The Callisto Protocolwas announced in 2020 during one of the worst years for humanity in recent history. Announcing a game about a breakout may have been a bad idea, but players were hungry for some escapism. Fans of theDead Spacefranchise had been waiting since 2013 for EA to announce anything related to that series.
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The Callisto Protocolthen was like the next best thing. Plus Glen Schofield was involved, who helped co-createDead Space. That was the only game he directly worked on though. There is a lot ofDead SpaceDNA inThe Callisto Protocol, but it does several things differently as well. These are the biggest changes.
6Emphasis On Melee
The only melee ability that was present throughout theDead Spacegames was the stomp. It was satisfying in those games and it is equally as satisfying inThe Callisto Protocol. Players must stomp on enemies to make sure they are dead and to release goodies trapped inside. However, players will also geta stun baton, which is the weapon that Jacob will be armed with for at least a third, if not half of the adventure.
It’s a good idea to upgrade it to its max attack potential asap. Players will get a pistol early on too, but ammo will be scarce until a few upgrades and new gun mods get added to the equation.Dead Spacewas all about imaginative weapons and inThe Callisto Protocol, everything is a bit plain. Finally, along with the melee emphasis,players can dodgeand counterattack too.
5No Map Or Waypoints
Agood horror gamewill aim to immerse the players in its world. Sometimes developers like to give players a sense of dread and aimlessness by not having a map. That’s the case inThe Callisto Protocol. There is no map and there is no guiding system either. TheDead Spacegames had a map, but players probably relied on the waypoint system more.
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Clicking in on the thumb stick would have Isaac create a tracing light in the direction players had to go. It was a mechanic that other games started to copy and for a good reason. It’s unfortunate that the guidance system inThe Callisto Protocolis so lackluster, but again, that may be on purpose to further immerse players into the horror that is Black Iron Prison.
4Jacob Speaks
In the firstDead Space, Isaac did not speak. Players didn’t even get to see his face until the end of the game. The sequel gave Isaac a voice as did the third and final game.The upcoming remakeofDead Spacewill give Isaac a voice as well. Jacob does have a voice right away inThe Callisto Protocol.
Players will also be more familiar with his face since Jacob doesn’t wear a helmet often. It’s also based on a famous Hollywood actor, Josh Duhamel, which makes the familiarity easier. Another interesting change inThe Callisto Protocol’scommunication department is the lack of holograms. While they do appear in some instances, they are not as omnipresent as they were inDead Space. Whenever someone communicated with Isaac, they would appear as a hologram. It’s a small detail that made that series feel more futuristic.
3The Inventory System
When it comes to item management in horror games, fans can get frustrated fast.Dead Spacehas a limited amount that could be upgraded in various ways such as getting Isaac new armor. Players can get an armor upgrade for Jacob as well but there is only one in the game. The inventory expanse from it is good, but there is another issue as this game does not have a storage facility.
As limited as Isaac’s suit was, at least players could store whatever they wanted for later at various stations. Players can strategically drop items inThe Callisto Protocol, hoping they will still be there upon their return. However, as the game is more linear thanDead Space, chances are that item will be lost forever. Hopefully, this is an issue that can be fixed with a patch inThe Callisto Protocol. No one wants to miss out on an essential item likea gun schematic.
2How Saves Work
TheDead Spacegames had some checkpoints and autosaves. However, players were more encouraged to manually save their adventures at kiosks. It was an old-school horror game mentality that was seemingly paying homage to the typewriter in theResident Evilfranchise.
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Players can manually save inThe Callisto Protocol, but it won’t technically record data. Checkpoints will activate autosaves and that is the only way data will truly be recorded. For example, if players hit a checkpoint, then shoot ten rounds from their pistol, save, and then back out, that ammo will still be there upon their return. The reliance on checkpoints could be an example of the developers trying to take power away from players to make them feel less safe.
1Doesn’t Take Place In Space
The Callisto Protocoltechnically takes place in space. The game begins aboard Jacob’s ship, in space, before he crashes on the moon, Callisto. The first twoDead Spacegames took place on ships and space stations, with the player often having to go outside to fix a problem. Oxygen was a mechanic built into the suit as a separate health system for Isaac.
Jacob never gets to have that haunting feeling of being stuck in the vacuum of space. It’s good for him but bad for the player as those segments with Isaac were some of the coolest in the series.The Callisto Protocol, overall, also doesn’t have puzzles. It’s much more of anaction horror gamein this way, straying away from its survival horror roots.
The Callisto Protocolwas released on May 13, 2025, and is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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