One of the biggest announcements from The Game Awards 2020 was the reveal of The Callisto Protocol, a Dead Space spiritual successor developed by Glen Schofield and Striking Distance Studios. The Callisto Protocol has generated quite a bit of excitement, with the developers aiming for it to be one of the scariest video games ever made. Unfortunately for horror fans, information on The Callisto Protocol has been hard to come by since its initial announcement, with the exception of some concept art Schofield shared recently.
Last month, in recognition of The Thing's anniversary, Schofield showed off some fresh concept art for The Callisto Protocol. This new Callisto Protocol concept art appears to show a bulbous, bloated, humanoid monster of some kind that's dripping with a thick substance of some kind, possibly blood. It's a menacing-looking creature and is standing in a futuristic but grimy doorway, presumably in the Black Iron prison colony where the game takes place.
The Callisto Protocol monster in the image is somewhat difficult to see, though that's likely by design. Meanwhile, the only other detail worth noting is that the art clearly has Dead Space vibes. The lighting and style invoke Schofield's 2008 sci-fi horror masterpiece, and that's not surprising when one considers that Callisto Protocol is clearly meant to be a spiritual successor to the Dead Space franchise.
Of course, the Dead Space franchise itself is making a comeback of its own now. Months removed from The Callisto Protocol's reveal, it's been confirmed that EA Motive is developing a Dead Space remake. And while the two horror games may wind up being similar, there are definitely things about The Callisto Protocol that will ensure it stands out from the pack.
One big reason why The Callisto Protocol will stand out is due to its connection to PUBG. Some may not even realize this, but The Callisto Protocol is set in the PUBG universe, tying it directly to the mega popular battle royale game. How exactly that will play out remains to be seen, but horror game fans will just have to standby for more details.
The Callisto Protocol is also aiming to be the start of a brand new media franchise beyond just video games. The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman is teaming with Striking Distance Studios to expand The Callisto Protocol into other mediums. What all that will entail exactly remains to be seen, but with The Callisto Protocol aiming for release next year, hopefully fans find out more about the game sooner rather than later.
The Callisto Protocol is in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X for release in 2022.