A brand-new fear
The Callisto Protocol will borrow a page from the horror playbook of Alien Isolation and employ clever mutant monsters to provide unscripted thrills.
Mark James, chief technological officer of The Callisto Protocol, told TechRadar Gaming at Gamescom 2022 that the game’s “variable environment” will alter without the player’s input. He defines the game as a persistent “simulated universe” that would progressively change due to the actions of its opponents.
James explains, “If I have an opponent that travelled through the globe before me, I can illustrate what that enemy done to the world.” “If they murdered anything here, I can portray the leftovers of that slaughter,” the speaker said, “I can place assaults in the globe.”
The plan is for the player to move through the Black Iron jail with the antagonists as they do. As they proceed, they will interact with the surroundings and leave behind hints about their existence for the gamers to find later. It is meant to be oblique, hinting to the player that something is around and poised to strike.
James explains, “[If an] opponent is behind you, he can plan a way to you through the vent system.” He has entered a vent if he moves behind you, which indicates that he has broken the vent plate. There wasn’t a vent plate on the floor when I first passed through that corridor, but there is one now, so I can tell that something has used it.
Really Scary Direction: SSD
James believes that The Callisto Protocol’s terrifying atmosphere will be supported by this unpredictable setting. It’s anticipated that the opponents in this game will give it a dynamic feel, much like how the xenomorph in Alien Isolation kept you on your toes by moving about in reaction to your actions.
Every step should feel different, according to James, which was one of our goals. “As you move through the hallways, you have the impression that you have never been there before. Despite the fact that it was a corridor in the same ecosystem, Even when you’re not there, the environment should feel dynamic and alive.
It’s plausible that prior to today, that amount of organic transformation was not feasible. James believes that in order to create the game’s evolving universe, current gaming PCs, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5 SSDs were essential. They can load things fast and predict opponent behaviour on the fly because to their high speeds.
According to James, “games on the earlier consoles could only modify things through player participation.” Therefore, these types of variable features were really not achievable with a hard drive, but [now] we can load these things in very rapidly and provide this extra detail that we couldn’t accomplish with simply having a static load.
“Everyone focused on the SSD’s capacity to build big environments. Well, our game is about eerie tunnel environments, not these vast wide vistas. However, it allows me to alter the corridor each time I enter it.
What pustulating mutant is pursuing you, though, will determine precisely how that corridor changes. Rushers frequently conceal themselves on the ceiling until you are close enough to seize. Grunts, on the other hand, tend to utilise vents far more frequently, allowing you to see them from a distance (or run away before they can find you).
Another guy with a big mouth will spit at you and won’t try to hide, says James, “The bigger ones will be more bullish and attack you head-on.” He’s the ranged weapon man. He’ll just attempt to knock you down.
James also looked at The Callisto Protocol’s realistic graphics, which even include ray-traced eyeballs. On December 2, 2022, a release date for the game has been determined. It will be released on the PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.