The Callisto Protocol‘s review embargo has dropped, and the early word is in – it’s no Dead Space, despite the number of ex-Dead Space staffers, helmed by the creator of the franchise Glen Schofield have worked on it.
While a number of content updates are on the way, the game presently has its fair share of concerns that no level of patching or content update will be able to overcome if the reviews are anything to go by. Currently, the game is sitting on 76 on Metacritic for the PS5 version of the game, by no means a bad score, but the commentary from the critics indicates some clear deficiencies that held the game back from being what Dead Space once was.
On the positive end of the spectrum, Dexerto’s reviewer said, whilst giving the game a 5/5 score,
A wonderfully exhausting exercise in futility is probably the best way of describing The Callisto Protocol as no matter the strength of my own resolve, I was constantly on edge and reveling in those fleeting moments where the game allowed me to breathe following yet another life-threatening fight. The constant fear and dread incited by the phenomenal visual and sound design are only complemented by the compelling story. The Callisto Protocol is, hopefully, the start of an exciting new franchise, and is another sign that survival horror is anything but dead.
On the less positive end, Screenrant’s reviewer said of the game, while issuing a 2.5/5 score
These problems and others make much of The Callisto Protocol ultimately feel like wasted potential. For what may be one of the most highly detailed sci-fi horror environments ever seen in a game, its rooms and hallways remain an empty – though grisly – backdrop, rarely presenting environmental narrative, anything to interact with, or a compelling pathway through. Killing mutants in the first hour feels identical to killing them in the last, and three difficulty levels only seem to affect mutant health pools. Maybe The Callisto Protocol’s upcoming DLC will breathe new life and wonder into its world, but Black Iron Prison remains a far cry from the dynamic decks of the USG Ishimura.
Then there were those in the middle, congregating around the current 76 Metascore, such as yours truly. In my review for Player2, I wrote,
The Callisto Protocol reaches for what Dead Space once achieved, and falls dishearteningly short. It re-creates all of the brutality and tension that drained the blood from our faces whilst playing Dead Space, but once you then find yourself actively fighting for your life, leaves you quickly frustrated and let down.
The Callisto Protocol is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.