Callisto Protocol is an action focused horror game by the ex dead space guys and you can feel its DNA immediately. With that being said, it does enough to differentiate from DS and is worth a play.

Where the focus was on dismemberment in DS, here it is on Melee mixed with close quarters weaponry.

The games main strengths lie in the graphical presentation, digital actors, brutality and sense of place. You are in a space prison called Black Iron and you are trying to escape after an outbreak wreaks havok. The setting is wonderfully captured and as you move throughout the prison, it feels incredibly immersive and well designed. Reminiscent of Escape from Butchers Bay, Black Iron Prison will linger with you after completing the game. The Gore in the game is extremely over the top, bordering on comical at times especially with some of the death animations but I appreciated it.

Combat starts you off with a basic pistol and a crowbar (soon upgraded to an electric baton) and you slowly add new weapons to your arsenal via schematics found throughout the levels. I found the shooting to be quite impactful and fun, each gun has its own feel and use. Environments are also littered with traps, spikes and explosives and you later earn a gravity gun to take advantage of them. The core gameplay cycle will boil down to weakening enemies with a shot, meleeing them to death and occasionally using the environment to conserve ammo and getting essentially a free kill. The three combat pillars are balanced nicely and work in harmony since ammo is not too plentiful, melee is not as viable with multiple enemies and your grav gun is limited in use by a battery until recharged.

The main issue and controversy with the combat is the dodge mechanic. Admittedly I didn't abuse it in the first half since I didn't fully understand it but once you learn the mechanic it is quite easy and in need of finer tuning to make the game more intense.

Upgrades are handled via currency you find throughout, I felt it was too stringent and some of the better alt fires you either won't unlock or only get at the last part of the game, it feels underused.

Story is standard sci fi fare but its pulled off convincingly and I was invested, partly because the acting is well done and the stunning locations keep you interested.

The sound design deserves a mention with superb use of eerie music, distant screeches and ambient sound. I mostly played with headphones and found it great.

At around 9 hours, its refreshing to play a linear, story driven horror game not unlike Resident Evil.

The limited amount of boss fights brings the game down a notch as well as a weak last third focusing on stealth. The gameplay loop does start to wear thin by the end too.

This is a good game to get on a sub service or under $30.

Overall 7.9.

Kena is as charming as it is beautiful.

This little game from Ember labs is the first release for the studio and they did a shockingly great job.

Some might consider Kena a relic of the past, no crafting materials, side quests from NPCs, just a fun journey through a semi linear environment progressing through a story.

Kena is one of the most beautiful games available, from the bright colours to the animated quality of the characters, to the animations themselves, everything is lush and cohesive. It proves you don't need a massive budget to make a beautiful game that rivals AAA productions you just need to work within your means.

The combat is fun and challenging but it is fairly basic. You earn additional moves and attacks as you earn experience through various ways. Eventually when you unlock all the moves the combat opens up and creates a nice flow.

The normal difficulty will provide a nice challenge while hard difficulty is fairly punishing. I played on hard for a single boss and it was very satisfying when I eventually beat him but I lowered the difficulty to medium so I didn't run into long periods of repeating a fight.

The boss fights in this game are the highlight and I was extremely impressed with the amount of them and the variety of the fights themselves. They aren't just about bashing the enemy to death but oftentimes require a gimmick or learning their patterns. By the end when you have your full moveset they really shine as you mix in your defensive abilities with your offensive moves.
The story is light and brisk but it keeps you involved in the narrative and makes you want to continue as the cinematics are a nice payoff that rival big budget animated films.

There are also some hidden secrets to find that are fun and rewarding but I didn't complete them all.

9.0