Welcome to this completely unexpected edition of "Your Free Game of the Week", which returns for one reason: Epic Games Store is giving away The Callisto Protocol, the survival horror from Striking Distance and Krafton, created by the masterminds behind Dead Space. In fact, it's not hard to imagine The Callisto Protocol as a kind of spiritual heir to that franchise, and while it presents a different story, it appeals to the same essence: There are horrible things out there, and they want us very dead…
The story moves the calendar 300 years into the future. Two transporter/freelancers, Jacob Lee and Max Barrow, are discussing their permanent retirement from work: one last trip between the Jovian moons of Europa and Callisto. But the exchange between them is tense, due to the terrorist attacks of a group called "The Outer Way" and increased security. Callisto has a prison, Black Iron, managed by their current employers, the United Jupiter Company… and Max's doubts are much more justified than they seem. As you might imagine, things go down the drain very fast…
The Callisto Protocol: Wrong Person, Wrong Place
One of the first things that stands out in The Callisto Protocol is that there are no heroes here. In fact, I'd dare say its characters aren't very "likable". Jacob only thinks about money, and it's that initial obsession that ends up throwing him into a situation completely out of his control, while the search for truth mixed with revenge turns Dani into an untrustworthy person. However, the horrors of Black Iron force them to work together, and in the process, discover (hopefully) better versions of themselves.
The combat in The Callisto Protocol is violent, raw, visceral. Some players have used the expression "horror brawler" to describe the first hours, definitely fitting. Jacob is no Doomslayer: you have to defend yourself, and that can become very repetitive, but you're not a sponge that absorbs damage, and mistakes are paid for dearly. The game has its share of weapons and ammunition, as well as the GRP unit (inspired by Dead Space's Kinesis Module), but you have to get to them.
Finally, the graphic quality in The Callisto Protocol is remarkable. The game had several performance issues on PC, but its situation improved with the help of some patches (still, you'll need some firepower). Available until next Thursday the 29th. Don't sleep!
