The concept of aPlayer Unknown’s Battlegroundsuniverse might seem odd to some people, given that the battle-royale game is not known for its continuity or world-building. Likewise, the idea ofconnecting PUBG to a horror gamefrom the co-creator ofDead Spacemight seem even more incongruous. However, that’s precisely what the upcoming gameThe Callisto Protocolpurports to be.
Despite the somewhat thin connection to its parent franchise, development seems to be going well, according to director Glen Schofield. The veteran game director recently praised the team charged withThe Callisto Protocol’s motion capture, sharing a behind-the-scenes photo of a recording in progress.
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Schofield shared the photo on Twitter, expressing his excitement about howThe Callisto Protocol’s development is going. “This is my favorite time when making a game,” saidtheDead Spaceco-creator, “the design starts coming together. Love seeing all the hard work the team is doing in the mocap studio to bring our characters to life.” He also thanked fans for their patience and enthusiasm while developers continue work on the game. Schofield also promised that developer Striking Distance has more updates on the way. Hopefully, the game avoids too many delays and manages to release this year as the developers intend.
The public does not know too much about the upcoming survival horror game, though developers showed off anannouncement trailer forThe Callisto Protocolin December 2020. Its claustrophobic atmosphere, grotesque body horror, and gruesome violence will seem very familiar to fans of Schofield’s previous work withDead Space. The trailer also hints at a sinister plot behindThe Callisto Protocol’s mutant outbreak, reminiscent ofDead Space’s string-pulling Unitologist Cult.
For those unfamiliar with the upcoming game,theDead Space-inspiredCallisto Protocoltakes place in the year 2320 in the Black Iron prison colony on Jupiter’s moon, Callisto. The player takes the role of a newly arrived prisoner who must survive horrific human-alien hybrids unleashed by the prison’s warden. According to Schofield, he wanted the game to be more realistic thanDead Space. This is why he chose to set the game on Callisto, which scientists believe is home to a large amount of liquid water. Schofield also indicated that the moon’s underground oceans might play an important role in the game’s story.
According to a 2020 Polygon interview, Schofield pitchedThe Callisto Protocolto publisher Krafton, formerly known as Bluehole, after the company expressed its interest in creating an expanded universe based aroundPlayer Unknown’s Battlegrounds. The publisher formed Striking Distance Studios in 2019 todevelopThe Callisto Protocolas part of that effort. The connection may come across as tenuous givenThe Callisto Protocol’sfuturistic setting. Still, if nothing else, the project demonstrates Krafton’s willingness to experiment withPUBG’suniverse.
The Callisto Protocolreleases in 2022 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
