The Callisto Protocol: Final Transmission

 PlayStation 5
User Score
5.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 10 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 10
  3. Negative: 4 out of 10

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  1. WithFieryTruth
    Sep 9, 2023
    3
    I enjoyed Callisto Protocol for the most part, but this DLC is just a quick cash grab that ignores the good parts of the original game and instead give us an extra large helping of the bad ones. Some annoyances:

    1. There's still a heavy focus on melee combat, and it's still wonky as hell. Especially when you get swarmed by a whole bunch of enemies, which happens quite regularly. 2.    I enjoyed Callisto Protocol for the most part, but this DLC is just a quick cash grab that ignores the good parts of the original game and instead give us an extra large helping of the bad ones. Some annoyances:

    1. There's still a heavy focus on melee combat, and it's still wonky as hell. Especially when you get swarmed by a whole bunch of enemies, which happens quite regularly.

    2. Hits will often not register on enemies, letting them start hitting you right when you're in the middle of a combo and can't defend yourself.

    3. Collectibles and other items are permanently lost if you enter a door where the story progresses. This wouldn't have been a problem if there was an indicator for which door does just that, but there isn't one. You'll just have to hope you're lucky enough to always choose the story doors last, because as soon as you enter, you'll get effectively locked out from obtaining whatever items you haven't picked up from the optional routes and will then have to replay the game if you want them.

    4. You'll spend a lot of time on slowly crawling through vents.

    5. Instant death mechanics. This is a bad idea in most games, but even more so when, like in this case, checkpoints are scarce. I've had to clear out entire areas all over again just because the last checkpoint was way back at the start.

    6. Damage you take from hallucinations counts as real damage despite not being real. Some of them can even kill you in a single hit.

    If you want more Callisto Protocol, go replay the main game instead of wasting your time and money on Final Transmission.    … Expand
  2. marvsfontanilla
    Jul 19, 2023
    7
    Story: 7
    Graphics: 8
    Sound: 7
    Gameplay: 7
    Playtime: 7 Hours (Main Story + Extra)
  3. Jt0429
    Jul 5, 2023
    5
    Good-
    Gorgeous environments and details, with stellar lighting and shadows. Interesting new mechanics centered on Jacob's hallucinations that break up the pace. Kinetic Hammer is a nice addition to the arsenal.
    Bad- The ending invalidates the entire plot and everything you do. No real expansion on the universe or its lore. Combat remains clunky and one-note. Kinetic Hammer's heavy    Good-
    Gorgeous environments and details, with stellar lighting and shadows. Interesting new mechanics centered on Jacob's hallucinations that break up the pace. Kinetic Hammer is a nice addition to the arsenal.

    Bad-
    The ending invalidates the entire plot and everything you do. No real expansion on the universe or its lore. Combat remains clunky and one-note. Kinetic Hammer's heavy attack is frustratingly hit or miss sometimes. Only one new enemy type. Final boss can be annoying due to knockbacks.

    Thoughts-
    It’s hard to recommend Final Transmission, even for those who enjoyed The Callisto Protocol, warts and all. If you’re in it for the “ending” to the base game, it may or may not satisfy you. There aren’t nearly enough new enemies, mechanics or weapons to warrant dealing with the annoying combat, even if the environments can be pretty. Those hoping it at least provides some genuine frights are also out of luck. If nothing else, Final Transmission reinforces the sheer potential of The Callisto Protocol, but if a sequel ever happens, many aspects will need some serious reworking. Alone, the DLC isn’t even the video game equivalent of “This should have been an email.” It’s more for tying up loose ends than really expanding on the universe or its concepts. It’s a shame but also sadly par for the course.    … Expand
  4. JayQuiroz
    Aug 5, 2023
    3
    I gave The Callisto Protocol a 9/10 and I stand by it.. so please forgive me for what I'm about to say.

    The Final Transmission is one of the worst DLCs I've played maybe ever, it sacrifices all of the tension for mobs of enemies, it adds ONE and I mean ONE new enemy type and an admittedly cool Kinetic hammer. The Final Transmission is devoid of any tension of the first game or    I gave The Callisto Protocol a 9/10 and I stand by it.. so please forgive me for what I'm about to say.



    The Final Transmission is one of the worst DLCs I've played maybe ever, it sacrifices all of the tension for mobs of enemies, it adds ONE and I mean ONE new enemy type and an admittedly cool Kinetic hammer. The Final Transmission is devoid of any tension of the first game or interesting environments or exploration and the ending is a complete insult to Jacob and makes absolutely no sense whatsoever and is sadistic to say the least. I hated this DLC, I could go play the original game and have so much fun with it but THIS is proof that Striking Distance had no clue what they were doing.


    I'm about to rant now



    WHO told them that adding more enemies per room would make for good gameplay?! It's CHEAP!! It's lazy!! You could have actually made something memorable, something impactful, some of the hallucinations were kind of interesting and then, like the ENTIRE DLC, it gets overused and repetitive to where you're not surprised if something is one. The rule of of the dev here seemingly was "Add more" and its lazy and not what I expected from such a unique game and interesting location. The doctor is one of the most uninteresting characters from the main game in my opinion and the fact that she is your "salvation" is pathetic and comical. Did I expect Jacob to actually survive? Not really.. is it at ALL good writing to have you survive a boss fight and still lose the moment you enter the cockpit of the ship to be met with one of the most copout and insulting endings to a game in recent memory? Absolutely NOT and this DLC is something I may never play again. I also want to talk to you about the bugs because there definitely are some and its shocking how poorly made this DLC is from a technical perspective as well and how often I facepalmed.. because at times I couldn't hit an enemy with my melee weapon because they were glitching out on the ground and weren't truly dead and then mutated and it became annoying how much it happened. The game also suffers from strange blurring, even if you don't have motion blur on at times you will see it and it's jarring and strange and like the visuals weren't given the same care as the main game. The performance ranged from good to bad with some strange frame pacing issues in certain areas that I didn't experience with the main game.. and that's my biggest issue here, The Final Transmission is laughably undercooked compared to the very polished experience I had with the main game that made me replay it 3 times over 4 days when it came out.. and that post credits scene is the most tone deaf thing I've seen from a dev in a long time but hey, at least you get a cool skin for the main game after this SH**FEST. I also want to say that this is the most lazy and unimaginative final bosses for the conclusion of this IP I've ever seen, I really expected so much more in general from the DLC but even the boss battle is something I'll forget in a week at most.



    To recap



    *Horrible writing
    * Extremely repetitive enemies *Zero interesting environments
    *Bugs
    *Visual issues
    *Absolutely no tension or genuinely well done jump scare moments
    *Betrays everything you experienced with Jacob
    *Garbage ending
    *Uninspired and laughably basic boss battle and boss room


    I gave The Callisto Protocol a 9/10 when it first came out and I will always have love for that game but this DLC is a 3/10 and I never want to experience it again.    … Expand
  5. KarsonDan
    Jun 29, 2023
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I was one of the few that actually like this game. But this dlc is horrible the new weapon you don’t even get it till like the last 30 minutes of the dlc! Also it has the most horrible ending I’ve ever seen in gaming history! The way they disrespect the GOAT Jacob is foul it’s like they just wanted to make the ending bad on purpose! If they ever decided 2 make a second game (which they won’t) they better retcon that ending maybe it’s a dream or something. You could have done way better with this dlc!… Expand
  6. saskojames
    Jun 29, 2023
    10
    Tremendous DLC. Built on what I loved most about the base game, melee combat and gruesome horror. I had almost forgot how much I loved this game, and the DLC has got me excited to go back and play other game modes I passed on previously.

Critic Reviews

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No score yet - based on 3 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 3
  3. Negative: 1 out of 3
  1. PlayStation LifeStyle
    Jul 12, 2023
    30
    With an inconsistent story, total absence of scares, and clunky combat, Final Transmission makes for a shallow last gasp of air for The Callisto Protocol. This new franchise has been lost in space since launch and an onslaught of patches and DLC hasn’t made it any less of a disappointment. Final Transmission just highlights what was already bad about The Callisto Protocol, and ensures that it has ended as poorly as it began.
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  2. GamingBolt
    Jul 5, 2023
    50
    Final Transmission is the proper "ending" for The Callisto Protocol, and while it closes Jacob Lee's story, the overall execution and content leave a lot to be desired.
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  3. GameSpew
    Jul 5, 2023
    60
    Ultimately, if you’re a fan of The Callisto Protocol and simply want more, Final Transmission will keep you entertained for a short while while embellishing on the game’s original ending. Do you need to play it? Not really. What’s added here isn’t all that refreshing, and the final boss fight is a bit of a bust. But picked up as part of the game’s season pass, it’s worth playing though just to discover Jacob’s fate.
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