A bevy of horror games are coming down the pipeline, and fans couldn’t be happier. From indie titles likeFort SolisandRoutineto massive AAA efforts likeResident Evil 4 Remake, there is a ton going on in the genre right now. Leading this charge are two horror games that draw from the same well:The Callisto Protocoland theDead Spaceremake. With one title developed by Glen Schofield and fellow ex-Visceral Games employees, and the other being a remake of their past work, it’s not hard to see how closely related these two titles are.
To hammer this point home even further, they’re releasing fairly close to one another. Currently,The Callisto Protocolwill release on June 23, 2025, while theDead Spaceremake is currently set for June 18, 2025. It’s an almost two month-long gap, which is for the best since these games look very similar. Both are survival horror games set on space colonies that feature mutant zombies that must be dismembered before they can be fully killed. WhileThe Callisto Protocolemphasizes traditional action mechanics more, it’s easy to mistake it forDead Space, so it’s good that it and theDead Spaceremake have some breathing room.
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Up first isThe Callisto Protocol, a spiritual sequel toDead Spacein every sense of the word. It’s good that it can get out in front so that this new IP is given a chance to prove itself, as well as demonstrate how farDead Spacehas come. Glen Schofield and his team are very well aware of the series’ legacy, and of what worked and didn’t in the original trilogy. To that end,The Callisto Protocolwants to deliver a similar but ultimately distinct experience fromDead Space. This should help fans prepare for a reintroduction to the regular thing come theDead Spaceremake’s launch.
The Callisto Protocolis definitely updating its horror and gore for the modern times, but it’s also taken a step back to reexamine its mechanics.Dead Spacewas inspired byResident Evil 4, although it doubled down on both limb damage and survival horror aspects.The Callisto Protocolaims to recapture the melee elements that many fans loved about the arcade-likeRE4, which could make it a point of comparison once both theDead Spaceremake and theResident Evil 4 Remakeare out. With the ability to telekinetically fling enemies into the same environmental hazards that affect the hero Jacob, as well as a more involved melee combat system,The Callisto Protocolaims to push theDead Spacelegacy forward.
In contrast, theDead Spaceremake is trying to perfect what’s already there. Once fans have done their time inThe Callisto Protocol’s Black Iron prison colony, they can get to work stomping through the halls of the USG Ishimura with Isaac Clarke. Made byStar Wars SquadronsdeveloperMotive Studio on the Frostbite engine, theDead Spaceremake will provide a similar experience to the original game, while updating it to make use of modern hardware. One major selling point of this remake is that it will take advantage of SSDs in modern consoles to eliminate all loading screens, aiming to make a single-shot game reminiscent of the 2018God of War.
That’s not the only part of the presentation that has been overhauled. Isaac himself will be voiced this time around, with the intent being to keep him quiet but let him talk during moments where silence would be strange. The iconic Necromorphs will also be updated with realistic gore and an overhauled dismemberment system. Even though the story and structure are intended to be the same, theDead Spaceremake is being rebuiltfrom the ground up with a modern soundscape, cutting edge visuals, and various accessibility features. It will be the most polished take possible on the horror classic, which should contrast well withThe Callisto Protocol’s innovation.
The Callisto Protocollaunches on December 2 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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