The Callisto Protocol Review (Azrael245)
After 18 Hours of playing the game from day 1 and a patch fix later. I am finally ready to give my review of the game in all it's honesty.
Foreword: I've watched and read a lot of reviews on Youtube and from PCGamer and IGN, most of the reviews have come from content creators on Youtube to which I can agree on 'some' aspects of their opinions and most I cannot. That being said, here's the review.
Honest Review:
Story - While one is only left with more questions than answers in the beginning, The Callisto Protocol is meant for you to discover what transpired as you progress through the game and how Jacob was involved in everything. Striking Distance Studios had gone through a rigorous amount of time to develop the story itself which I commend them for, though there could have been a little more lore thrown into the game itself to get the fanbase involved as Glen had done with the Dead Space franchise. While this is just the first game to be brought from Striking Distance Studios, I feel more of the story will be fleshed out as the DLC is released and possibly sequels. I do feel the game could have been a little longer as to add in some more of that tasty Lore we all know Glen throws into his games. But again, I feel with the coming DLC and possible sequels we may just get more of that.
Combat - Combat after the Day 1 patch has improved as the movements feel more fluid and less clunky due to frame rate drops. The 'dodge' system mechanic could certainly use some work as trying to obtain the 'perfect dodge' for the Butterfly achievement took quite awhile. The actions Jacob on the enemies make feel realistic and heavy and give a sense of actual combat. Where I disagree with most reviewers I have seen on Youtube, their complaint is with the Dodge System and how ineffective it is when an enemy is behind you. What these reviewers aren't seeming to realize is that in reality if you are distracted with an enemy in front of you, how do you expect to see the enemy behind you and how to dodge an incoming attack? They fault the mechanic of dodging in the game to fail the combat system when in reality it makes a lot of sense and I applaud Striking Distance for their use with it.
Weapons - In a sense I get a feel of more realism when it comes to the weaponry, though with a Sci-Fi element given to each piece of Jacobs arsenal. Unlike Dead Space, where the weaponry was more so Engineering Tools repurposed by Isaac Clark to cut limbs, Callisto Protocol has more of a realism vibe going on with it. While I enjoy that greatly, the creativity of the weapons I feel could be a little more imaginative or give us a wider plethora of weapons to experiment with in killing our foes.
Physics - The physics in this game are relatively decent save for a few odd off the wall ragdoll effects that occur depending on whether you are using the GRP or a firearm/baton on foes. Like in Dead Space, when Jacob walks over a 'slick' surface you cannot run and instead walk for footing purposes. I would have liked to have had the option to run, with a chance of tripping or stumbling to add to the layer of fear when trying to get a more tactical place to fight or if I am running.
Gore - Excellent overall, the amount of Gore in this title is amazing, much more so than I had seen in the Dead Space franchise and I look forward to more.
Replayability - Here is where The Callisto Protocol does not shine for the time being. There is only the single mode to follow the campaign with three difficulties to choose from and no New Game Plus option. That is not to say however that Striking Distance is not implementing new modes as well as a NG+ option in the future for more replay value to this franchise. NG+ is slated for a February release in 2023 as well as a new Game Mode called Contagion, which acts much like a Hard Core variant of the game. If you die, you start over, no saves from what I have seen. There is also the wave base Mode which will allow you to survive waves of enemies, upgrade your weapons and see just how far you can get before succumbing to the virus. New skins, weapons and Story DLC are on the way as well over the next six months.
Overview - All in all I had a fun time playing this title even with its Day 1 hiccups and issues, which were patched rather quickly and gave me an even better experience on my second play through. The reviews I have seen because of these Day 1 issues do not bring the game the justice it deserves nor the amazing work the Striking Distance studios team implemented into this title. While I enjoyed the game itself, there were times I had been jump scared or surprised when something came at me from behind or from a wall, those moments I enjoyed greatly. However around mid-game the scares seemed anticipated and it felt more like a hack and slasher than a horror game itself. While a Linear title, I understand how the scenarios with the enemy AI were planned out, but recycling some of the same jump scare tactics eventually just felt more annoying than making me jerk in place or yell out. Overall I give the game a very good score and would recommend it to others who enjoy the horror experience than Glen and his team can offer. For those who are skeptical and giving this title a bad review overall, I simply say stop comparing this title to others because of the developer himself and his past and look ahead to what the Striking Distance Studio team has planned.