The Callisto Protocol: Everything We Know About The Dead Space Spiritual Successor

After Dead Space 3 was released and Visceral Games eventually shuttered, it appeared the age of AAA science-fiction survival-horror games was coming to an end, but that wasn’t the case for long. Glen Schofield, who co-created the original game before founding Sledgehammer Games, is returning to survival horror with The Callisto Protocol. Developed at his new company, Striking Distance Studios, The Callisto Protocol wears its Dead Space influence proudly, but it’s aiming for a scarier and more atmospheric take on the genre than what Dead Space eventually became by its third installment. Here’s what we know about The Callisto Protocol thus far, including the release date, story, weapons, and supported platforms.

What is The Callisto Protocol?

The Callisto Protocol is a new original survival-horror game set on the titular Callisto–a moon of Jupiter. More specifically, it’s set in a prison called Black Iron located on Callisto in 2320, with protagonist Jacob Lee finding himself trapped as mutating humans begin taking over and murdering other inmates.

There are mysteries on–and in–Callisto that Jacob must uncover, and as with all good dystopic futuristic stories, a megacorporation could be the problem. In this case, United Jupiter Company reigns supreme, and we’re willing to bet those inmates didn’t just start transforming into monsters for no reason.

Gameplay

Like Dead Space before it, The Callisto Protocol is a third-person survival-horror game with action elements. There will be a mix of up-close melee combat and ranged weaponry, letting you improvise and decide what the best tool in a specific situation is. Because of relatively limited ammunition, like in most survival-horror games, you won’t be blasting away mindlessly while trying to survive. However, powerful weapons will still be able to destroy limbs, potentially slowing down enemies as they approach.

There will be several different enemy types Jacob will go up against in The Callisto Protocol, including what look to be robotic prison guards as well as a variety of mutated humans. With direct confrontation using weapons not always the best option, you may need to get creative so you aren’t overwhelmed or surrounded.

The goal is for even a single enemy in The Callisto Protocol to still scare you, however. The “Biophages” look radically different from standard humans, and even with shotguns, melee weapons, and the gravity-changing GRP device, it won’t be easy to defeat them.

Is there a PUBG connection?

At one point in development, The Callisto Protocol was planned to exist within the PUBG: Battlegrounds universe, as the game is published by Krafton. However, this is no longer the case, with any connection being limited to some Easter eggs scattered throughout the game world. PUBG is, at least from the weaponry and setting, set close to the modern era, while The Callisto Protocol takes place hundreds of years in the future and far away from Earth.

Platforms

The Callisto Protocol will be available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

Release date

The Callisto Protocol releases on December 2, 2022, with all preorders receiving the Retro Prisoner skin through the Day One Edition. It’s available to preorder now at retailers like Best Buy , GameStop , and Walmart , as well as digitally through game platforms’ own stores.