ThoughThe Callisto Protocolis a solid game with some fun enemies to fight and innovative melee combat to enjoy, it fails to become a truly great title for a few reasons. A lack of information on which paths are optional hurtsThe Callisto Protocol’s exploration, a short game length ensures that much of the interesting lore goes unused, and replay value is hindered with no new game plus or chapter select. The checkpoints in the game are also very problematic.
Though some players were able to get throughThe Callisto Protocolwithout running into major bugs like disappearing enemies or huge frame drops, nearly every player has a bad checkpoint story. If gamers saw Jacob die during their playthrough at any point, they will likely have gotten frustrated by how far back the checkpoints set them. However, this is not the only checkpoint-related issue to point out.
RELATED:PlayStation Should Look Into Content Like The Callisto Protocol’s Helix Station Podcast
Why The Callisto Protocol’s Checkpoints Are so Flawed
Like with any other flawed checkpoints,The Callisto Protocol’s biggest issue related to the system is checkpoints that push players too far back. For instance, early on in the game players will find a room full of traps to tossbiophagesinto, and seeing them shredded into pieces is initially a joy. However, it gets a lot less fun after players have killed several enemies only to die by stepping into one of the traps. Instead of the progress being saved midway through the fight, players have to start from the beginning of the lengthy encounter.
This type of issue pops up consistently, whether it be the white hallway after the sewer sliding sequence or the big arena full of explosives during the snowy “Alone” chapter.The Callisto Protocolis decently challenging, which is a positive, as there is little worse than feeling unthreatened in a horror game. Unfortunately, some of the fear comes from being scared of losing progress as opposed to being horrified to fight the game’s gruesome enemies.
Though more frequent checkpoints would make a difference in these situations, asbig fights inThe Callisto Protocolcould be a lot more manageable with mid-battle saves, the bigger issue is how the checkpoints impact looting. If players go down a side path that includes a long vent traversal sequence, only to die to an enemy in the next room, they could be forced to endure the vent traversal all over again just to re-loot the same room.
This issue extends toupgrades inThe Callisto Protocolas well. Though gamers can spend several minutes printing off new parts for their weaponry and making their arsenal stronger, they can get stuck making the exact same upgrades numerous times. This is because, for whatever reason, there is no checkpoint activated when Jacob exits a reforge station. Since threats lurk around every corner, players can easily fail an encounter in the next room, meaning they will respawn without their upgrades.
Occasional mid-fight checkpoints, more checkpoints when returning from side areas, and, most importantly, reforge-related checkpoints would go a long way to makingThe Callisto Protocolmore enjoyable. With a Hardcore Mode and a wide array of DLC on the way, making sure that players are not frustrated when playing the game will be key. Hopefully,Striking Distancecan patch in some checkpoints, as the existing system makes the horror title a lot more tedious than it needs to be. In the meantime, other studios working on checkpoints for their own games can look toThe Callisto Protocolfor potential pitfalls to avoid. Though it may not be the worst checkpoint system ever made, it is far too inconvenient for a game released in 2022.
The Callisto Protocolis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
