The Callisto Protocol has had a pretty interesting development cycle so far, and after the PlayStation State of Play June 2022 showcase, we finally found out exactly when the The Callisto Protocol release date is set to roll around, with a generous amount of news, leaks, and gameplay reveals showing up to compliment the set date.
Despite clear interest in the title, we haven't seen all that much information so far. It seems that some of the charm of exploring The Callisto Protocol will lie in what hasn't been said yet. Horror titles play on your imagination, and the best way of stoking this is by not shining a flashlight on the game's most horrifying parts. Still, if you're looking for something to sink your teeth into, keep reading.
If you're looking for more horror to tide you over until the official release, check out our review of Resident Evil Village or our coverage of The Dark Pictures Anthology. With The Quarry releasing in June, now's the time to catch up.
What is The Callisto Protocol?
From some of the talent behind the original Dead Space game, The Callisto Protocol is a spooky survival horror game set in a prison colony in 2320. This leap to the future comes with horrific entities and futuristic weaponry. If the trailers are anything to go, you won't be using much of that weaponry whilst hiding and sprinting away from the creatures that infest the world.
It is a dark game with a bleak tone, perfectly matching Dead Space. Seen as a spiritual successor, this is one to look out for if you like atmospheric existential horror.
The Callisto Protocol release date
At Sony's recent State of Play, it was announced that The Callisto Protocol would be arriving on December 2. It came with an extended two-minute trailer and a look at some of the gameplay.
That gameplay looks slow and tense so far, really playing up how alone our main character feels. We should see much more information come out over the following months.
The Callisto Protocol cancelled in Japan
Due to restrictive game ratings in Japan, the official Japanese Callisto Protocol account has announced it will be cancelled. They believe that cutting enough content to get an appropriate rating would hurt the game experience so much that it's not worth following.
The Callisto Protocol single-player campaign
As of right now, we know that The Callisto Protocol has a structured story-driven single-player campaign. We also know that you play the role of Jacob Lee, a prisoner at Black Iron, who must escape in the midst of an alien invasion.
click to enlargeYou'll form connections with other survivors and use whatever resources you can find to make your way home. It isn't clear why he is being held there yet, or who you are bound to meet, but the premise is more than enough to work with.
It seems like the player will be left intentionally in the dark to explore much grander themes, much like Dead Space did all those years ago.
The Callisto Protocol multiplayer?
As of right now, there is no confirmation of any kind of a multiplayer mode but it doesn't seem entirely out of the question. The Callisto Protocol was originally supposed to be part of the PUBG universe but, on May 26, Glen Schofield, the studio's founder, announced it would be in its own story and world.
This, perhaps, hints that there may have been some rudimentary multiplayer addition to the game. Dead Space 3 had a co-op mode but, with 3 going through development troubles, The Callisto Protocol likely won't follow suit. It seems unlikely we will receive a multiplayer mode but it could certainly happen.
The Callisto Protocol platforms
As of right now, we know that The Callisto Protocol is planned for release on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
There is no planned Switch port and, at this point, it seems unlikely to happen outside of a potential Cloud-based solution like we've seen with Kingdom Hearts and a few other graphics-intensive titles. We'll update you here if anything changes.
The Callisto Protocol preorder Information
You can preorder The Callisto Protocol on the site right now but only on PlayStation. This is likely a result of the PlayStation State of Play and the others will likely arrive soon.
There are three main editions you can buy. If you pick up the 'Day One' preorder edition, you get the game as well as:
- Retro Prisoner Character Skin
- 2 Retro Prisoner Weapon Skins
- Contraband Pack (PlayStation Exclusive)
As well as getting all of the above, the 'Digital Deluxe' edition comes with:
- Season Pass
- 48 hour Advanced Acces to Story DLC (PlayStation Exclusive)
Finally, the 'Collector's Edition' comes with everything above plus:
- Jacob Statue
- Steelbook Case
- TCP Comic #0 Edition
- Outer Way Collectable Pin
- UJC Collectible Pin
And that's what we know about The Callisto Protocol so far. If you're interested in checking out Dead Space, here's what we know about the remake right now.
For more articles like this, take a look at our The Callisto Protocol and Hubs page.