distinct from those games but it just doesn't really seem to shine doing it.

[Frank]

I was granted a review copy and will be doing a written review soon! I will make sure to post it up when it's finished.

I'm just waiting on my Elite 2 controller to arrive before I start, but it's currently downloading.

[WR91]

I too was excited for TCP but since it's released I've had second thoughts on getting it.

I think if I'm going to pick it up it'll have to be $20 or less.