Striking Distance Studios' upcoming title,The Callisto Protocol,has both a lot of potential and hype thanks to the studio working on the game having shared a lot of experience on theDead Spaceseries. However, as powerful as thatDead Spacelegacyis, this could also be a major hinderance for when the game finally releases, as the developer will have to walk a fine line to keep the new title fresh.
There’s a limit as to how muchThe Callisto Protocolcan lean on the past successes withDead Spacebefore using the developer’s namesake as a support causes it to snap. So, while the marketing will likely make mention of who is working in Striking Distance Studios and fan expectations will get hyped from that, this adds an extra level of risk.
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In fact, considering what’s already been seen in theinitial trailer forCallisto Protocol, there does seem to be some level of overlap between this latest title and the previous series. Both appear to have some sort of cosmic body horror element, with a government that is either complicit or actively participating in the destruction, and similar levels of sci-fi technology. This is a lot of weight to shift onto the legacy ofDead Space, and the final legs of that previous series might not exactly be the best jumping off point for a new franchise to try attaching itself to.
Leaning heavily on the originalDead Space, as well as the masterpiece that isDead Space 2, can be a huge benefit toThe Callisto Protocol, considering how well they did. However, the discussion of this series isn’t complete without mentioning themistakes ofDead Space 3, which loosely ended the series at the height of the story’s epic scope, leading into a follow-up title that Visceral Games never got to finish. This title that acts as the unfortunate end of the series was heavily criticized on release for having shifted too far into the shooting aspect and away from the horror that made the series explode off the scene in the first place.
So, it’s this direction thatDead Spacewent in general thatThe Callisto Protocolneeds to avoid if it wants to properly ride on the success of its predecessor. While a lot of fans are excited to see if Striking Distance Studios plans on bringing theDead Space 4they never got, this is thin ice that the developer is on. This means the upcoming game can go for the size and scale of Brethren Moons, but at the core of the gameplay loop, it should do its best to keep the originalDead Space’s intimate, claustrophobic horror.
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Avoiding the Dreaded Derivative Critique
There is, however, a give and take when it comes to trying to maximize on the previous success of theDead Spacefranchise while also developing an entirely new world. The worst effect of resting on the developer’s laurels like this is being labeled as derivative, or being so recognizably connected to the previous series thatThe Callisto Protocoldoesn’t get to stand on its own two feet. While there is a lot ofDead Spacethatfans want to see fromThe Callisto Protocol, the game needs to have its own brand to build off of as well.
The derivative label specifically is a subjective critique that some may care more or less about, but it does address the issue that anything that is given this criticism lacks originality. It’s clear already fromThe Callisto Protocol’s trailersthat the game is looking to lean on the reputation ofDead Space. However, Striking Distance Studios is going to have to prove that it can tell an original story within an original world that has enough degrees of separation to avoid being called a derivative of the creator’s previous works.
