The Callisto Protocol: 5 Things You Should Know

The Callisto Protocol is one of the most anticipated games of 2022, and rightfully so. And luckily for us, it is but a hop, skip, and a stone's throw away, with a launch date of December 2nd already pinned in the cards. Question is, what more do you need to know about Striking Distance Studios' upcoming survival horror? Is it Dead Space 4 in disguise? Is it in any way, shape, or form, connected to PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds? Well, let's see here. Here's everything you need to know.

5. What Is The Callisto Protocol?

The Callisto Protocol is a third-person survival horror game developed by Striking Distance Studios and directed by Glen Schofield, one of the founding fathers of the universally acclaimed Dead Space series. Like Dead Space, The Callisto Protocol puts a subtle focus on exploration and puzzle-solving, whereas the bulk of its gameplay revolves around close-quartered combat and wall-to-wall action sequences.

One of The Callisto Protocol's defining features that Dead Space fans will immediately recognize is the ragdoll physics and destructible limbs, which will once again play a key part in the game's combat. The Callisto Protocol will also feature an abundance of contorted creatures, a sci-fi setting, and a machine-like world for players to explore. Therefore, it's best to picture it as being a different vein in the same vessel as its inspiration, which is quite obviously Schofield's previous works.

4. Welcome to Black Iron

The Callisto Protocol is set around a prison colony called Black Iron, a horrifying world in which only the most notorious criminals are held against their will. Set in the year 2320, Black Iron, which operates from Jupiter's moon, Callisto, establishes an engineered alien species for the sake of cleaning the colony of all its inmates and loose ends. As one of the prison's captives, you must learn to adapt to the invasion, using all the tools in your arsenal to withstand the unstoppable.

Unfortunately, little else is known about The Callisto Protocol's plotline, other than it features a semi-open world environment, a whole lot of body dismemberment, and a protagonist that goes by the name of Jacob Lee. The rest, as they say, is anybody's guess. Though, judging by the trailer that has already come to light, it's safe to say that the story will endure plenty of mindless violence and body parts. Nifty.

3. Not Quite PUBG, Then?

It was initially stated that The Callisto Protocol would be set in PUBG's ever-evolving universe. This was, at least for a short period of time, the case for the game, though it was later confirmed by Schofield himself that the game would be a standalone IP. So, where did this all stem from, and why did the two worlds break apart? Well, it all boils down to Schofield's vision, and Striking Distance Studios' involvement with it.

Back in 2019, PUBG Corporation opened the Striking Distance subsidiary studio to help expand PUBG's universe by building a story-driven episode made specifically for it. Schofield, who had already formed the concept for The Callisto Protocol,  went on to pilot this episode, which later became a story worthy of being told on its own terms. In 2022, Schofield announced that the game would no longer be involved with PUBG. There will, however, be a few nods to the battle royale game, if only in small easter eggs.

2. It Isn't Dead Space 4, Either

It's easy to dismiss The Callisto Protocol as being nothing more than a spiritual successor to Dead Space. And to be fair, Schofield has acknowledged this countless times since the game was first announced. But just to reiterate — this is not Dead Space 4. It may very well tick all the same boxes, but it's an original IP, and that's about it.

“The combat is different in our game, right? You can decide what you want to do, there's melee, there's stealth, and there's a weapon system which you upgrade through skill trees,” Schofield told GR+. “Then there's the GRP, which is the advanced Gravity Gun, where now you can pick up enemies. That introduces sandbox elements, in that you can pick stuff up around the world; you can use the enemies as meat shields, throw them into fans, or into another enemy,” Schofield noted, “through all this, you can pick the way you want to go.”

1. Release Date, Platforms & Editions

The Callisto Protocol is set to launch on December 2, 2022, on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC. At the time of writing, Striking Distance Studios hasn't mentioned anything about the game coming to Xbox Game Pass, Game Pass Ultimate, PlayStation Plus Extra, or PlayStation Plus Premium. This is, of course, subject to change, though it is unlikely to be a day-one title on either subscription-based platform.

The Callisto Protocol will release both physically and digitally in four editions: Standard, Day One, Digital Deluxe, and Collector's Edition. You can see what's included in each respective bundle below.

Standard — $59.99+

• The Callisto Protocol (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC)

Day One Edition — $59.99+

• The Callisto Protocol (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC)
• 2 Retro Prisoner Weapon Skins
• Contraband Pack (PlayStation Exclusive)

Digital Deluxe Edition — $79.99+

• The Callisto Protocol (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC)
• 2 Retro Prisoner Weapon Skins
• Contraband Pack (PlayStation Exclusive)
• Season Pass
• 48-hour Advanced Access to Story DLC (PlayStation Exclusive)

Collector's Edition — $239.99+

• The Callisto Protocol (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC)
• 2 Retro Prisoner Weapon Skins
• Contraband Pack (PlayStation Exclusive)
• Season Pass
• 48-hour Advanced Access to Story DLC (PlayStation Exclusive)
• Jacob Statue
• Steelbook Case
• TCP Comic #0 Edition
• Outer Way Collectible Pin
• UJC Collectible Pin

You can pre-order The Callisto Protocol today in any of the above four editions. For more information on the release of The Callisto Protocol, be sure to follow Striking Distance Studios' official social handle here.

So, what's your take? Will you be picking up The Callisto Protocol later this year? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.