When it comes to facing down the dangers lurking around corners in horror games, most players would like to be able to keep their distance while playing games such asResident EvilorDead Space. It doesn’t end up being the case, though, and some of these creatures need a good fist to the face to put them down permanently. It appearsThe Callisto Protocolis going to be no different as the game’s design director says roughly “half” of the upcoming game’s combat will be melee-centric.
The Callisto Protocolis the debut title from developer Striking Distance Studios, withDead Spacecreator Glen Schofield serving as the new game’s lead director. As the title teases, the game is set on a prison colony on Jupiter’s moon Callisto over 300 years in the future and puts players in the boots of prisoner Jacob Lee, portrayed by Josh Duhamel. Lee is forced to survive an apparent alien invasion of the prison colony, an invasion that appears to turn its victims into monstrous creatures roaming the colony’s halls.
RELATED:Callisto Protocol Devs Used ‘Real-Life Horror And Gore’ For Inspiration
Striking Distance has recently pulled back the curtain on its upcoming horror game, such as the means by which players will need to fight the creatures lurking acrossCallisto. In a recent interview with Game Informer via IGN, design director Ben Walker spoke about the game’s combat and what it will entail for players trying to survive the invasion. Walker said the studio was “leaning into the survival side of things” by making ammo more scarce, forcing players to close that gap and emphasize the need to survive.
“Almost half of our combat is melee,” Walker said. He elaborated, saying there will be “melee combos” to use that will “push the enemy away” when finished to give players a moment to regroup before another attack.
The emphasis on melee combat has been already teased in the trailers and gameplayStriking Distancehas released up to this point. As mentioned above, the studio appears to be emphasizing the survival aspect of survival horror with the players already navigating dark, claustrophobic corridors surrounded by mutated monstrosities. An easy but effective way to up this feeling is to have players wonder if one encounter is worth using ammo or risk a fistfight and save the ammo for something possibly worse.
It will also help set the game apart fromDead Space, which it has already been compared by players since it was announced. The comparisons are not without cause, given several members of Striking Distance previously worked on theDead Spaceseries and the overall aesthetic of the game. However, emphasizing melee combat over gunplay can helpThe Callisto Protocolstand apart fromDead Space, the latter of which focused on “tactical dismemberment” with an array of mining tools and guns.
The Callisto Protocolis scheduled to release Aug 06, 2025, on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
