Liking a bad game - The Callisto Protocol review
1Great Late Reviews - series where a random guy on the internet is gonna tell you, if the game is good or not.
So we meet yet again… and how many times have we started with talking about what is important in video games, and what nostalgic feelings drive us in search of the lost youth in this medium of art and entertainment. Funny thing that some of my foundest memories from the early childhood, was to sneak out from my bed, and using unusal stealth abilities for such a youngster, watching survival horrors from hiding, so the adults would not find me out. I was definitevely too young to watch some of the movies that I had, but all the same, there was something in them, that even a child could understand: surviving yourself and at the same time helping others to survive as well, even if that meant putting your life in danger, getting in harm’s ways just to save fellow human beings. Maybe it is too of the romantic or childish view on genre, but I realy don’t think so. We have many ways of telling heroic stories, but I think survival horror might be the most visceral one. Maybe it is the fear that hightens our senses and responsivness to all the action on the screen. I have to be honest here and tell you about the strange condition that I am suspect to. I’m positive that are many more people like me in that regard, to be precise: when I am all alone, I fear nothing in the world, nothing can realy scare me, or even make me uneasy. On the other hand if there is anyone else with me, the feeling of dread is realy strong. I even suspect that it is some genetic characteristic that makes you afraid for others, to guard them, disregarding your own safety. Ah well, I am not an educated antropologist, so what do I know.
What were we talking about? Ah yes, survival horrors… but what about video games in this genre? I’m glad you asked. I played plenty of them starting with clasics like „Resident Evil”, „Alone in the Dark” or „Silent Hill” and playing some of the niche ones like „Alien Resurection”. But there was a trilogy along the way, that my good friend Zak introduced me to, namely „Dead Space” game series. It was a glorious time in my life… ok glorious is the wrong word here. I was between jobs so I had enough time to play through „Skyrim” and all three of „Dead Space” titles. It was then, when I realised my strange condition related to being afraid. When I was playing all alone, even in the middle of the night, I was simply enjoying the game, tooking in the atmosphere, and solving all the puzzles along the way aand fighting off enemies, in order to progress further. But boy oh boy, when Zakary was present on voice chat, even if he said nothing for prolonged periods of time, then anything could spook me out or jump-scare me, while playing „Dead Space”. Holy cow, that was eye… or rather mind opening. So no wonder that I wanted to play „The Callisto Protocol” since the first trailer hit youtube. After all, it was a game from the same developers, with the same setting and premise. So imagine my disapointement after not so good critical reception . But still I put the game on my „to play list”, I just had to try it for myself, but not for a full asking price, that was for sure. The day finaly came, here I am today, reviewing it for god knows what reason, but still – hear me out...