ComparingThe Callisto ProtocoltoDead Spaceis like beating a dead horse at this point, but it is still important to note that these comparisons were obviously intentional.The Callisto Protocol’s GRP is clearlyDead Space’s Kinesis,The Callisto Protocol’s CORE isDead Space’s RIG, and so on. Likewise,The Callisto Protocolattempts to depict protagonist Jacob Lee as psychologically susceptible asDead Space’s Isaac Clarke. On a more minor note,The Callisto Protocol’s ending also features a jump scare, though it falls much flatter thanDead Space’s final jump scare.
It is clear thatThe Callisto Protocol’s conclusion hopes to establish story-driven DLC or future franchise potential, but where this franchise is headed may reflect another survival-horror franchise more thanDead Spaceitself. Instead,The Callisto Protocolactually has much more in common with Capcom’sResident Evilfranchise.
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The Callisto Protocol Shares Multiple Commonalities with Resident Evil
The further that fans progress throughThe Callisto Protocol, becoming more familiar with controls and combat, the clearer it becomes thatResident Evilmay have been an even bigger influence thanDead Space. Most prominently, the fact that the narrative revolves around horrific bioweapon experimentation is undoubtedly reminiscent ofResident Evil. Kallipolis, UJC, and Black Iron Prison are reminiscent of Umbrella in their operations and goals, looking at human survival and evolution. Moreover, Dani Nakamura searches for a UJC bioweapon stashed aboard Jacob’s UJC Charon freighter, which is obviously reminiscent of the various bioweapons seen throughout theREfranchise.
This turns Jacob into a sort of reluctant Chris Redfield, though obviously that’s more in the role than personality.Resident Evilgames typically do not excel due to their narratives, instead gaining popularity from their iconic characters and memorable gameplay sequences, and it will be interesting to see howThe Callisto Protocol’s primary charactersand gameplay moments are looked back upon after some time has passed since launch.
In terms of imagery that seems familiar, Max resembles the Raccoon City police officer that also has his jaw extended and agape in theResident Evil 2remake’s RPD. The biophages that rapidly mutate—and need to be killed stealthily in order to avoid an ambush—resemblethe Ivy Zombies fromResident Evil 2. Much of this could be circumstantial, but there are too many similarities to simply write them off as such.
The Callisto Protocol is More Comparable to Resident Evil’s Modern Remakes
In gameplay,The Callisto Protocolechoes a lot of design features fromthe modern remakes ofResident Evil 2andResident Evil 3. Movement is extremely slow in an effort to bottleneck or corner players without being able to flee, thoughThe Callisto Protocol’s movement is decidedly more bothersome because its dodge input is automatically triggered if an enemy’s strike lands anywhere near them, forcing them into a dodge.
This makes simple left and right movements tedious when players are trying to get away from combat, not enter into it. The boss fight with Captain Leon Ferris is essentially a mockup ofResident Evil 2’s William Birkin, complete with increasingly dramatic mutation phases and corny dialogue.
To top it all off,The Callisto Protocolends in a clandestine facility with a self-destruct sequence. Many fans may not have expected the game to have so many comparisons withResident Evil, but it truly makes the franchise more intriguing than it would have been if it was simply trying to bandwagon ontoDead Space’s popularity. It is unknown how these comparisons will fare forThe Callisto Protocolin the future, and other survival-horror inspirations would be welcome too. But in the meantime, it remains to be seen how it lives up to eitherDead SpaceorResident Evilin the long run.
The Callisto Protocolis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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