A recent update forThe Callisto Protocolallows players to skip the death animations that were once a heralded aspect of the survival horror title. Despite substantial hype for one of the final releases this year,The Callisto Protocolfailed to live up to expectations, facing intense criticism when it launched due to performance issues abound.
AlthoughThe Callisto Protocolwas Striking Distance Studios' first title, interest in what many considered to be a spiritual successor toDead Spacewas palpable. It was certainly fueled by the presence of Glen Schofield, an industry veteran who worked on theDead Spacefranchise as a producer.Even Schofield’s comments regarding crunch, where he was accused of glorifying the exploitative practice, did little to dampen the excitement for the upcoming project. However, several critics had less-than-stellar things to say aboutThe Callisto Protocol’s story, level design, and performance.
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A detailed list was absent from the December 15 patch notes, which advised players to “look for combat improvements, performance and stability fixes, localization optimizations, and general quality of life changes,” and concluded with a reaffirmation that the team is working on further updates. It took a few days for the alterations to be figured out, but some players immediately noted performance issues were alleviated by the patch. Since last week, it has been discovered that several significant changes were made, such as increasing the speed with which the player can heal.
Weapon-switching has also received a speed boost, meaning that Jacob will likely be able to alternate through their arsenal and recover health without feeling so vulnerable. If players do die, they will be pleased to know that death animations can now be skipped by holding down a button during them. Despite the marketing that heavily promoted these animations,including a promise that future DLC would bring even more, the novelty soon wore off while playing, especially on harder difficulties where a single hit could prove deadly.
The disappointing release ofThe Callisto Protocolsaw publisher Krafton’s stock price plummet by more than eight percent, prompting Striking Distance Studios to respond. Replying to tweets critical of performance,Glen Schofield blamed the problematic launchon a “damn clerical error,” and proceeded to double-down by claiming it was “just a freakin error by someone rushing.” Schofield later issued an apology that took full responsibility after some did not take kindly to him seemingly throwing employees under the bus.
The Callisto Protocolis available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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