2008’s Dead Space is considered to be one of the greatest survival horror video games of all time – and rightly so. The tale of Isaac Clarke’s ill-fated journey to the USG Ishimura had a lasting impact on the genre. It was unique for its time and succeeded in scaring the life out of unsuspecting players. 2022’s The Callisto Protocol bears many similarities to it. But is The Callisto Protocol related to Dead Space?
Dead Space took players aboard the USG Ishimura in the shoes of Isaac Clarke who is in search of his girlfriend Nicole, the ship’s chief medical officer. After crashing into the Ishimura’s landing bay and breaking its quarantine, Isaac and co discover the ship is overrun with Necromorphs.
Necromorphs are mysterious and gruesome undead creatures formed from the reanimated corpses of living beings. They are created by a signal emitted from alien artefacts know as Markers – one of which was brought aboard the USG Ishimura.
The Callisto Protocol follows a similar premise to Dead Space.
It’s set on Jupiter’s moon Callisto, at a prison colony called Black Iron. After crash-landing on the moon’s surface, Jacob Lee is sent to Black Iron. Shortly afterwards, the prison is overrun by a mysterious virus.
Much like Necromorphs, The Callisto Protocol‘s Biophages are un-dead humans that have been mutated by the pathogen. Having lost all sense of humanity, the Biophages are extremely aggressive and violent. But the similarities don’t end there.
The Callisto Protocol both plays and looks strikingly similar to Dead Space. From its over-the-shoulder third person gameplay to the health gauge on the back of the protagonist’s neck, there’s so much that’s reminiscent of the 2008 classic.
So, is The Callisto Protocol related to Dead Space?
Is The Callisto Protocol Related to Dead Space?
Even if you haven’t played The Callisto Protocol, you will have no doubt heard about the comparisons to Dead Space. From its very first trailer, it was hailed as the spiritual successor to Visceral Game’s long-dormant franchise.
I, for one, was elated when I heard about The Callisto Protocol. I always loved Dead Space. And it was great to see a game follow in the series’ footsteps.
But outside of its gameplay, story, and visual similarities, is The Callisto Protocol actually set in the same universe as Dead Space?
Is The Callisto Protocol related to Dead Space? No, The Callisto Protocol is not related to Dead Space by way of a shared universe. However, the two games are linked by creator Glen Schofield.
Schofield’s involvement in the conceptualisation and development of both games has lead to the numerous similarities players are seeing between the two titles.
Despite this, the Dead Space IP is owned by EA. This means that The Callisto Protocol is a spiritual successor to the series rather than a full-blown continuation.
Luckily for us, a new Dead Space remake is due out in January 2023. So, players craving even more space-centric survival horror don’t have long to wait!
Did you think The Callisto Protocol was a fitting successor to Dead Space? Let us know in the comment section and don’t forget to check out our other gaming articles…
