One of the year’s most anticipated video games has finally been released, but performance issues have left many gamers fuming at what feels like a huge anticlimax. The space-based, survival horror, The Callisto Protocol dropped on Friday (December 2) for PlayStation, Xbox and PC.
The game – which follows in the footsteps of the likes of Dead Space and Resident Evil – transports gamers to the year 2320 to adopt the role of Jacob Lee, a victim of fate thrown into Black Iron Prison, a maximum-security penitentiary located on Jupiter’s moon, Callisto.
When inmates begin to transform into monstrous creatures, the prison is thrown into chaos. To survive, Jacob must battle his way to safety to escape, while uncovering the dark and disturbing secrets buried beneath Callisto’s surface.
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But despite the high-profile nature of the game, it appears to have fallen far short of many gamers’ expectations. Within hours of its release, many users have complained about performance issues which cause the game to stutter and make it “unplayable,” with some even claiming to have demanded refunds within hours of purchase.
Critics’ reviews have been extremely mixed, with the game currently holding a 76 score on review aggregator Metacritic. Dexerto has given The Callisto Project a perfect 5/5 score, praising its “phenomenal visual and sound design” and “compelling story.”
Screen Rant has been less generous, giving the game 2.5/5, arguing that it feels “like wasted potential” and appears “rushed in certain areas of its design.” And while critics’ reviews shouldn’t always be taken as gospel, gamers on Steam have also reacted overwhelmingly negatively.
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Two thirds of reviews on the online storefront have left The Callisto Project sitting with a disappointing ‘Mostly Negative’ rating, with some even urging their fellow gamers not to buy it. Steam user Buttered Steak said: “Don't buy this game right now. It is a stuttering mess that runs poorly as of day 1.”
ASM Havoc added: “Currently I can’t even walk through the opening area and turn a corner without stuttering. Performance is not good at all right now.”
Space jokingly referred to the game as “the stutter protocol”.
Reactions on social media have also been poor, with some users sharing video grabs of the game’s performance issues. @indianshrekt said: “Almost unplayable in its current state on PC – urgently needs a patch.
“Serious stutter and framerate drops plaguing the game right now. Liked the graphics and atmosphere, but its bogged down by performance issues.”
This is how The Callisto Protocol runs on PC.
Yet another Unreal Engine 4 game with awful stuttering. Can't wait until we fully transition to UE5. pic.twitter.com/0AnBzRDd5b— Okami Games (@Okami13_)
@Sandman117744 added: “The Callisto Protocol is the fastest game I have ever asked for a refund on steam, this game should have never come out on pc It’s so stuttery and the fps problems are so bad.”
@SkillUpYT said: “Very little in the way of story, characters or horror. Oppressively linear, terrible combat that excels only in frustrating you, and absolutely woeful PC performance. It breaks my heart but sadly, The Callisto Protocol is an easy skip.”
However, among the negative reactions, some gamers were full of praise for the game, with no mention of issues. The majority of poor reviews appear to come from PC gamers, with those running The Callisto Project on PlayStation 5 reporting a much smoother gaming experience.
@DarkHolocron said: “What makes The Callisto Protocol so great is a combination of raw visual beauty, absolutely visceral, cerebral combat mechanics, and the flawlessly horrifying manner the way the audio itself weaves a symphony of pain, terror, and absolute chaos together at every possible moment.”
@NathanHarper123 added: “Thank God I have a PS5 really enjoying the game so far.”
In response to social media outcry, one of the game’s developers confirmed on social media that a patch is in the works to fix the issues.
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