Taking on board some Callisto Protocol tips will greatly increase your chances of survival, in the short term at least, because the game is brutally unforgiving and the learning curve is close to vertical. The standard difficulty level is incredibly tough when it comes to combat, and you could find yourself being repeatedly savaged while doing little actual surviving in this survival horror.
Nothing you do is going to make this experience easy, but you can at least apply certain changes and take particular approaches to mitigate the crushing difficulties you'll face. In addition to the combat you'll also need to master elements such as exploring side paths, discovering useful resources, managing your inventory, gaining upgrades, and a lot more. Follow these Callisto Protocol tips to help you stay alive, and you may live to see the final credits.
1. Consider dropping the difficulty
I know there's a whole thing about difficulty, getting gud and all that, but the default difficulty for Callisto Protocol is drainingly brutal. Movement speed, enemy mobs and the balance of damage you can do against what you receive means you'll die a lot. And not even in the 'hard' bits - just basic single enemies can insta-kill you, and two or more can be an absolute slog to defeat, requiring the right combination of luck and choices to get through a fight. There's not really anything to get better at here because of the way you're attacked off camera and overwhelmed, so there's nothing to prove by enduring 'normal' difficulty.
I finished my playthrough for The Callisto Protocol review on default difficulty and regret it. It's just not fun much of the time when, no matter how carefully you prepare, you're only ever a whack or two away from death. Once I'd completed the game I restarted it on the lower setting and it's much more fun. It's still challenging in places but it feels more varied, with some easier fights, some tough, and you still have to think about inventory and tactics, but it loses the grinding death loop that can otherwise kill the mood.
2. Hold to dodge and remember to alternate
If the dodging mechanic isn't clicking for you then stop trying to time it. There's no 'window' for dodging, you just have to hold left or right on the left stick to trigger it when an attack heads your way. That might mean you're continually walking around your opponents but that's just how the system works. The one thing to remember is to alternate - if you try to dodge the same direction twice it won't work so get used to switching so you alternate.
3. Use blocking sparingly as you'll still take damage
The dodge mechanic is a mixed blessing in Callisto. While it does reduce damage from a hit, it does mean you are still taking damage. With enemies that can hurt you fast, it's easy to die from a block if you're not careful. So try not to make it a habit. You can upgrade it to reduce the damage you take, eventually to zero, but it will take a long time and cash that you're probably better off spending on other upgrades.
4. Go for the legs and keep things at a distance as getting mobbed will kill you
By far the best way to stay alive in Callisto Protocol is to not let anything get close. If you have the ammo, shoot what you can to avoid anything getting near you. That's easier said than done, obviously when you can't always see the threats, and enemies move fast. The best tactic is to shoot out anything's legs - once they're on the floor they're reduced to a crawl and can be easily killed with a single melee hit.
5. Reload guns every chance you get as there's little time in a fight
Because combat is so tough you'll need to reload your weapons whenever you can. It can be tough in a fight to find the time so grab any chance you can. The skill shots that reward melee combos with a critical hit from your equipped gun can end a fight, but only if you have a round chambered.
6. Remember to stomp bodies for cash and ammo
Everything you kill here will drop something when you floor stomp them. So get into the habit of finding all the bodies and stamping on them once a fight's over. It's small payouts generally, but the ammo and health you find could keep you going longer, while the cash you might find instead all adds up over time.
7. Always check alternate pathways for resources and extra weapons
Every now and then you might find some branching paths to explore. It's not always clear but as a rule the way you're meant to be going is usually obviously highlighted. The key thing is that if there ever looks like there's more than one way to go, make sure you explore what's available before you move past a point where you can't go back. There's always valuable resources to be found and often this is where you can find optional Callisto Protocol weapons early.
8. Grab all the money stuff when you've cleared an area
There's a range of energy converters, CPU printers and all sorts of techy bits that you can find and sell for cash as you explore. Your limited inventory however can often see you making some tough calls between that and the ammo and health you need to stay alive. You'll find the Reforge printers where you can sell it all fairly regularly spaced out and they often appear after big fights. So it's worth having a double check once you're in the clear and seeing if it's worth dropping some supplies to pick up the cash goods instead. The more you can bring to a Reforge means the more you can level up your gear.
9. Use your GRP and make a mental note of any spike walls and fans
Your GRP is basically a gravity gun you can use to fling enemies and grab items. There are spiked walls, fans and machinery parts scattered all over the place you can hurl enemies into for an instant kill but you need to be fast in the early stages before you've levelled things up. Make a mental note of anything you pass as it's easy to forget they're there if you're jumped by surprise. And don't underestimate the usefulness of simply picking up enemies and throwing them so they're further away. Even if they don't die, just getting some distance between you and them can make a difference. As you upgrade the GRP though you can boost the throw speed so it does more damage.
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