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Sum-Up

In-depth analysis further down.


🟩 Pros
🟥 Cons



- Exceptional audio-visual compartment, with some of the most impressive graphics to date, stellar SFX and soundtrack - high immersion at all times is assured.
- Combat has good weight, high stakes (on higher difficulties), and is fun in both melee and ranged engagements.
- Exploration of side-areas feels rewarding and worthwhile, as it awards lore files, additional resources and unique blueprints.


- Enemy archetype variety is very limited: almost all enemies play out the same way in combat. United with the also limited weapon variety, it gets stale fast.
- Manual saving doesn’t work, as no matter where you actually save, only fixed checkpoints will be used as respawns. Why was it included at all, then?
- Stealth is underused and only useful in two specific chapters, while largely impractical or even unfeasible at other times.
- Mediocre storyline with unremarkable characters, that doesn’t really hook you at any point and uses the generic ‘humanity meddled with the wrong stuff trying to play God’ trope.
- Even on the highest difficulty, resource balance is way too generous, especially in later chapters - to the point of undermining the survival-horror feeling.
- Bosses feel like larger, spongier quasi-copies of normal enemies that work almost exactly the same, and have no truly unique patterns or traits that make them feel distinct.





🟨 Bugs & Issues
🔧 Specs



- Poor optimization in some parts results in heavy frame drops.
- Minor stuttering on some area transitions.
- Clunky weapon selection system that sometimes doesn’t work properly.
- Badly-explained tutorials on certain mechanics, especially dodging.


- 3900X
- 2080Ti
- 32GB RAM
- SSD
- 1440p





Content & Replay Value:
It took me 15 hours to complete The Callisto Protocol (TCP) on Maximum Security (Hard) difficulty, taking extra time to explore all areas accurately and read each file I could find. The experience is linear and there’s no reason to replay once finished.


Is it worth buying?
No. The price of 60€ is expected for a AAA game, and the 10-15 hour duration is fine for this production level, however the mediocre content quality makes this a pass even for fans of this genre.


Verdict: Mediocre
Rating Chart Here
Despite some good ideas and a stunning audiovisual department, TCP is irreparably hindered by its limited variety, excessive linearity and a story that fails to impress at any point.


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https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2896385142

In-Depth

Setting & Writing
TCP is mainly set in the Black Iron correctional facility on Callisto, but also has some segments that feature the moon’s surface and other older, abandoned facilities. The atmosphere feels dark and oppressive at all times, in large part thanks to the masterful world design that makes a wise use of lights, contrasts and sound effects to keep you constantly on edge, as danger may come at a moment’s notice. Voice acting is more than passable, but it doesn’t feel as emotional or conceited as it should in the more tense situations. There’s enough location variety to keep interest up, and each is rich in details that double as a form of indirect narration to some extent.
Regrettably, the storyline is nowhere near as good, as it largely fails in hooking players up with the mysteries of Black Iron from the get-go, remains obscure for the most part instead of progressively revealing crucial info, then lore-dumps everything in the span of twenty minutes near the end of the game. If it was a shocking revelation it would even be acceptable, but one can easily understand from the beginning what went wrong on Callisto. Its unremarkable token characters, protagonist included, only worsen these issues.
Exploration & Loot Management
TCP is divided among eight chapters, each taking place in a different location. The level layout is largely linear, with a ‘main path’ to follow, and a few secondary areas that usually host resources, currency and blueprints, but also more enemies or other hazards. There’s no way to tell which is which, and you may get locked out of side areas without notice because you triggered a scripted event or a one-way drop with auto-save included.
This may sound frustrating, but anyway there’s so much loot, ammo and credits thrown at you - especially later on, when your inventory gets an expansion - that missing a few side-areas won’t be the end of the world. Exploration is worthwhile and interesting, however there are more than a few dead ends that are designed to waste your time or resources without any notable reward, as well.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2898244798
Combat System & Bosses
There are both ranged and melee options for dealing with the monstrosities Black Iron has spawned, with a particular focus on the latter, at least until later on. The CQC system uses a cycle of dodging and hitting to prevail on your foes, but has some serious balance issues. Dodging is far too easy once you get the hang of it: simply holding A then D then A again until the enemy combo is finished (without any timing) will make you immune from all melee attacks, after that you get a combo in and repeat this sequence until victory.
Against multiple enemies it’s a different matter, as this system simply doesn’t work well in that case: that’s where ranged weapons, gadgets and environmental hazards come into play to give you that much-needed edge. Later on, certain enemies may mutate into stronger versions if they aren’t killed quickly, or employ special feats like invisibility or ranged attacks - however, these don’t make the formula vary that much.
Bosses, exception made for the final one, are bigger baddies with a truckload of health but very limited attack patterns that can be dodged just like the most basic enemies - they’re even slower, actually. They’re uninteresting, basic ammo dumps made to wear your resources out, since melee is not really feasible with them as they can’t be staggered.
Character Progression & Crafting
Weapons and gadgets (like the telekinesis glove, used to throw whole enemies and props) can be upgraded at 3D printers found occasionally around levels, where you can also print resources like ammo (way too cheap, actually), medkits and so on. Each upgrade or goods will cost Credits, found from enemies, looting and gained by selling valuables like Energy Converters, that have no practical use. The available upgrades include better damage, larger magazines, special functions like block-break for melee, and alternate fire modes (that are completely worthless as they use a lot of ammo for miserable damage).
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2896384952
Stealth & Quick Time Events
Stealth is present and enables you to instantly kill enemies via a backstab finisher if you get close enough. On paper it’s a good way to save ammo and time, however it’s non-feasible in most areas due to the fact enemies will be placed in ways that don’t allow so, or instead immediately aggro on you anyway. It’s only viable in specific chapters that feature blind enemies. QTEs happen when there’s a grab or a cutscene that involves actions, failing them often means death or losing a high amount of HP - in large part they’re just about mashing E (action), so just spam it to be safe and that will work.