Faisal Ghaffar 
Dead Space 3 was the last installment of the dead space franchise, which was also the final nail in the coffin for the series. With strange micro-transactions, mediocre level design, a great focus on open environments, and a new co-op feature suffice it to say that it hit every branch on its way to the bottom. However, the legacy that these games have left on the gaming world can’t be understated, and very many lives on in games like The Callisto Protocol. So does it live up to the highs of a series that has long ended, or are we just seeing a sequel to Dead Space 3?
Gore Galore!
One of the defining characteristics of the Dead Space series was its incredible focus on gore. The games were set in a dangerous facility hell-bent on killing you, and all of the death animations and blood effects were indicative of that. It was gorey and disturbing, but it was also inventive. People would run into new enemy types just to see what new way the developers were going to kill them.
The Callisto Project keeps this part of its influences alive with wonderfully gorey and bloody animations. Whether it’s you executing one of them, unfortunately, few enemies in the game, or it’s the enemies getting the better of you, each animation gives a satisfying squelch of blood spraying and the crunch of bones breaking. In fact, this leads to another great thing about the animations, the sounds.
Every hit you make with your melee weapon or shot you take with your arsenal of guns has a weighty sound. The metal beams have a chunky “thonk” sound when they make an impact, along with an incredibly satisfying squelching sound as flesh tears off with every blow. And the screaming from the voice actors as his limbs are ripped clean off bythe robot security guard also adds to the overall experience.
Dead Space Lives On……Almost (Atmosphere)
Dead space was known for its intense and thick atmosphere that you could cut through with a knife. The dark hallways with dim lights at the end of the unnerving silence after you managed to kill a necromorph. It was subtle, and it was never too bombastic or in your face with its scarier and tense elements. However, the Callisto Project does try to emulate the tense atmosphere but doesn’t get too far.
Environments are beautifully rendered in Unreal Engine 4 with excellent lighting to complement the entire experience. But despite looking much better than the Dead Space series ever could, the Callisto Protocol doesn’t have the enemy variety or the type of claustrophobia that could bring in that kind of tense environment. After a certain point in the game, the enemies become more of a nuisance, if anything else, since your doge and melee make you practically untouchable in most encounters.
Fairly Shallow Combat
While the environment was certainly the main contributor to the stressful environments of Dead Space, its combat was also a major contributor. Aiming was slow and deliberate, and you always had very little ammo to spare. Each shot mattered, and the slow movement speed meant that a necromorph getting too close to you was game over.
The Callisto Protocol introduces a new melee system that can take a little while to master. But when you do, the game loses all sense of tension. You rarely ever have to use your other weapons as you could just strike the enemy and doge their obviously telegraphed attacks. The worst part is that there are only types of enemies that you will be fighting, and they can start feeling like bullet sponges by the late game.
Conclusion
The Callisto Protocol didn’t turn out to be the successor to the dead space series that many were hoping for. But that isn’t to say that it’s not a good time. While the combat is shallow, you can still appreciate the incredible effort that the design team has put into the environments, enemy designs, gore effects, and of course, the death animations.
