Ever since it was first announced, The Callisto Protocol has been compared to Dead Space in almost every way. What with ex-Dead Space developers working on the title, comparisons were always going to be made, but a new interview has revealed that the game's combat may be a little different from EA's seminal sci-fi horror franchise.
Speaking with GameInformer, design director Ben Walker talks in-depth about the combat in The Callisto Protocol, explaining that the game will have a heavy emphasis on getting up close and personal. Since ammo will apparently be very limited, you will need to deal with threats in different ways, and Walker explains that the game's combat will be "equal parts melee and ranged." You will also be able to use the controller's left stick during fights to dodge left and right, and can even pull back to block enemy attacks.
Walker also goes into great detail about what the PS5's fancy DualSense controller will have you experience during fights, revealing that you'll be able to feel the crack of bones in your hands when you deliver a well-placed blow with the game's stun baton. The Callisto Protocol will also make use of the controller's adaptive triggers in an attempt to give you as immersive an experience as possible.
We also know from the recent gameplay sequence shown off during Summer Game Fest that The Callisto Protocol will feature some pretty gnarly death animations, as the one in the gameplay shows the main character become mush as he's sucked into a turbine. If you're hoping to see more grizzly deaths, then you'll be pleased to know that Walker has also promised that the game is chock full of them, and he feels the team uses them as a very morbid form of reward.
Speaking of gore, the developers of The Callisto Protocol have gone all out to try and deliver as disgusting an experience as possible, as the game's animation director Chris Stone has revealed developers have been looking at "real-life examples of horror and gore." Whether that's a particularly healthy thing for a team to do when making a video game is another matter entirely.