Everything you need to know about The Callisto Protocol

It’s a great time to be a horror fan. With upcoming releases like Resident Evil 4 remake, multiple Silent Hill projects, and the Dead Space remake, there are plenty of scares on the horizon. One arguably overlooked upcoming spooky game is The Callisto Protocol, which aims to be a spiritual successor to Dead Space. In the lead-up to its imminently approaching release, The Callisto Protocol has had several trailers showing the game in action for the first time, and elaborating on the narrative. What will this game be like and when will it come out? Here’s what you need to know.

When is The Callisto Protocol release date?

The Callisto Protocol will launch on December 2, 2022. Nothing like a good sci-fi horror game just in time for the holidays, right? Its release date was reiterated during Gamescom Opening Night Live 2022. On October 21 the game’s official Twitter account announced the title had gone gold, meaning development is effectively complete.

However, there is one major caveat for a subsection of Callisto Protocol fans. For anybody living in Japan, the game will not release. This is according to a tweet from the team sharing that due to the game’s level of violence (which makes Dead Space look tame) it was not able to secure a rating in Japan.

What are The Callisto Protocol platforms?

You’ll be able to play The Callisto Protocol when it launches for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Is there a Callisto Protocol trailer?

Yes, there are several!

As part of the June 2022 State of Play event, Krafton and Striking Distance Studios showed off the first-ever gameplay footage of The Callisto Protocol during a wild trailer. You can watch it above.

A new gameplay video was shown during Gamescom Opening Night Live 2022, highlighting the “mutation” feature. To keep players on their toes, enemies will morph or mutate during combat and your job is to dispatch them before they become even deadlier. We also see a particularly gruesome death sequence at the end.

Check out the new trailer above!

Who is The Callisto Protocol developer?

Striking Distance Studios is a new team created by industry veteran Glen Schofield, who is credited as one of the creators of the original Dead Space. The Callisto Protocol is the studio’s first game, but you wouldn’t be able to tell based on what has been shown so far.

Krafton will serve as publisher for this project, best known for working on PUBG. Interestingly, The Callisto Protocol was initially set in the PUBG universe, but it then spun out into its own world.

“Survival horror games have been my passion for decades, and I’m excited to take advantage of the latest consoles to take the genre to terrifying new places when we ship The Callisto Protocol later this year,” Schofield said.

What is The Callisto Protocol story?

This game sends players to Jupiter’s dead moon, the titular Callisto, during the year 2320. In it, you play as Jacob Lee, a cargo ship pilot trapped inside Black Iron Prison. Your goal is to escape the prison while uncovering the dark truth behind the United Jupiter Company.

What will The Callisto Protocol gameplay be like?

This game will blend survival-horror mechanics with third-person shooting, just like Dead Space. In it, you’ll need to scrounge for resources while exploring the deadly Black Iron Prison—all while surviving against the terrifying enemies known as Biophages. Protagonist Lee will have access to a wide variety of weapons like a pistol, shotgun, or baton, along with a gravitational device that allows him to push and pull objects (like Half-Life, maybe?).

Schofield told Inverse that in The Callisto Protocol the team wants to “isolate them [players] from hope”.

Striking Distance thought about what makes a good horror experience in the first place. “The key to good horror,” Schoefield says, “will always be good audio. The player should feel like every little sound is about to come through the walls.”

Schofield also mentioned that The Callisto Protocol will borrow many ideas from Dead Space, such as the diegetic HUD. Instead of placing an obnoxious health bar on the HUD, Lee’s HP is displayed on his suit, making the game feel more immersive. However Schofield insists that he wants to move on and make something new, “Dead Space is in my past”.

As a matter of fact, Schofield is already thinking about what is next, “I want to make a sequel,” he admits. “This is a complete game, but there’s a lot of ideas, cool ideas, we want to do next. I always want to keep making the next big thing. Even after I finish a game, I’m already thinking what’s next.”