Striking Distance Studios seems ready to lean in on the Dead Space Remake comparisons now with their latest update for The Callisto Protocol.
Striking Distance Studios shared this update on the official The Callisto Protocol Twitter account:
“Introducing the new Dismemberment Mode! Get ready to tear your enemies apart limb by limb and feel the excitement of seeing instant dismemberment as you fight your way through Black Iron Prison.”
This new game mode clearly takes off in a new dismemberment feature in Dead Space Remake, and of course was part of the original Dead Space video games. In the Dead Space games, necromorphs could be killed quicker and more effectively if you cut specific limbs or body parts instead of shooting their head.
As reported by Game Rant, The Callisto Protocol set out to interpret this system differently. The original game already had a dismemberment system for its biophages. But in this case, players had to attack limbs or body parts several times to kill a biophage.
In contrast, the new Dismemberment Mode is an ego driven adrenaline rush. This time, you can cut a leg or arm clean in one clean swipe. Imagine cutting it like a chicken you brought home from the grocery. You may get sloppy the first few times, but you’ll eventually do it like an expert chef.
In Dismemberment Mode, you won’t be able to earn Achievements or Trophies. This fact really highlights how OP this mode is in the game. We don’t know for now if Dismemberment Mode is a completely separate experience with its own save, or if it’s just a setting you can toggle on or off anytime you want. Anyway, Striking Distance Studios clearly thought about what this new gameplay mechanic would do to the overall game design and worked around it accordingly.
This new mode comes in Update 5.01, which will also add the ability to skip cutscenes. Obviously, this feature had to be added in now, since the Dismemberment Mode would encourage fresh new playthroughs of the game.
Striking Distance Studios has been diligent in updating The Callisto Protocol. If you weren’t personally aware, they’re long past dealing with the game’s poor launch issues, and are now adding in new features. The previous update added Contagion Mode, a new enhanced difficulty setting with no manual saving, and save reset to each chapter every time you die.
The Callisto Protocol is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows, via Steam and Epic Games Store.