The Callisto Protocol

Fantastic horror The Callisto Protocol is created in the mold of Dead Space: the cramped quarters of a distant space station are filled with biophage — dynamically changing zombies that can only be defeated by tearing them apart in unpredictable close combat. Adapting a meager arsenal, the main character Jacob Lee will attempt to survive in this harsh environment and escape from it. The developers have reinterpreted the successful elements of Dead Space so that The Callisto Protocol has become a unique project in its own universe, rather than a spiritual successor, and have introduced new ideas.

The Callisto Protocol can be characterized as a chamber action game:

Unlike the slow and clumsy main character, the enemies are agile, resilient, and attack instantly. Therefore, the combat uses alternating phases: dodging an attack, a series of powerful club strikes against the foe, transitioning to block or evade, and so on until the enemy runs out of health points.

You need to hit hard and accurately — a biophage won't die from just losing limbs, but will mutate into a stronger form, requiring you to finish it off with firearms. Pistols, shotguns, submachine guns — that's all the weaponry. It's useful, upgradeable, but due to a lack of ammunition "like in shooters," you can't shoot freely.

With a power glove, you can toss biophages, pull them towards you for a strike, or throw them into the game environment (spikes, millstones, chasms). It also eases the troublesome auto-targeting, which prevents quick switching between enemies in close combat or breaking through to the most dangerous one.

The near future. Due to a technological catastrophe on Earth, humanity has settled beyond its limits. By 2320, colonies have been established on the moons of Jupiter, and one of them — Callisto — is used as a high-security prison. A quiet place where a prisoner disappears forever has quickly been taken over by people with far-reaching plans.

It is here, by a twist of fate, that the protagonist finds themselves, but the gameplay does not get stuck in the dungeons and changes location every 1.5-2 hours: industrial workshops, hydroponics, secret laboratories, and even the surface of Callisto.

However, the world suffers from a primitive design of locations. Narrow corridor-like levels are glued together through ventilation or gaps in the walls. No arenas, hideouts, or backtracking. All locations are surrounded by an invisible wall, and the interactive environment only manifests itself where possible.

At the same time, the levels themselves look great and are a visual part of the narrative. The torture chamber or the medical office with the laboratory cannot be confused due to the difference in interiors. Artists have filled each compartment with functional objects, thematic elements, and other decor, trying not to repeat themselves.

The Callisto Protocol immediately immerses the player into the thick of events, its setup intrigues with ambiguity and raises dozens of questions. But after the first chapter, the narrative will almost disappear until the very end, where the writers will reveal all the cards in tempo. Notes, audio and video messages, graffiti on the walls, and other familiar horror explanations of mysteries have given way to lore in special guides.

The gameplay is the only storyline and main quest, with no secondary stories of allied characters or additional tasks. The presentation and script are simple and linear, not without clichés and banal plot twists, and the canvas resembles Dead Space (experiments on humans, a conspiracy of a secret cult, aliens). The characters are few in number and screen time, but at least they communicate lively with the hero, are motivated, and honestly fulfill their time.

The single-player game is standard in all parameters. We push forward; deal with enemies, utilizing all the combat possibilities; gather resources and medkits; upgrade weapons and character attributes; craft consumables like ammunition and batteries for the glove. Skipping development is impossible — the variability and difficulty of the biophages increase as you progress, forcing a change in combat tactics against them. The inventory is limited, which additionally stimulates development here and now.

Survival only manifests at the highest difficulty due to a constant shortage of resources. The horror is least present, largely due to the oppressive but not frightening atmosphere and primitive, monotonous jump scares, tied to the enemies' tendency to latch onto the player during annoying QTE moments. However, from time to time, the setup throws in spectacular action moments: a space shuttle disaster, a rapid descent through the sewers, a fall into the unknown, and more. The game effectively reproduces old sensations in new conditions.