Fast Links
The Callisto Protocol is a brand-new horror title that bears a lot of similarities to the extremely popular Dead Space series from Electronic Arts. You might wonder, “So, is this supposed to be a Dead Space sequel of some sort?” The short answer is: no, The Callisto Protocol is not a sequel to the Dead Space franchise. The long(er) answer? Well, simply continue reading below to find out more about this new sci-fi horror game.
Make Us Whole: Dead Space and The Callisto Protocol’s Connections
Way back in early 2006, when Visceral Games was still called EA Redwood Studios, developers Glen Schofield and Michael Condrey spearheaded a project called Rancid Moon, a horror game heavily inspired by the Capcom hit Resident Evil 4 and taking clues from the System Shock series as well as various sci-fi horror movies such as Event Horizon and Solaris. The team is eager to prove themselves capable of making original titles instead of keeping working on licensed projects.
Pleased by the prototype running on an original Xbox, EA executives then gave the green light, and long story short, Dead Space was born. This tale of Isaac Clarke facing off against horrifying cosmic abominations instantly became a hit in 2008, raking in 86-89 critics’ scores on Metacritic and 1.4 million copies sold on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC in a year.
EA Redwood then transformed into Visceral Games a year after the successful launch — but at the same time, Schofield and Condrey also went their own way. Not being a part of Dead Space 2 development, they left Visceral and created the Sledgehammer Games development studio (recent Call of Duty games co-developer team) instead. The Dead Space IP is still held by EA.
Years later, with the lackluster reception to Dead Space 3, Isaac Clarke’s fate seems to have been lost in the cold void of space. Nevertheless, Schofield, now leading PUBG Studios and Krafton’s Striking Distance development team in 2019, is eager to come back to making space horror-themed games. The time is ripe, apparently, since the battle royale makers are also looking to expand their PUBG portfolio… much to the chagrin of gamers all over the world.
“The funny thing is, I came in with this story when I went and met with the PUBG people for the first time and started talking about [The Callisto Protocol] and building a studio. I presented this game to them, and so what we did was we made it fit within the PUBG storyline.” – Glen Schofield on The Callisto Protocol idea via IGN.
However, this year on May 26, 2022, Schofield confirmed that the game’s narrative became “too out there” to be connected with PUBG and evolved into its own standalone world. He also promised to add “little surprises” for the battle royale title fans.
So there you have it. Again, no, The Callisto Protocol is not a sequel to the Dead Space franchise. And yes, if you’re curious, it no longer has anything to do with PUBG.
Death Is Only the Beginning: Dead Space Developers Who Worked on The Callisto Protocol
Even so, this game still carries the DNA of its predecessor, worthy to be called a spiritual successor. From theme, visual, and gameplay elements to development staff. There are at least four key figures in the development of the Dead Space series who made The Callisto Protocol into reality:
- Glen Schofield: Dead Space co-creator.
- Steve Papoutsis: Dead Space senior producer and Dead Space 2 executive producer.
- Scott Whitney: Dead Space video post-production director and designer.
- Christopher Stone: Dead Space animation director.
According to Schofield himself, of Striking Distance’s 150 employees, 25 to 30 former Visceral Games and Sledgehammer Games developers were also involved in the creation of The Callisto Protocol.
Altman Be Praised: Dead Space Spinoffs and Remake
If you still hunger for more Dead Space-related materials, though, there are a number of spinoffs you can consume, listed below. EA has also announced that the remake of the first Dead Space game is launching on January 27, 2023, and being developed by EA Motive Studio (Star Wars Battlefront II, Star Wars Squadrons).
- Dead Space: Extraction: A rail shooter title. Debuted on the Wii in 2009, then rereleased on PS3 with PlayStation Move support in 2011.
- Dead Space Ignition: Puzzle adventure game for Xbox 360 and PS3. Released in 2010.
- Dead Space mobile: Third-person horror shooter for Android and iOS, launched in 2011.
- Animated movies:
- Dead Space: Downfall
- Dead Space: Aftermath
- Comics:
- Dead Space
- Dead Space: Extraction
- Dead Space: Martyr
- Dead Space: Salvage
- Dead Space: Catalyst
- Dead Space: Liberation
Related:
All Reforge Upgrades and Costs in The Callisto Protocol
The Callisto Protocol is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.