The Callisto Protocol Reviews
Striking Distance’s debut is a swing and a miss, but “Callisto Protocol” ends on a cliffhanger. If the studio decides to revisit the series with a sequel, I’m hoping the second outing will be better than the first.
The Callisto Protocol is a game that loves fear from tradition; From strictly following the expression: "If something is not broken, do not fix it". The future of the space horror genre is more than assured with the first forceful step of a work that does not hide when looking at the past; of a game that is fully sincere about showing openly from the sources from which it is inspired. Something horrible lurks deep in the cosmos, but with games like this it's nice to come face to face with its darkest horrors.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A horror that does not bring new elements to the genre and suffers from several conceptual problems, although not so serious as to reject the experience as a whole.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The Callisto Protocol is the game fans of space "survival horror" have been waiting for years. It´s not a revolution in the genre, but a solid addition, full of scary moments and with a deep (and brutal) combat system.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Despite some cumbersome combat systems and performance issues, The Callisto Protocol successfully builds on Dead Space's legacy
Dead Space 4 in all but name, except with no puzzles and surprisingly little suspense. The Callisto Protocol has plenty of gritty action but that's not quite enough to sustain interest for its entire duration.
The Callisto Protocol is a deeply immersive sci-fi horror experience that firmly grabs you at the start and doesn’t let go. While this immersion shows its cracks during the transition into new areas, it’s not enough to ruin the overall experience.
The Callisto Protocol isn’t scary. It isn’t fun. It isn’t entertaining, fascinating, or mildly enriching. It lays a self-entitled claim to Dead Space’s stylistic and mechanical elements yet wields not a single one with grace, instead performing a crude pantomime.
Striking Distance Studios' debut title is a horror game that delivers a high-quality experience all the way through. It won't sway anyone new to scares and frights, but fans of the genre should make this a priority.
The Callisto Protocol succeeds as a desolate and brutal survival horror experience in its opening hours. But the second half is hindered by massive difficulty spikes and clunky melee combat.
Overrun by mutants, Jupiter's moon is the setting for this spiritual Dead Space successor
This intense, gory horror game is steadfastly old-fashioned and lacking in internal logic – but it's fun anyway
The Callisto Protocol delivers the violence, intensity and horror that lives up to its Dead Space predecessor, but with deeper strategic combat. However, a clichéd story and lack of original ideas means that it has one tentacle stuck in the past.
It's a shame that, despite looking great and having a good concept at its core, some poorly-executed ideas lead to a frustrating experience overall. For a new studio to produce a brand new IP is obviously a mammoth task and commendable, so here’s hoping the team get another chance to get a grip on this universe and tighten up the experience.
The Callisto Protocol is stylish and entertaining space action that doesn't reinvent the wheel. Rather, the entire foundation of the game is built on tried and tested concepts and we hadn't objected to a bit of innovation.
Review in Swedish | Read full review
This game wants to be Dead Space really, REALLY, bad, but what’s interesting about that is I haven’t even finished the first Dead Space game and I can see it. Is this a bad thing? No, it’s really not as Callisto Protocol isn’t a trash game at all, they tried some new things with the controls and stuff some of it worked but for me a lot more of it didn’t. The game’s depiction of excessive violence is fun but even it wears on to the point of feeling overboard, especially when you think why they have giant grinding machines in the open like this in the middle of a prison. The story, while predictable, was an enjoyable adventure, but as far as graphics this game looks incredible. But as most of us know by now, looks aren’t everything and so it is with Callisto Protocol.
As a spiritual successor, the game adopts many traits that are similar to Dead Space. The HUD is implemented within the design, the limbs of your opponent can be blown away and the tight camera obscures your view. While comparisons are expected, The Callisto Protocol does differ. The melee-focused combat cranks up the intensity of encounters but ultimately stumbles when facing numerous enemies. Some may not like the linearity but I felt that this helped with the pacing of the game and the effectiveness of scares. Although it never reaches the heights of its predecessor’s first two outings, it still offers a trembling trek through a terrifying detention center.
If you still really want to play The Callisto Protocol it would be wise to wait for any upcoming updates and significant price drop.
Review in Russian | Read full review