The Callisto Protocol: Hands-On Preview

ign.com:

While Callisto Protocol is technically an entirely new IP and brand new story, the skeletal base of Dead Space is apparent – much in the same way it’s obvious to everyone in House of the Dragon that Rhaenyra’s kids are not fathered by Ser Laenor Velaryon. So, can the spiritual successor live up to the original? I got some hands-on time with Callisto Protocol on the PS5 to find out.

In my preview time, I played the level called Habitat.The first things I immediately noticed were the creepy ambient noises. Random squelching, clattering, and faint echoes all around made me feel constantly on edge. Traversing through the dark hallways and entering rooms always required me to take a breath and push through while always expecting something to pop out at me. If nothing else, Callisto Protocol gets the creepy, constantly anxious environment down to a science.

Controlling protagonist Jacob Lee felt a lot like controlling Isaac from Dead Space. You’re constantly looking over his shoulders for what lurks ahead. Jacob feels very heavy in movement. He’s less like a video game character and more like an actual person you’re trying to push in the right direction. His melee attacks are a slower wind-up than your usual FPS melee attacks. His run also feels like a realistic jog speed and not like a tireless super soldier who never runs out of stamina.

Jacob’s heavy presence in the world combined with his deliberate pace made Callisto Protocol feel even scarier. For the same reasons, the combat is actually pretty slow and deliberate itself. While this feels great in aiding realism and anticipation, it was also slightly frustrating to deal with at times when you’d want to just be able to smack a biophage enemy immediately in front of you.

Furth