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The OuterhavenThe Outerhaven

Free Hardcore Mode Now Available for The Callisto Protocol

By Keith MitchellFebruary 7, 2023
the-callisto-protocol-header

If you’re one of the few, who thought Striking Distances’ sci-fi Horror Surivial game, The Callisto Protocol, was perhaps too easy, you’ll be thrilled to know that a Hardcore Mode is both free and currently available for everyone.

Here’s everything you can expect with the new Hardcore Mode:

  • Ammo, health and credits are harder to come by and not every Biophage will drop loot.
  • Increased enemy damage
  • Decreased Stun Baton damage
  • Increased enemy mutation speed
  • Contraband value is reduced
  • Hardcore Mode New Game+ (requires completion of standard Hardcore Mode playthrough)
  • New Achievements / Trophies to hunt

In addition, this update also has introduced some performance changes for the PC version and has fixed the bugged “The Protocol is About Life” achievement.

Global

  • Players that were not correctly granted the “The Protocol is About Life” achievement upon completing the game will be automatically granted the achievement
  • Localization fixes for leveling and VO/subtitle mismatches
  • Optimized enemy combat AI when player is surrounded by multiple enemies
  • The Outer Way Skin Collection is available for season pass owners.

Steam Deck

  • Updated font rendering and UI elements for readability
  • Created a rendering functionality profile specifically for Steam Deck with the best settings for smooth gameplay
  • Updated control schemes for SteamDeck controls

PC Specific

  • Ray Tracing performance improvements

Now that I’m finished with Dead Space Remake, perhaps it’s time to dive into this gem. I had heard off due to the performance issues, but it seems those have been fixed. I love a good horror survival game, and seeing how the co-created of Dead Space is behind this game, it should be a worthwhile experience.

The Callisto Protocol is available for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.

hardcore mode sci-fi Survival horror The Callisto Protocol
Keith Mitchell - Headshot-PS_Gear_400x400
Keith Mitchell
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Keith D. Mitchell is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Outerhaven, where he has been covering video games and technology for more than 14 years. A lifelong PC gamer, he began building PCs at just eight years old and still loves talking about hardware as much as playing games. His passion for challenging experiences has made him a devoted Soulslike fan, having beaten nearly every FromSoftware release. Keith regularly attends major gaming and technology events to bring firsthand coverage to readers, and continues to enjoy writing about the games and gear that shaped his love for the industry.

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