The Callisto Protocol Puts Surprising Features Behind Season Pass Paywall

The Callisto Protocol is set to release next month, and Striking Distance Studios has revealed what players can expect to see from the game's season pass. Unsurprisingly, the season pass features bonus skins and story DLC for those looking to continue the adventure; that's pretty standard stuff for most games these days! However, the developer has made some unique choices to lock behind a paywall, including the Contagion mode, which offers a much more difficult experience, and Riot mode, which features a new location. There are also 13 exclusive death animations for Jacob and 12 exclusive death animations for enemies.

The game's Steam page offers the following descriptions:

Outer Way Skin Collection: Bear the armor of the Outer Way, an underground insurgency pitted against the UJC, as you fight to survive the horrors of Callisto.

Contagion Bundle: Discover the ultimate survival horror experience with a new mode, Contagion. With reduced ammo and health drops, a customized difficulty and permadeath – there are no second chances to escape Black Iron Prison or the horrors lurking beneath the surface of Callisto. The Contagion Bundle also includes thirteen new Jacob death animations and the Watchtower Skin Collection.

Riot Bundle: Venture into a previously undiscovered area of Black Iron Prison and battle through waves of brutal enemies. Gather credits to upgrade your weapons, or forge new ones, and survive the onslaught as long as you can in Riot, an all-new mode. The Riot Bundle also includes twelve new enemy death animations and the Engineer Skin Collection.

Story DLC: Dig deeper into the horrifying secrets of The Callisto Protocol.

These are definitely... unique choices to lock behind a paywall. It's safe to say that a lot of fans aren't going to be thrilled with the idea of having to pay extra for a hard mode, or for new animations. Thankfully, the digital deluxe edition of The Callisto Protocol is only $20 more than the standard release, and it's a safe bet that the same players that would want a hard mode will probably also want the story DLC as well. Fans will just have to decide for themselves whether that extra price is worth it!

Of course, fans will have to make that decision soon,as The Callisto Protocol is set to release December 2nd on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Until then, readers can check out all of our previous coverage of the game right here.

Are you looking forward to The Callisto Protocol? Are you planning to purchase the season pass? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter and on Hive at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!

[H/T: Wccftech]