Striking Distance Studios' has deployed a PC patch to address the stuttering issues in The Callisto Protocol.
The Callisto Protocol was released yesterday to mixed reviews, but the harshest criticism came from PC players who complained that persistent stuttering was making it difficult to get through the sci-fi horror at all.
Later that same day, the studio acknowledged that "some users are experiencing stuttering issues on the PC" and promised that a "patch that will be available in a few hours to improve performance". Well, now the patch is here and ready for you to download.
"Thanks for your patience," Striking Distance tweeted over the weekend. "A PC patch is now available to improve gameplay stuttering issues due to shader compilation.
"After updating, you may see temporary stuttering in the game menu the first time you launch the app. We are working on further optimizations in the days ahead."
Thanks for your patience. A PC patch is now available to improve gameplay stuttering issues due to shader compilation. After updating, you may see temporary stuttering in the game menu the first time you launch the app. We are working on further optimizations in the days ahead.December 3, 2022
It's possible that the patch is already improving the experience for some, as while The Callisto Protocol sent players flocking to Steam to leave unsatisfactory user reviews yesterday - lowering the aggregate user review score to "mostly negative" - since yesterday it's bounced up and now sits on a "mixed" score instead.
"There's a great sci-fi game here but one marred by its combat system," Leon said in 12DOVE's The Callisto Protocol review, which he says is "a fantastic looking game that builds a great sci-fi world only to trash it with an unenjoyable combat challenge".
"I'd honestly recommend playing The Callisto Protocol on 'easy'. Once I'd finished the game on default difficulty I restarted it on the lower setting and it's so much more enjoyable." he wrote.
"There's still some challenge, but it's a much more manageable, and far less crushing journey. There's obviously a whole discourse here to be had on difficulty but I've reviewed the game as presented by the developers, aware that many will resist changing the challenge for one reason or another.
"There's a great sci-fi game here but one marred by its combat system," he adds. "Which seems such a shame given the world Striking Distance has built, and the quality of The Callisto Protocol overall. It's a hard thing to love as a result, but even after all the frustration I'd still like to see a sequel in the future."
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