The Callisto Protocol has been cancelled in Japan for being too gruesome but its makers are unapologetic.
You’re walking down a dark corridor of an abandoned spaceship, there’s a low growl humming in your ears. Out of nowhere, glass shatters to your left and a hideous monster is upon you – its hands clawing at your face.
Welcome to The Callisto Protocol, the latest title to attempt what many have tried to do since the early days of video gaming – scare and shock players.
New technology has allowed its creators to make one of the most gruesome gaming experiences ever seen, and they are unapologetic about it.
The game has been effectively banned in Japan because the team behind it were unwilling to alter its content in order to pass local rating regulations, which would have required scenes to be modified and toned down.
Speaking to the BBC, the game’s chief creative officer Chris Stone says it is « absolutely valid » to have visceral scenes on screen, « without a doubt ».
Whereas some horror experiences rely on a player’s imagination to do most of the work, Stone and his team have also opted to harness the graphical power of the latest consoles to show, in intricate detail, what happens to the game’s characters when they meet their untimely and bloody end. He argues that people who play horror games « inherently like the adrenaline ».
« It’s the same reason people skydive or bungee jump, » he continues. « On the morbid side, I think it’s the same reason people drive slowly past car accidents. They like to see things at a distance, it’s the taboo of it, that people want to be a part of. »
For Louise Blaine, horror expert and presenter of BBC Radio 3’s Sound of Gaming, « there’s a real delight in being shocked by gore » if it’s « justified » within the story that’s being told.
The Callisto Protocol is the latest in a long line of titles, like Resident Evil and Silent Hill, that have used fear and plenty of blood to entertain audiences.
« Gaming is now able to tell smarter and smarter stories, they can splatter us with as much blood and guts as they like to get the job done, » Blaine explains.
