I still think The Callisto Protocol could do great things. The inaugural horror game from Striking Distance has a few shortcomings, but the environments, the melee combat system, and the focus on a kind of sweat and physicality provide a terrific base for either future versions or a full sequel. On that note, the new Callisto Protocol update brings the Glen Schofield-directed monster mash closer to both its Dead Space inspirations, and what fans perhaps wanted when it launched back in December. This is some hefty Callisto Protocol DLC, but it’s free, and brings some serious extra bloodshed.
Combat in The Callisto Protocol is wonderfully clunky, as you pull Jacob from side to side, then wallop the gloopy biophage with a big overhand swing. The sound was always good – that gratifying, almost Team-Fortress-2-Scout-style ‘bonk!’ when you clocked a monster on the head – but perhaps missing was some real, spectacular gore.
Worry no longer. Thanks to the new update, Callisto Protocol now has a dedicated ‘Dismemberment Mode,’ whereby you can carve enemies up – in Isaac Clarke fashion – to your bloodthirsty heart’s content. Essentially, Dismemberment Mode makes chopping enemies into pieces a lot easier. If you think about how the Dead Space necromorphs fall apart beneath the plasma cutter, Callisto’s biophages are now similarly eager to get blown to bits.
Introducing the new Dismemberment Mode! Get ready to tear your enemies apart limb by limb and feel the excitement of seeing instant dismemberment as you fight your way through Black Iron Prison. pic.twitter.com/7Ay0oFKI4D
— The Callisto Protocol (@CallistoTheGame) April 18, 2023
Blow a biophage’s shins off with the shotgun. Wallop their arms away with the stun stick. There are some terrific new blood and gunge effects here, but it also expands on the dynamics in The Callisto Protocol’s combat, allowing for the same kind of tactical aiming and amputation that you’d get in, say, the Dead Space Remake.
Faced with a brace of biophage, you don’t just have to wade in any more, and hope to score a vital dismemberment – put one of the ghoulies on his face with a well-placed leg remover, then step back and finish the other with your melee. It’s a familiar style, but mixed with Callisto’s bulky movement and physics, it feels like something new.
The new Callisto Protocol update also allows you to skip cutscenes. It’s totally free, but also pretty massive, clocking in on PC at around 12GB. You should also note that you can’t earn achievements while playing in Dismemberment Mode.
Striking Distance previously added the ability to play The Callisto Protocol in New Game Plus, with a new wave-defence ‘riot’ mode expected sometime in the spring, followed by a full story DLC in the summer. It seems Callisto still has plenty to offer.
Check out some of the other best survival games, if you like Callisto’s white-knuckle combat. You could also try the best story games, or maybe get ahead of the curve with all the upcoming games for 2023.