Since the end of The Callisto Protocol’s main game, things have gotten worse inside the prison. A virus wreaking havoc in prison threatens to break out of prison, and it’s up to you to recover Mahler’s data and send it out into the world. I can’t go for a walk in the park. You’ll have to fight your way through monster-infested corridors where new abominations await.
When it comes to battling biophages, players need reliable tools to survive. The stun baton is a great blunt weapon, but new threats require new equipment. According to lead system designer Paul Guirao, The Callisto Protocol development team listened to fan feedback and decided to add a new melee weapon to the game. “We wanted to give players something more powerful than a stun baton,” Girao explained.
The result is a completely new kinetic hammer. Its design and shape allow you to feel the power and weight with every swing. There are light and heavy melee attacks that are more powerful than the stun baton, but that’s not all. Girao explains: “Holding down the heavy melee button will unleash even more powerful attacks. However, the mechanics of heavy charges can be difficult to master… once mastered, you become the ultimate bad guy. It’s one of our favorite weapons because it obliterates everything it touches.” As a bonus, a successful charge attack also generates a powerful area of effect.
However, the thrill of wielding a kinetic hammer is only fully realized when facing worthy opponents. Final Transmission introduces new enemy types and bosses for players to face off against.
Blackiron Prison has always been a dangerous place, with crooked rotters and brutal, powerful two-headed beasts lurking around every corner, not to mention tough security forces. But now a new enemy is creeping through the halls. Biophage robots, or biobots as their developers affectionately call them. This terrifying foe is a combination of Biophage and his UJC security unit, and serves as a reminder that Black Iron is still dangerous.
“Security robots only appear a few times in the main game, and the final chapter thoroughly explores the idea of what happens when biophages start taking over the machine,” says Girao. .
Visualizing biobots as grotesque and terrifying biomechanical enemies was an iterative process. “We worked closely with the concept art team to create a look that fit the world of TCP. It’s too robotic and too organic,” Girao explains. The more robotic iteration felt too similar to existing security units and lacked the gruesomeness the team was looking for. On the other hand, the more organic version seemed too fragile, not enough to distinguish the powerful new foe from its biophage brethren. Eventually the team “found the sweet spot”.
Affectionate nicknames aside, biobots are not enemies to take lightly. According to one of his senior system designers, “The security robots were big, formidable enemies that they couldn’t actually beat, only precision headshots.”
Guirao added, “We’re not a tactical, cover-based game, so it made more sense for us to have Biobots as melee units. We have a direct-hitting fighting style. and I didn’t want to deviate from it.”
Guirao and the team at Striking Distance watched hundreds of hours of streamers playing The Callisto Protocol. “We got a lot of feedback that all NPCs felt the same way, and we had to address that.” Acquiring a new melee weapon gives you the chance to wield satisfying and well-deserved revenge against your biomechanical foes, giving you the chance to “finally get your chance.” to crush them. ”
Biobots aren’t the only new enemies you’ll encounter on your return to Black Iron. Without saying too much, the final boss of Final Transmission is something really special. “Our goal was to showcase the power of the Kinetic Hammer and let players strategize on how best to defeat bosses. We use the Arena to our advantage,” reveals Senior Systems Designer Quinlan Richards. And to keep things interesting, we gave the final boss abilities beyond what Jacob can do. ”
We can’t wait for you to return to the Black Iron Prison and face the new horrors that lurk in its halls. PS4 and PS5 players will get his 48-hour early access to The Callisto Protocol: Final Transmission starting June 26 at 9pm PST.
