The Callisto Protocol

 PC
User Score
5.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 294 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 118 out of 294
  2. Mixed: 56 out of 294
  3. Negative: 120 out of 294

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  1. afroman123456
    Dec 4, 2022
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. its the stutter protocol i am very dissapointed by this game so far blunt enemey aı weak story and the boss fight please dont get me started ita awful
    waiting to play dead space remake
    please do not buy this game save your money on something better    … Expand
  2. Chowjust
    Dec 4, 2022
    9
    ̶G̶a̶m̶e̶ ̶s̶t̶u̶t̶t̶e̶r̶s̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶c̶r̶a̶z̶y̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶m̶y̶ ̶3̶0̶8̶0̶ ̶T̶i̶ ̶/̶ ̶R̶y̶z̶e̶n̶ ̶9̶.̶ ̶J̶u̶s̶t̶ ̶g̶o̶ ̶p̶l̶a̶y̶ ̶D̶e̶a̶d̶ ̶S̶p̶a̶c̶e̶.̶

    As of patch 1.06, I can now run on max settings with pretty much zero stutter. I still get some stutters during action heavy scenes but it's nowhere as noticeable or annoying as before. You kinda got to give them props for putting out a    ̶G̶a̶m̶e̶ ̶s̶t̶u̶t̶t̶e̶r̶s̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶c̶r̶a̶z̶y̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶m̶y̶ ̶3̶0̶8̶0̶ ̶T̶i̶ ̶/̶ ̶R̶y̶z̶e̶n̶ ̶9̶.̶ ̶J̶u̶s̶t̶ ̶g̶o̶ ̶p̶l̶a̶y̶ ̶D̶e̶a̶d̶ ̶S̶p̶a̶c̶e̶.̶

    As of patch 1.06, I can now run on max settings with pretty much zero stutter. I still get some stutters during action heavy scenes but it's nowhere as noticeable or annoying as before. You kinda got to give them props for putting out a patch this quick but also, why not just wait one day lol.

    In terms of the game - it looks amazing and the atmosphere perfect. As some who is big on action horror games like Dead Space and Resident Evil, I can easily recommend this. The game settings gives me real Event Horizon/Pandorum vibes so if you have issues and enjoy those movies like me then you'll like this.

    It's not exactly Dead Space, but that's what we have the Dead Space remake for. The gameplay trailers showed exactly what this game is like and I pretty happy with what I got.    … Expand
  3. ScienceAdvisor
    Dec 4, 2022
    1
    Even if this was not plagued with Denuvo, the fact that it is a half-finished port from consoles that barely works on PC would be enough to give it a poor rating. However, the gameplay is barely that. It is a rail shooter, with pre-determined combat that is so scripted you could use a bot to play those sections. The rest is just jump scares between quick time events. This is justEven if this was not plagued with Denuvo, the fact that it is a half-finished port from consoles that barely works on PC would be enough to give it a poor rating. However, the gameplay is barely that. It is a rail shooter, with pre-determined combat that is so scripted you could use a bot to play those sections. The rest is just jump scares between quick time events. This is just another "game" that wanted to be a "cinematic experience" aka movie, but pretends it is a real game. A massive disappointment that reinforces the basic rule to never pre-order, and if you do to cancel as soon as you learn there is a review embargo before release. They are ALWAYS a cover-up.… Expand
  4. lite_lite
    Dec 4, 2022
    8
    концовка норм, хз че её так засрали прям капитально я не понял, сюжет в целом оказался не настолько уж плохим, ласт босс тоже хоть и дженерик, но... а шо там еще можно было ожидать)

    в целом, мне понравилось, но мало, хочу добавки, и чтоб косяки баланса пофиксили, ну и поменьше повторяющихся элементов 15-летней давности было игра свои 7.5-8 баллов очень даже заслуживает, несмотря на    концовка норм, хз че её так засрали прям капитально я не понял, сюжет в целом оказался не настолько уж плохим, ласт босс тоже хоть и дженерик, но... а шо там еще можно было ожидать)

    в целом, мне понравилось, но мало, хочу добавки, и чтоб косяки баланса пофиксили, ну и поменьше повторяющихся элементов 15-летней давности было

    игра свои 7.5-8 баллов очень даже заслуживает, несмотря на большое количество косяков

    не шедевр, но очень неплохо для дебюта олдскульных дедов, надеюсь в сиквеле (если он будет) или длц исправятся

    любителям космосов, хорроров, чужих и прочих дед спейсов обязательно к ознакомлению    … Expand
  5. The_D4RknesS
    Dec 4, 2022
    2
    the game is cool it seems quite dead space but it is not playable, I stayed about 40 minutes at my friend's house who bought this game and they are horrible! in moments of jumpscare you Don't be scared as the game's performance drops drastically!
  6. esfumato
    Dec 4, 2022
    2
    They forgot to develop gameplay mechanics. It is all about quick time events, jump scares, and a scripted combat that consist in memorizing the enemy patterns so you fight evry one of them exactly the same. Dodge Dodge attack attack and repeat again and again.

    The game is short 6 hours of gameplay.
  7. Garik_Briks
    Dec 4, 2022
    1
    Как можно играть в этот душный и лагучий кусок дерьма? Для тех кому игра зашла, ты либо терпила, либо говноед)
  8. helladarionx
    Dec 4, 2022
    0
    Não está dublado em português, então nao serve para bosta nehhuma. em pleno 2023 e saindo jogo com audio em inglês. NOJENTO
  9. Martinrazie
    Dec 4, 2022
    10
    First true next gen game. Graphics, sounds and scary story is awensome! Game of The year
  10. AFONSOMATIAS
    Dec 4, 2022
    10
    ESSE JOGO É MUITO BONITO, GRAFICA ABSURDOS COM CERTEZA ESSA É A NOVA GERAÇÃO. JOGO MUUITO BOM. NOTA 10!!!
  11. Vasot
    Dec 4, 2022
    3
    Welcome to THE STUTTERING PROTOCOL with Denuvo DRM what a sad surprise. Besides the failed technical aspect of the game with bad optimization and stuttering and shady DRM there are also more concerning problems. The story feels bare-bones and pretty much every cut scene available was already in the trailers. Combat gets boring, and melee combat is clunky plus the game isn't scary asWelcome to THE STUTTERING PROTOCOL with Denuvo DRM what a sad surprise. Besides the failed technical aspect of the game with bad optimization and stuttering and shady DRM there are also more concerning problems. The story feels bare-bones and pretty much every cut scene available was already in the trailers. Combat gets boring, and melee combat is clunky plus the game isn't scary as advertised. Disappointed and REFUNDED.… Expand
  12. Mattt013
    Dec 4, 2022
    3
    Prometían ser el juego de terror del año, le dieron demasiado hype, y es inconcebible que un juego AAA salga con esos problemas de optimización.
    Más allá de esos problemas, lejos está de ser un juego de terror. No da miedo para nada.
  13. Matuation03
    Dec 4, 2022
    2
    Deposité mi confianza en este juego reservándolo por 60 euros y tres días después de salir es injugable, tengo componentes en mi pc de sobra para jugarlo a 60 fps estables y los fps caen todo el rato.
  14. Damr0ck85
    Dec 4, 2022
    0
    Buy no fix later

    Refunded and never buying anything from this studio again.
  15. PCsincero
    Dec 4, 2022
    10
    Ficou muito ruim no lançamento, mas agora teve um patch que corrigiu as travadas, caso voce ainda nao consiga jogar direito, use o dx11, foi um bom workaround até chegar o update. Pra quem tem PC batata, esquece o dx12.
  16. Litomaikel
    Dec 4, 2022
    0
    Mala optimización, juego pasillero como pocos, historia mal contada, dudoso sistema de combate.
    Decepcionante en muchos aspectos.
    No es un AAA ni de broma. Si acaso un AA en plan A Plague Tale, pero con muchos más fallos.

    Personalmente yo ya he pedido el reembolso.
  17. shin777
    Dec 3, 2022
    0
    Cant play the game on steam deck outside home cause game uses denuvo, plus the slutter it is causing.... Refunded sadly :(
  18. starker96
    Dec 3, 2022
    10
    Muy buen juego. Yo que he jugado dead space 1, 2 y 3 no he podido dejar de ver ciertas similitudes de todas estas en The Callisto Protocol. La jugabilidad es similar a la de Dead Space, sólo que cambia un tanto en cuanto a ataques refiere. Los enemigos son más fuertes y resistentes, la mayoría de combates se darán siempre de cuerpo a cuerpo y estos tendrás que usar las flechas izq. yMuy buen juego. Yo que he jugado dead space 1, 2 y 3 no he podido dejar de ver ciertas similitudes de todas estas en The Callisto Protocol. La jugabilidad es similar a la de Dead Space, sólo que cambia un tanto en cuanto a ataques refiere. Los enemigos son más fuertes y resistentes, la mayoría de combates se darán siempre de cuerpo a cuerpo y estos tendrás que usar las flechas izq. y derecha para esquivar los ataques, el inventario lo tienes reducido a un máximo de 6 y ampliable a 12 sólo después de haber salido de la cárcel. Hay momentos de "scream" cada cierto tiempo. Es más reducido el uso del arma antigravedad que ahora son guantes. La música sabe como ponerte en tensión y en guardia. Algo que apreciar es el constante cambio de ambientes, lo coherente de la historia y las cinemáticas.
    Algunas deficiencias que he tenido en rendimiento considero que es porque lo he jugado con un Ryzen 5 1600, sumado a esto, muy por seguro que también se ha afectado el rendimiento por el uso de Denuvo Anticheat. No obstante, es un gran juego.
    Algo que me hubiera gustado que pusieses es mayor disponibilidad de interacción del personaje con el entorno. Quizás, incluso, algo retador hubiera sido esconder objetos o coleccionables (los "collares de los muertos" en alguna zona innacesible que solo se pueda alcanzar con tus guantes de gravedad, para que así el jugador se vea en cierta forma forzado a buscar por toda la habitación en busca de estas cosas para que así también la aprecie.
    La cámara la sentí muy pegada al personaje, pero no ha sido una molestia en los encuentros contra los monstruos.
    Algo también, un tanto irrealista me pareció que al salir de una habitación y volver a entrar vieras como respawneaban ciertos materiales infectados (como unos huevos) cuando ya los habías destruido.
    También debo acotar que existe cierta falta en cuanto a variedad de enemigos refiere, pero con los que hay sí que causa un gran susto en el corazón, sobretodo cuando te quedas sin munición.
    Pese a todo esto, y por la trama, por la jugabilidad, por todos esos momentos de sorpresa, por lo que es hasta el momento le doy un 10, sé que no es perfecto pero cumple con ser un gran juego. Que los pequeños fallos no apañen el gran valor de este diamante de juego.

    Edit 1. Después del parche de hoy 4.12.2022 el juego se ha vuelto muy estable usando un ryzen 5 1600 y una gtx 1660s en steam. Todo va muy fluido en gráficos bajos y medios (aún no lo he probado en alto).    … Expand
  19. gonace
    Dec 3, 2022
    3
    The game is so badly optimized it ruined the gameplay on PC, it was so unbearable that I just refunded the game and maybe I'd buy it again when the game is not the mess it is today. And I have to agree that it seems to be the way Unreal Engine loads and compiles shaders "on demand.

    And to gameplay it's kind of bad, the mini-boss you fight 4 times during the game can be beaten by easily    The game is so badly optimized it ruined the gameplay on PC, it was so unbearable that I just refunded the game and maybe I'd buy it again when the game is not the mess it is today. And I have to agree that it seems to be the way Unreal Engine loads and compiles shaders "on demand.

    And to gameplay it's kind of bad, the mini-boss you fight 4 times during the game can be beaten by easily dodging and reloading, the boss can't hit you if you just dodge.

    There are also only 4 different base enemies that have been mixed up a bit, but how lazy is that...    … Expand
  20. ARGuy
    Dec 3, 2022
    7
    I've been waiting for another dead-space game/dead-space-like game for a long time. For what it was it was alright. I enjoyed some parts of it and I didn't enjoy some other parts. The game visually is incredible to look at however the level design itself is linear with some extra halls. Gameplay-wise it's pretty much just dead space 1 with some additions to it that don't innovate itsI've been waiting for another dead-space game/dead-space-like game for a long time. For what it was it was alright. I enjoyed some parts of it and I didn't enjoy some other parts. The game visually is incredible to look at however the level design itself is linear with some extra halls. Gameplay-wise it's pretty much just dead space 1 with some additions to it that don't innovate its original gameplay at all but is fun once you get the general mechanics down. While I did somewhat enjoy it I'm still disappointed in it for how much potential it had to be a fantastic game.

    So I'll go through the pros and cons of the game real quick as a tl:dr for anyone:

    Pros:
    - Nice melee combat

    - Great visuals and environment design

    - Awesome character design

    Cons:
    - Lack in enemy variety and unique mechanics

    -Very linear pathway and story

    - Barebones lore that I did not care for

    - If your pc cannot run the minimum then there will be performance issues    … Expand
  21. Lnowakowski
    Dec 3, 2022
    0
    Unplayable PC version due to poor optimalisation…Another buyers are testers product
  22. roughbeak
    Dec 3, 2022
    2
    At its current state on PC, it's an unoptimized mess. Switching from DX12 to DX11 hardly made any improvement based on the hopeful suggestions floating around; with a high-end machine, low settings is even a pure struggle. Be sure to wait until additional patches confirm to smoothen performance if you honestly value your time.

    Performance woes aside, melee gameplay is nearly atrocious    At its current state on PC, it's an unoptimized mess. Switching from DX12 to DX11 hardly made any improvement based on the hopeful suggestions floating around; with a high-end machine, low settings is even a pure struggle. Be sure to wait until additional patches confirm to smoothen performance if you honestly value your time.

    Performance woes aside, melee gameplay is nearly atrocious as it is tedious and janky. Dodging is complete **** overall, but once you get glitched into a corner, it becomes confusingly worse. The real development oversight is a lack of proper countering system when enemies are politely waiting in line behind you--your sluggish character is forced into an "escape tap" sequence everytime.

    Was really looking forward to this title-- it has gorgeous visuals and overall nice story, but 2/10 is extremely generous considering poor design choices.    … Expand
  23. GusDreyer
    Dec 3, 2022
    9
    I don't understand people reviewing a game based on whether or not there was crunch time during its development, or on its price being to high. REVIEW THE GAME, GODDAMMIT!
    The Callisto protocol is an amazing game, I recognized Schofield signature everywhere I look, the game is tense, it keeps building tension to a boiling point and then nothing happens! Then all of a sudden, when you    I don't understand people reviewing a game based on whether or not there was crunch time during its development, or on its price being to high. REVIEW THE GAME, GODDAMMIT!
    The Callisto protocol is an amazing game, I recognized Schofield signature everywhere I look, the game is tense, it keeps building tension to a boiling point and then nothing happens! Then all of a sudden, when you least expect... BOOM! The graphics and sound design are top notch! I do recommend playing it with a quality headset for full immersion.
    It's impossible not to compare it to Dead Space, it's true, the mechanics are very very similar, but this one rely more on melee than on guns and resource management, this can be a let down for a lot of players that like gun combat.
    Other than that, amazing game! loved it!    … Expand
  24. odenmc
    Dec 3, 2022
    0
    I can't believe it, I have a 4080 (I think it's the best graphics card on the market right now) and IT DOES NOT RUN THE GAME CORRECTLY.

    I HAVE TO FIDDLE AROUND IN GRAPHICS OPTIONS TO GET IT TO WORK. This is embarrassing
  25. Evelilyt
    Dec 3, 2022
    0
    Glitches!!! Terrible performance! Only 6 hours of gameplay... Lots of cliche. Didn't know it's possible to wreck more than a cyberpunk on start. Didn't expect such trash from dead space creators. Refunded
  26. Andrudis
    Dec 3, 2022
    1
    AVOID BUYING PC version!!!
    Buy and play any console version if you can - they both are great 8/10, but PC version is a blatant scam!
    Constant stutters from 120 FPS down to 2-5 FPS every dozen of seconds without any bottleneck (~60% CPU load and ~80% GPU load). Even during cut scenes. What makes it even worse, is that it appears devs perfectly knew about unplayable state of PC version    AVOID BUYING PC version!!!
    Buy and play any console version if you can - they both are great 8/10, but PC version is a blatant scam!
    Constant stutters from 120 FPS down to 2-5 FPS every dozen of seconds without any bottleneck (~60% CPU load and ~80% GPU load). Even during cut scenes.

    What makes it even worse, is that it appears devs perfectly knew about unplayable state of PC version all the time, but instead delaying release or at least issuing warning they just put review embargo till release date and knowingly released completely broken product - unplayable for most and with noticeably spoiled gameplay experience for those lucky few who do not get game breaking stutters every few seconds...
    Wait for a fix and discount at least 50% before considering buying this pile on unplayable...    … Expand
  27. Mortanius
    Dec 3, 2022
    0
    Giving it 0 because:
    a) Denuvo
    b) shady season pass
    c) crunching
    d) unplayable dog-excrement port on PC
    e) review embargo lifted during the release day

    Such awful practices has become a norm nowadays which is really sad.
  28. endless_hallway
    Dec 3, 2022
    6
    This is one of those games which try to be super cinematic at the expense of free exploration.
    The game is constantly on rails, funneling you from one linear corridor to the next, with the obligatory scripted event and jumpscare in between.
    Dead Space did the same thing. But in Dead Space you had at least those spacewalks with your magnetic boots, environmental puzzles and zero gravity    This is one of those games which try to be super cinematic at the expense of free exploration.
    The game is constantly on rails, funneling you from one linear corridor to the next, with the obligatory scripted event and jumpscare in between.

    Dead Space did the same thing. But in Dead Space you had at least those spacewalks with your magnetic boots, environmental puzzles and zero gravity sections where you could float around freely, plus strategic dismemberment of body parts on the enemy, to give the gameplay a little bit of variety. All of those things are mostly absent in The Callisto Protocol.

    There is really not much variety in the level design. They try to break it up with different locations, environmental hazards and various light settings which are all very well done and feel very atmospheric, but at the end of the day all they do is funnel you through a sequence of linear corridors. And most of the time the camera is so zoomed in on your character that you do not see much of the environment anyway.

    Combat:

    The combat feels very deliberate and very slow, to the point that it almost feels like a quicktime event. Animations feel so long and drawn out that you really wonder "Am I playing this right now or is this a cutscene".

    And as said, the strategic dismemberment of body parts you had in Dead Space, is not nearly as important anymore.This time around, it's mostly about close quarter combat with melee weapons and the ability to dodge attacks. Long range weapons are not important anymore.It's barely worth using them, outside of hindering the creatures from mutating.

    Combat really doesn't feel very responsive.
    The animations look great, but they do not necessarily play great.

    On top of that, the game has this weird artificial rule that you can't dodge multiple times in the same direction. If you do, you get hit, no matter how perfect your timing is. Which feels totally unnecessary. You dont need timing anyways, its enough to keep holding the analog stick into the correct direction and your character dodges automaticaly. They even explain that to you in the tutorial. It's a very acquired taste, to say the least.

    Performance (13900K, rtx 4090, 32 GB ram) :

    This game has severe shader compilation stuttering and very inefficient cpu utilization on pc.
    The stuttering is actually worse than in the pc version of Elden Ring at release. While the framerate is constantly fluctuating between 50 and 80 fps on ultra settings at 4K with raytracing turned on and between 100-140 fps on ultra settings at 4K with raytracing turned off. The cpu utilization often doesnt even reach 40 %.

    Loading new areas into the game seems to be also very badly optimized, because after almost every room or hallway there is a hidden loading screen with your character slowly crawling or squeezing himself through a tight space, or opening a door in a deliberately slow way. At the time the credits roll your character has probably squeezed through several hundred interactive loading screens.

    Conclusion:

    I personally would have wished for a little bit less fixation on cinematics and scripted events and a little bit more free exploration. Maybe a little bit of non-linearity with certain areas being more open, like in the Dark Souls games or in Bloodborne. With a healthy mix of small corridors and larger rooms, more open areas and backtracking between the areas. It would have been also nice to have more than only 1 boss fight and 1 miniboss in those locations.

    The graphics and presentation are 9/10.

    The story is a 0/10, its just a handful of very minimalistic plot devices to move you through the levels and all of the characters you encounter have zero personality and relative emotionless voice acting.

    The gameplay is 5/10 if I take the constant stuttering and frame drops into account and the melee combat which feels kind of repetitive after a while, without the emphasis on strategic body part dismemberment out of their previous games.

    Overall this is a style over substance game, with the graphic and lighting being so exceptionally well done that you almost forget about how undercooked the actual gameplay is. At least for a few minutes until you fight the next group of enemies or crawl through the next interactive loading screen.

    Pros:
    + graphic
    + lighting
    + sound design
    + death animations

    Cons:
    - combat
    - level design
    - enemy variety
    - bossfight(s)
    - performance
    - story    … Expand
  29. marcinek74
    Dec 3, 2022
    1
    I cant believe that PC version is so bad. Graphics very good but it is not enough. Very poor mechanics. Very unstable gameplay on PC.
    AAAA game? It is a f-ing joke.
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Awards & Rankings

19
#19 Most Discussed PC Game of 2022

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
68

Mixed or average reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 19
  3. Negative: 2 out of 19
  1. Siliconera
    Jan 4, 2023
    40
    The Callisto Protocol feels like a retread of the PS3 era of survival horror, but perhaps in the worst way possible. It’s clear that this title was made with Dead Space in mind, as it shared the same creator, but it’s also a look at how the genre has evolved since Dead Space was relevant. And while The Callisto Protocol’s narrative is lackluster, the gameplay could have been something great and ultimately redeeming about it. Instead, it feels trapped in the past and a worse iteration of what inspired it.
    Read full review
  2. Softpedia
    Jan 3, 2023
    65
    I desperately wanted The Callisto Protocol to be a success so that we can have another Dead Space-like franchise to look forward to, but as it stands, I can’t recommend this game, especially until its issues are fixed in a future patch. I do hope that if there’s a sequel, developers will come up with something fresh to make us forget about the first game.
    Read full review
  3. Riot Pixels
    Dec 31, 2022
    69
    A mildly boring escape from Alcatraz in deep space. It’s neither great or abysmal — an epitome of mediocrity.
    Read full review
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