In the base game, there is no room to unlock and forge all new weapons in The Callisto Protocol, and that’s because the campaign is excruciatingly short, to the point that it can be finished in six hours or less without even trying a speedrun. A base duration of around six hours for a new game coming out in December is not bad per se, and it does have its pros due to how busy of a month this typically is, but it does become a major pain point when fans consider The Callisto Protocol’s pricetag. With a base price of $70 on consoles without accounting for potential upgrades to the standard edition, Striking Distance Studios’ new game does raise some questions.
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Why The Callisto Protocol’s Price Holds it Back
The main problem with the game is that there is virtually no replay value whatsoever when players beat it for the first time, and even with new game plus coming out in February, not much is going to change. Because the campaign is so short, and because even multiple instances of new game plus wouldn’t really extend the length of the game or its difficulty, it’s hard to commit to it more than it is for other survival horror titles like the newly released The Last of Us Part 1 remake.
With this in mind, players can have a hard time deciding whether The Callisto Protocol is worth their money, in the first place, as there are other games in the same range that can offer a much lengthier and deeper experience. This doesn’t mean that playing The Callisto Protocol is not worth it in general, as the campaign’s short length can actually be a pro for gamers who don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to every new title released in the holiday season. This is especially true considering how commonly season passes and microtransactions are pushed in December as well, such as Fortnite’s new The Witcher skins.
While The Callisto Protocol’s ending sets up multiple sequels and possibly even a prequel, its story does have its high moments, and it might very well be the start of a new franchise. The enemy variety in the game is also rather healthy, considering that its length may have warranted a greater focus on other aspects, but The Callisto Protocol does pack a lot of interesting features and bits from the gameplay loop.
The issue is that it’s held back by the price, which is in line with current prices across the industry, but it does pose questions about whether the extra content coming next year could have been delivered for free. Some players are also arguing that the season pass’ contents might have been actually planned for launch and were later cut to try out the seasonal model in 2023. Regardless, The Callisto Protocol is a good game, and playing through it at least once does leave a mark on horror fans.
The Callisto Protocol is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S.
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