The Callisto Protocol Developer Responds to Issues After Negative User Reviews

By Cade Onder

The Callisto Protocol developer Striking Distance Studios has responded to the complaints regarding the game's performance issues following negative user reviews. The Callisto Protocol is one of the last big games of 2022 and subsequently one of the most anticipated. It's the first game from Striking Distance Studios, a developer founded by Dead Space creator Glen Schofield. With a name like that backing a new sci-fi horror game, many were amped to see what the game would be. As time went on, the gameplay looked great, it secured big name actors like Josh Duhamel, and it had a level of visual fidelity that impressed just about everyone.

However, the game isn't really meeting expectations, especially on PC. Over on Steam, The Callisto Protocol is getting slammed with negative user reviews, giving the game the "Mostly Negative" user reviews label on the platform. Obviously, this is off-putting for people who go to buy the game on Steam and see that label on the game's page. Many are reporting massive performance issues on PC regardless of their hardware with a common complaint revolving around low frame rate and stuttering. The game is meant to be pretty cinematic, but that immersion is broken by constant FPS drops and frequent stutters that cause the action to briefly pause, play, and then pause again. It's quite jarring, but the complaints have prompted a response from Striking Distance. The developer is releasing a patch today that will fix the performance issues and promised more updates in the imminent future.

It's unclear if this patch will make the game more bearable on PC, but it's likely we'll hear more soon. ComicBook.com's Logan Moore reviewed The Callisto Protocol and gave it a 3/5. He noted that it's not a bad game, but it has a lot of flaws and doesn't really do much to create a distinct identity from its competitors: "The Callisto Protocol isn't necessarily bad, but it doesn't do much to verify why survival-horror fans wanted these types of games back in the first place. With a bit more depth to its various systems and mechanics, The Callisto Protocol could have been far more enjoyable from start to finish. Instead, my main takeaway from Callisto has simply been that I'm now that much more excited to play a number of other survival-horror games that are set to release in 2023."

The Callisto Protocol is out now on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. What do you think of the game? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @Cade_Onder.

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