Beginner's Guide - Basics and Features - The Callisto Protocol Guide

The Callisto Protocol is a single-player survival horror game from Krafton and is the spiritual successor to Dead Space (2008). On this page, you'll find basic game features, combat mechanics, and other in-game elements that need additional clarification.

Be sure to check out our other beginner's guides pages:

The Callisto Protocol Story

In 2320, contract freight transporters Jacob Lee and his partner Max have recently been ferrying shipments of unlabeled cargo between two of Jupiter's moons—Europa and the Black Iron Prison on Callisto. However, during one of their descents, the crew was attacked by a terrorist group that caused the entire ship to crashlands on Callisto's surface.

As Jacob awakes, he finds himself wrongfully detained and incarcerated in Black Iron Prison—currently overrun by hostile inmates affected by an unidentified virus. He must work alongside a longtime prisoner, Elias, to escape the prison before the situation worsens.

Combat Basics

The combat in The Callisto Protocol is relatively simple and prioritizes timing and patience over anything else. The first chapter of the game serves as a tutorial for basic game mechanics such as movement, melee combat, and finding resources for healing.

Health

The Core behind Jacob's neck displays how much health you have. The color of the Core will also change depending on how low your health is, going from green to yellow to red.

Health resources are minimal; try your best to save Health Injectors after an enemy encounter to ensure you can use them without interruptions.

Dodging

To dodge incoming attacks, hold your left stick to the left or right if you're on Playstation or XBOX, or hold "A" or "D" if you're on PC. To dodge consecutive attacks, alternate between going left and right before the enemy attacks—evading in the same direction twice will cause you to get hit and fail the sequence.

When attacking an enemy with your melee, wait until you dodge to hit them with a multi-hit combo. Attacking an enemy in the middle of an attack animation will cause you to trade hits with them.

Blocking

Blocking enemy attacks is a better alternative than dodging when dealing with multiple opponents. Evading while surrounded by numerous enemies can sometimes send you into the path of another enemy's attack and screw up your position. Hold your left stick down or "S" on the keyboard to block.

Stomp Corpses

After defeating an enemy, stomp on their body to trigger item drops. Enemy corpses can drop either Callisto Credits—which you can use to upgrade Jacob's weapons—and Health Gels that heal you instantly.

Random corpses you didn't kill won't drop anything when you stomp on them.

Items and Resources

In true survival horror fashion, resources in The Callisto Protocol are tough to come by. Health Injectors and ammo are scarce, even if it doesn't seem like it is early in the game.

Though the game doesn't have many instances where you can branch off its linear pathing, there are areas designed as a side exploration to help you find valuable resources. Rooms labeled as "supply," "lockers," and "storage" are usually filled with useful items.

Health Gels and Injectors

There are two types of healing items you can find all over Black Iron Prison. The first one is Health Gels, which are non-storable healing items that instantly heal you when picked up. You can find them randomly in rooms or by stomping on corpses.

Note that if your health is full, you won't be able to pick them up.

The second type is Health Injectors—these are storable and heal you for a significant portion more than Health Gels. Look for wall-mounted boxes that you can interact with to find them. You can also find them from enemies and inside loot crates as well.

Ammo

Once you've obtained your first non-melee weapon in Chapter 3: Aftermath, pay attention to your available ammo. Use your ammo sparingly; your best bet is to use your baton to deal the initial damage and finish the enemy using one or two bullets.

Loot Crates and Boxes

Loot Crates are your best friend; they contain many valuable resources you won't find anywhere else. However, some Loot Crates can be mimics—where a parasitic alien can jump out and attack you, draining your health.