Striking Distance Studioshave provided a familiar yet engaging experience for survival horror fans, with the recent release ofThe Callisto Protocol. Many games over the years have helped shape the genre to the high level it is today. One title in particular that has been one of the most significant contributors to this is Capcom’sResident Evil 4.
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With the remake ofResident Evil 4edging closer to its release next year, fans will certainly notice aspects fromThe Callisto Protocolthat were present in the originalResident Evil 4and possibly reappear this time around in its reimagining.
5Over The Shoulder Perspective
The biggest similarity between the two games and almost all action and horror-orientated games is theover-the-shoulder third-person camera perspective. It has proven to be one of the most immersive methods of portraying the terrifying nature of some enemies and environments. While titles such asResident Evil 7andOutlastare successful from the first-person perspective, many players prefer to stick with third-person.
Resident Evil 4’s over-the-shoulder camera has been incredibly influential for many titles aside from just horror games, but given the atmosphere and aggressive nature of enemies inThe Callisto Protocol, it serves far better than most as many fans will be quick to call back to nostalgia and memories of Capcom’s classic.
4Overwhelming Enemies
Fans who have playedResident Evil 4, will very much be aware of the overwhelming amount of enemies that players must fend off, with a limited amount of movement and the inability to move while aiming. This was a prominent gameplay feature in bothResident Evil 4and5but just like most horror titles today includingThe Callisto Protocol,the modernized controls and theRE Enginehave changed gameplay entirely. Striking Distance Studio’s title is very much likeResident Evil 4in the aspect of multiple enemies hunting down players simultaneously, whereas, in this game, it is far more punishing.
Related:Hardest Non-Boss Enemies In Resident Evil 4
Given the change in usual controls with players having to use the same analog stick for movement to also dodge and block attacks, it serves as a far more difficult challenge for players to deal with as they do not have many options in terms of running away from enemies. Once amid a combat encounter, players are essentially locked into combat and have no choice but to defeat enemies, and when there is more than one, it can very quickly result in death.
3Gory Deaths
When it comes down to player deaths, bothResident Evil 4andThe Callisto Protocolare close in terms of how graphic these are. WhileResident Evil 4certainly does have its fair share of extreme death scenes especially Leon being decapitated by Dr. Salvador, it does not come close to what developers have done withThe Callisto Protocol. The game contains some of the goriest, most horrific, and most disturbing death scenes,so much so that the game was banned from being released in Japan. Players will often witness Jacob beaten to death to the point of disfigurement or his head essentially decapitated by enemies' bare hands.
This is very similar to cases in which Rockstar’sManhunttitles andRed Dead Redemption2 were banned in certain countries due to the levels of violence portrayed in the games, and it is safe to say thatThe Callisto Protocolsupersedes those cases.
2Gun & Melee Combat
Those familiar with the original, will know of Leon Kennedy’sclassic roundhouse kick players could use after stunning enemies or a suplex by shooting their heads or legs.The Callisto Protocoluses this same gameplay feature but in an alternate way, as melee hits give players prompts to shoot enemies in critical areas for greater damage which is a great spin onResident Evil 4’s combat feature. This comes in handy once players are able to get to grips with melee combat and how to dodge oncoming attacks to avoid the gory executions mentioned earlier.
It opens the door for some experimentation for players, and with the game’s season pass and the additional updates along the line, Striking Distance Studio has the opportunity to include additional melee attacks while switching between this and gun attacks.
1Decreased Sprint Speed
Just like allResident Eviltitles for the most part,The Callisto Protocolcontains a slow sprint speed and a lack of urgency. This is done purposely, because this is what enables players to be on the edge of their seats, with a lack of full control over how fast they can move. Without this, and developers choosing to give players the freedom to run at fast speeds, then the suspense and tension would not be the same whatsoever, unless enemies were to run as fast.
This is seen replicated in theResident Evil 4 Remakeand given how well it works, it could very much continue to be used as a prominent tool for most survival horror titles, particularly with the upcomingDead Space Remake.
The Callisto Protocolis available now on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.
