Reviews went live this morning for The Callisto Protocol. Yes, it is also the game’s launch day which was a major concern for some gamers who pre-ordered the horror game ahead of the release. Sadly, there was a reason why Striking Distance Games held back the game’s reviews until the last possible minute – they aren’t the best.
The overall reception from the game seems to be mild at best with critics shunning the game’s lack of excitement. There seem to be no puzzles, no side activities to do or anything of the sort. You simply creep around a dark space station for eight hours and shoot things.
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Some critics have also complained about the game’s movement. They say that overall, it is clunky and dodging enemies and blocking attacks is inconsistent. The game is also extremely difficult with low resources, dozens of encounters and a squishy protagonist.
At the moment, The Callisto Protocol is sitting at 75 on Metacritic and 74 on OpenCritic. Here are some key reviews to maybe help you decide whether or not you’re cancelling your order or picking the game up today.
PC Gamer – 79/100
Gory and moody, The Callisto Protocol doesn’t mess with the survival horror formula, instead embracing all its beats and clichés to tell a grim sci-fi tale that drips with menace.
IGN – 7/10
The Callisto Protocol is a satisfyingly gory spiritual successor to the Dead Space series, but it’s ultimately more of a striking modern mimic than a scary new mutation.
Metro GameCentral – 6/10
Dead Space 4 in all but name, except with no puzzles and surprisingly little suspense. The Callisto Protocol has plenty of gritty action but that’s not quite enough to sustain interest for its entire duration.
GameInformer – 6/10
If you wanted anything more out of this second crack at making a new sci-fi IP in survival horror, or something markedly different that acknowledges just how far gaming has come since 2008, The Callisto Protocol is not your answer.
GameSpot – 5/10
Though it starts off on a strong note, The Callisto Protocol’s focus on action-heavy spectacles fails to adequately explore its horror and overcrowds its weak combat mechanics.
Checkpoint Gaming – 7.5/10
An intense atmospheric adventure with an intriguing premise, The Callisto Protocol delivers a solid horror game that focuses largely on its satisfying combat. It doesn’t have much variety and is lacking a bit of creativity, but it makes up for that with impressive visuals and disgusting, intimidating monsters. It might not meet the expectations of its obvious inspirations, but The Callisto Protocol lays a strong foundation of terrifying atmosphere and crunchy combat that makes it satisfying and spooky nonetheless.
Read the full reviews on Meteoritic here and OpenCritic here.
