The Callisto Protocol launched at the very end of 2022, which is both good and bad. While it is a solid game, for the most part, there are a lot of tiny things that hold it back. The PlayStation versions, for example, run fine but PC and Xbox players have reported quite a few performance issues.
There are a lot of missing features in The Callisto Protocol as well, such as a New Game+ mode. That has already been promised by the developers along with several other upgrades in a planned February 2023 update. Hopefully, these other ideas can make it into the game as well.
8 Add A Map
It is incredible that a horror game could release without a map in 2022. There is no map in the menu and there is no mini-map. The Callisto Protocol is fairly linear but there are twists and turns that lead to extra items such as weapon schematics.
Losing out on those would be detrimental to the experience. A map of some sort should be added to the game as well as a waypoint system since the Dead Space games were known for that.
7 Upgrading Saves
The saving system was absolutely bungled at launch. Autosaves checkpoint the game and there is no other way to record data. Players can manually save whenever they wish, but these saves revert back to the last checkpoint.
It can be frustrating to learn this is the case after upgrading weapons and manually saving only to find out progress didn’t record, for example. Manual saves should count as real saves, or save stations should be added like in the Dead Space series.
6 Listen To Audio Diaries While Exploring
This isn’t a huge issue, but players will find audio recordings while exploring the game like in many other horror experiences. They can listen to them from the menu, but they cannot listen to them while walking around. It may be tiring to hear already, but the Dead Space games allowed players to listen while they moved around.
They also had holograms whenever players talked to someone else and recordings had them sometimes too. The audio diary and communication system in the game is basic, which may or may not bother players. The fix then should be obvious for the next patch.
5 Speed Up Healing
There are a lot of things in the game that seems unfairly balanced against the player. For example, players have to hold down on the D-Pad to heal which will prompt an animation to start. Jacob will get on his knees and then inject himself with a syringe.
If an enemy hits him while this is happening, the operation is null and void. Healing should not get interrupted by enemies and the whole process should not take a hypothetical hour. Horror games should put players on edge but not like this.
4 Inventory Upgrades
Most survival horror games can make players frustrated when it comes to inventory. The amount of space offered to players in The Callisto Protocol is laughable. There isn’t even a storage space unlike the Dead Space series, or the Resident Evil franchise, which is more iconic.
Players do get their inventory space upgraded at one point in the game which makes things more palatable. While more personal space would be welcomed in a patch, players would probably appreciate a storage locker more.
3 Tweaking The Upgrade System
There is a station in the game that allows players to upgrade their weapons via money. The currency of this game, Callisto Credits, can be found on downed monsters, or in the environment. Players can sell items for profit as well.
It’s a decent upgrade system since there aren’t any unnecessary additives to worry about like weapon parts. The downside is that these stations are few and far between, so putting more into the game would be ideal. It would also be nice to upgrade or craft things like bullets in multiples as watching the same animation multiple times can be a bore.
2 Add Controller Remapping
Adding a way for players to remap their controls isn’t something all games do, but it’s a feature of the best games. The Callisto Protocol allows players to switch between left and right-handed schemes but there is no way to switch individual buttons around.
The only problem with this is with the right-handed configuration, which makes R1 the run button for PlayStation controllers. Normally, players can run by clicking on the left stick in games. If adding a way to remap all controls would be too difficult, then an option to change the running configuration should be at least patched in. The dodge setup could be simplified with a single button too.
1 Skip Cutscenes
Normally, players aren’t going to want to skip cutscenes if they like the story. While The Callisto Protocol is nothing original as it mixes and matches the best horror games and movies out there, it is still enjoyable. What isn’t fun is having to rewatch a cutscene for any reason like dying on the same boss.
A way to skip cutscenes, as is the standard for most games these days, should be added. Also, having to rewatch death animations on bosses, to bring them up again, is a bit cruel. There are only so many times players can stomach seeing their body torn asunder with a lengthy animation, so a way to shorten or skip these would also be appreciated.
The Callisto Protocol was released on December 2, 2022 and is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.