Here's the thing... I followed The Callisto Protocol from its initial announcement at The Game Awards 2020.
Back then, many players were excited at the prospect of something fresh and innovative in the horror genre... something reminiscent of The Evil Within, ect. The reveal trailer looked stunning, with visuals so advanced they seemed beyond anything Pixar had produced.
But after that impressive debut, Striking Distance Studios and Krafton went completely dark... very dark.
Weeks turned into months, then years. Glen refused to communicate with the community or provide updates on The Callisto Protocol across any official social media channels. As a result, player interest began to fade.
Eventually, after mounting backlash, Glen released a PR statement and shared an updated video. But instead of showcasing something original, it was Dead Space 3.5... a polished re-skin rather than a bold & fresh idea. There was extremely little difference between DS & TCP, just familiar mechanics/scenery with a fresh coat of paint.
What made things worse was when Glen admitted that he had directed his team to dial back the photorealism and graphical fidelity. Of course, this decision didn't sit well with players who had been focused on cutting-edge visuals from its initial showing from TGA.
Even more frustrating was the game's monetization approach... deliberately withholding content and charging extra for minor in-game perks. It felt like a betrayal of the very vision that had drawn people in during that electrifying 2020 reveal.
So, sure, any devs will state comments like Glen when the obvious failure is deliberately overlooked.