There is no denying that developer Striking Distance wanted to create a spiritual successor to Dead Space with The Callisto Protocol. With Glen Schofield, co-creator of the legendary sci-fi horror, back at the helm, The Callisto Protocol has the DNA of Dead Space in it. Of course, it doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Now is also the perfect time to try it out, because The Callisto Protocol is free on the Epic Games Store from Thursday, August 22nd to August 29th, giving you just a week to add it to your library.
Released in 2022 to generally positive reviews, The Callisto Protocol is a sadly overlooked sci-fi horror game. Combat balance issues marred its launch, but at around ten hours long, it’s a short and enjoyable run – especially for the low price of nothing.
In short, you play as Jacob Lee, a new inmate wrongfully imprisoned in Black Iron Prison. If you’re anything like me, you’ll forget his generic name and just call him the soldier from Michael Bay’s Transformers movies. However, when a plague hits the twisted megaspace, Lee finds the perfect time to escape, which inevitably leads to him slashing his way through waves of mutated guards and fellow inmates. The story is nothing special, but it’s entertaining, brutal fun, fueled by incredible Visuals. Seriously. The Callisto Protocol might feature the best character models you’ve ever seen.
The combat in the game looks and feels similarly good, but is admittedly contentious. With a heavy emphasis on melee attacks, you’ll be hacking monsters to pieces while also trying to master the clunky but unique directional dodge mechanic. It’s hard to get to grips with, but once you get the hang of reading your opponent’s attacks, it can be a satisfyingly nasty affair, something we highlighted back in our review of The Callisto Protocol. Don’t expect anything groundbreaking, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the Dead Space-inspired immersive horror action.
With that in mind, Striking Distance is now working on a completely unexpected, stylized roguelike spin-off game. Previously known under the codename Project Birdseye, it is now called Redacted. The developer has clarified that it not The Callisto Protocol 2. And you only have to watch a few seconds of the gameplay trailer above to confirm that it’s a radical departure.
So what better time to try out The Callisto Protocol? Available for free for just one week from Epic Games, it’s a perfect introduction to the developer’s new roguelike. For more, check out the best free PC games right now.
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