Space adventures, intergalactic strategies, flying spacecraft, and everything else that goes with the science-fiction theme in outer space have long been popular among gamers. In 2022, however, there seems to be a renewed emphasis on the space theme, especially as we approach the end of the year. So far, there have been several very popular space games released, but all eyes are fixed on one particular upcoming title.
The Callisto Protocol sees creative director Glen Schofield take the helm of another space horror game, with everyone hoping that he builds on the incredibly well-liked original Dead Space video game of 2008. The DNA of Dead Space looks ingrained in The Callisto Protocol, based on footage revealed so far, but with the power of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X hardware to utilize, it looks to take the genre to new heights this year.
Based on the hype alone, The Callisto Protocol’s upcoming launch is already having a profound impact on gaming. Gamers are flocking to new space-set releases and piling back into proven picks on platforms beyond home consoles. Looking further down the line, if it lands as well as is hoped, The Callisto Protocol will take the craze of space games to a new height just in time for 2023’s epic slate of titles.
Utilizing Advanced Gaming Tech To Power The Callisto Protocol
The Callisto Protocol will be available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One as well as current-gen consoles – PS5 and XSX – but much of the development has focussed on utilizing the power of the new hardware. From the ground up, one of the big tasks for the development team at Striking Distance Studios was the new gore system. Using Unreal’s Simple Demolitions System, the new system shows real-time muscle, skeletal, and flesh wounds as health bars deplete for enemies and players, as well as the most realistic gore endings possible.
Of course, all the rage these days when it comes to visuals is about ray tracing. As the team uses a corridor-based scale, Unreal Engine 5 didn’t suit what the occlusion required for the horror game. Unreal Engine 4, with some tweaks to build from the initial four lights, proved to have the groundwork needed. The final product has ray-traced shadows that emphasize the tension-driven horror aesthetic that the game needs.
Away from the tech behind the game, the experience itself looks to immerse you in a dim-lit, creepy corridor, space survival story in which you play as Jacob Lee, trying to escape a prison colony being invaded by aliens. From the third-person perspective, you’ll be able to decide whether you follow paths of melee combat, stealth, or high-tech weaponry to best make your way out of the invaded Black Iron facility.
Schofield has stated that he hopes The Callisto Protocol will be classed among the scariest next-gen games, much as Dead Space was two generations back. Set on one of Jupiter’s moons in 2320 with aliens crawling around and advanced technology at your disposal, the December 02 release has all of the makings of a smash hit for those who want to immerse themselves in the dark depths of the universe.
The Callisto Protocol Arrives As The Space Craze Amps Up
There have been many space games that hit the headlines in 2022, from ones derived from sci-fi blockbusters to creative games on the rise. Not only this, but the theme has seen classics and some newer creations pick up steam across the gaming world, showcasing that people want to set themselves in space when they’ve got time to play.
Starting with the big-brand games, Dune: Spice Wars landed on Steam to heaps of praise in April this year. Created by the developers of Northgard, Shiro Games, Spice Wars has you attempt to lead your faction to dominance over the spice fields of Arrakis in a superb 4X RTS layout. Also released in April, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga was a top-seller and is considered a surprise dark horse contender for multiple games of the year accolades when the awards season comes around.
Slightly more low-key but certainly not lacking in quality, Terra Invicta places you in charge of one of Earth’s seven ideological factions, with each trying to work out how to face a coming alien invasion. Once you have Earth, you can then expand across the solar system to defend it all. While it came out many years ago, the redemption story of the century that is No Man’s Sky continued in October 2022 by finally getting its Nintendo Switch launch, as well as launching its massive DLC, Endurance.
You can look beyond the pillar platforms of gaming to see the space craze on the rise. In a very competitive sector, developers need to make games with popular themes to get clicks, which is why the top-rated new slot sites are teeming with space-themed games. All sitting atop the Popular section, there are Space Stacks, Space Wars, and Space Wars 2. On the smallest screen of gaming, mobile, the likes of SPACECOM and Space Commander: War and Trade have seen revitalized interest, and Among Us remains a party favorite.
The Callisto Protocol To Set The Stage For 2023
Being a dark, grim, gore-filled horror game, it’s quite fun to know that The Callisto Protocol is coming out just in time for Christmas. More importantly, if it lands as we expect it to, it’ll surge the interest in space video games even further – and just in time for some major releases. Just after this colossal release, though, IXION will hit Steam as a combo city builder, survival, and space exploration adventure from Kasedo Games.
Turning the page into 2023, co-op horror, first-person shooter RIPOUT looks to be one for fans of The Callisto Protocol. It was set to release this year but has since been nudged back into 2023. Launching by the end of Q2 2023, one of the most long-awaited returns from a developer will almost certainly dominate gaming sales if it lives up to the team’s usual standards for single-player outings.
Starfield from Bethesda Game Studios will hopefully combine the developer’s superb storytelling, quest system, RPG design, and free-roaming environments with an intergalactic scope. They have taken a huge knock of late with the debacle that was Fallout 76, but Starfield looks to be a return to the likes of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 3. Also coming next year is the follow-up to an incredibly highly-praised game in the form of Kerbal Space Program 2, which is said to have interstellar travel.
This year has already delivered some top-class space video games, but once The Callisto Protocol lands, the bar will be raised, as will the desire to embark on more space adventures.
Images: KRAFTON.
