The Callisto Protocol - new survival horror from Dead Space creator

[ciox]

C'est fini.

 

[Infinitron]

RIP: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...eator-departs-startup-after-newest-game-flops

‘Dead Space’ Co-Creator Departs Startup After Newest Game Flops​

Video-game developer Striking Distance Studios, a subsidiary of Korean publisher Krafton Inc., is appointing new management several months after the commercial flop of its first game.

Chief Executive Officer Glen Schofield is leaving, a Krafton representative confirmed Wednesday, saying he has “decided to pursue new opportunities.” Striking Distance’s chief operating officer and chief financial officer are also leaving. Krafton said all three departures were voluntary.

Chief Development Officer Steve Papoutsis will take over as CEO. In a statement, Schofield said his departure was “bittersweet, but I know the studio is in excellent hands.”

Schofield founded the studio in 2019 to make a spiritual successor to Dead Space, the sci-fi horror series he co-created while working at Electronic Arts Inc. In December 2022, the company released The Callisto Protocol to mediocre reviews. In January, analysts said the horror game was on track to sell 2 million copies, missing Krafton’s target of 5 million. In recent months, Striking Distance laid off more than 30 staffers. The company’s website now shows around 90 employees.

The shakeup at the San Ramon, California-based game developer is reflective of the turbulent nature of the video-game industry. Big-budget games take years to make and can cost hundreds of millions of dollars, which means a single miss can severely damage a game company’s prospects.

New franchises are rare in the industry, where most big-budget games are based on established intellectual property to mitigate risk. The Callisto Protocol was marred by glitches and performance issues, hurting its chances of succeeding in a competitive market. A month after it came out, Electronic Arts released a remake of Dead Space to critical acclaim.

The Krafton representative said the “studio’s plans remain unaffected.”

 

[Fedora Master]

Killed by your Touch of Death

 

[Cyberarmy]

They shoot themselves in the foot with this one. Why did they thought dodge and heavy focus on melee, in game such like this, was a good idea? And they did put that mechanic to last boss fight too...

Also they paid Hollywood actors for this one, LoL. Nice way to manage your funds.

 

[Rean]

I've watched a playthrough of this one.
I don't know why they still think Hollywood actors are a recipe for success. All they are is streamer bait, and streamers mostly only make money for themselves and Twitch.
As for the 'horror' part of the game, it wouldn't scare anything older than a 12 year old.

 

[Nikanuur]

They shoot themselves in the foot with this one. Why did they thought dodge and heavy focus on melee, in game such like this, was a good idea? And they did put that mechanic to last boss fight too...

Also they paid Hollywood actors for this one, LoL. Nice way to manage your funds.

A heavy focus on melee in a game where you move slow enough to be greeted by sloths as distant cousin whereas enemies can mostly swarm you with alien-like speed at that! A game with a whole list of similarly 'briliant' ideas too.

 

[toughasnails]

They shoot themselves in the foot with this one. Why did they thought dodge and heavy focus on melee, in game such like this, was a good idea? And they did put that mechanic to last boss fight too...

Also they paid Hollywood actors for this one, LoL. Nice way to manage your funds.

Just the basic experience of it: you have this polluted, deformed body hurtling towards you, flaying chaotically, all covered with tumorous growths and leakages. Of course you are keeping distance, and Dead Space's gameplay was built around it. Your engage the thing in a mediate manner, keeping a buffer between you and the monstrous. There is melee option of sorts - and you are in full body armor - but it is your last option and if comes to that you know that you performed badly. So the combat gameplay works together with your basic reaction to these monsters.
Here, you still have a deformed body etc hurtling towards you, but what happens is that both you (with awful lot of exposed flesh in your starting outfit mind you) and it assume almost a sparring attitude and you proceed to beat it, up close, with a blunt object. There might be an initial feeling of horror and revulsion but the sustained experience of this sort of combat gameplay destroys it.

 

[lightbane]

For extra hilarity is that melee sorta works as monsters can't keep up with your quick-duck maneuvers... Unless there are multiple monsters, then it becomes trickier. If only there were crazy weapons like a power sword or a giant hammer... But it took them until the DLC to learn that.
And now the sequel is pretty much dead.

 

[Nifft Batuff]

The should do a remake.

 

[Great Deceiver]

This is free on PSN so I downloaded and "played" the first 40 minutes or so. The quotes are because you don't really play this thing, it's one of those movie game abominations that's absolutely not worth anyone's time, or the drive's real estate footprint for that matter.

Laughably terrible. I don't think it works even as streamer bait, it's just that bad. Generic, telegraphed, fleshy zombies that are completely toothless. There's absolutely zero tension.

Shame that it sold even a single copy.

 

[911 Jumper]

Everything I've seen of this game tells me it's not even one of those “so bad it's good” games.
The visuals are impressive, but everything else is just straight to dvd sci-fi clichés.
I honestly thought Scofield was better than this. I doubt we'll be seeing anything from him again.

 

[Great Deceiver]

The visuals aren't impressive and it runs like shit. Goyslop for hour-long Digital Foundry coomer TECH REVIEW.

 

[toro]

Everything I've seen of this game tells me it's not even one of those “so bad it's good” games.
The visuals are impressive, but everything else is just straight to dvd sci-fi clichés.
I honestly thought Scofield was better than this. I doubt we'll be seeing anything from him again.

Yeah, he is pretty much done. He had almost complete freedom over the game's design and he came up with a complete turd when everybody just wanted a competent Dead Space clone.

 

[Ezekiel]

everybody just wanted a competent Dead Space clone.

Those people should be scorned.

 

[911 Jumper]

Free this month for PS Plus subscribers:

 

[911 Jumper]

For anyone interested. More stuff in the replies

 

[Machocruz]

Even the little attention this game gets is still too much. World should just let it die and vanish.

 

[Morgoth]

This is currently free on the Epic Store.

 

[Ivan]

combat is cancer. avoid

 

[Cyberarmy]

combat is cancer. avoid

Game don't really have any reedeming qualities and not really fun to play. So, yeah, avoid.

 

[Elttharion]

Damn, this one is pretty bad. I got this in a bundle and I hate leaving things unfinished so I will probably power through but its not really worth buying or playing it. Its not even scary and feels almost like a walking sim. Combat is terrible too.

 

[ADL]

I knew this was going to be a dud the moment they announced it would no longer take place within the PUBG universe.

 

[Elttharion]

Damn, this one is pretty bad. I got this in a bundle and I hate leaving things unfinished so I will probably power through but its not really worth buying or playing it. Its not even scary and feels almost like a walking sim. Combat is terrible too.

Also, who puts autosaves in a horror game? What a stupid idea.

 

[Fedora Master]

I knew this was going to be a dud the moment they announced it would no longer take place within the PUBG universe.

Surprising, given that you're one of the resident shit-eaters.

 

[Ezekiel]

combat is cancer. avoid

Game don't really have any reedeming qualities and not really fun to play. So, yeah, avoid.

Art direction. Some of the mechanical designs are cool.