The primary way The Callisto Protocol differentiates itself is via its combat. Whereas other third-person horror outings often make you feel empowered from afar, for protagonist Jacob Lee, the exact opposite is true. Equipped with a heavy stun baton, you’ll regularly be whaling on nightmarish space creatures like Jacob’s life depends on it – because it literally does. Sure, there’s a handful of pistols and rifles to deploy eventually, but overall the emphasis is on waiting patiently, thinking about when to strike as foes stagger and slide up-close.

Sadly, the melee combat is extremely hit or miss in practice, largely due to a dodge mechanic that forces you to move left or right depending on the direction of enemy swipes. Problem is, knowing which side to swerve is a big learning curve that is often at odds with the need to think and react quickly. It takes a good while to grasp, and feels unfair until you do.

The pessimist in me almost suspects that enemy encounters have been made to be awkward on purpose, if only as a way for Striking Distance Studios to show off the game’s gorily detailed death animations. From being pinned down and having his arms stamped off to getting his jaw ripped open, the various terrors poor Jacob Lee is subject to aren’t for the faint of heart. The high level of graphical detail on display only contributes to this, too, as it does the incredibly atmospheric sense of place. The Callisto Protocol is definitely a case where being a linear single-player game allows its stunning visuals to accurately set an appropriately bleak mood.

Black Iron Prison is your main stomping ground throughout this 8- to 12-hour scarefest. Exploring its many arteries proves thrilling for the most part, though it does lack the cohesion of, say, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard’s Baker mansion house or even Dead Space’s own USG Ishimura. Areas and environments constantly tease a jaded history consisting of cults and experimental goings-on, which would be fine were the surface-level narrative anything to write home about. As it stands, the story of Jacob Lee’s fight for survival isn’t anything more than typical genre fare.

All the elements were here for The Callisto Protocol to be a truly great horror romp. Its general lack of refinement, however, left me thinking less about what it is and more about what could have been.

Highlight

There are plenty of audio logs to find in The Callisto Protocol that reveal more about the prison’s current horrific circumstances. Unfortunately, the game commits the cardinal sin of not letting you listen to them while exploring, so you’re instead forced to halt the action and stare at a waveform.

Verdict

The first game from Striking Distance Studios provides a relatively safe blueprint for a far more solid survival horror sequel.

73%

Genre Survival Horror | Format [PS5] / PS4 / XB X/S / XBO / PC | Developer Striking Distance Studios | Publisher Krafton | Price £49.00 | Release Out now