THE CALLISTO PROTOCOL - Nitro Ramble

Triple A Survival Horror is back! But does it live up to the standards set by its contemporaries? Here's some unscripted ramblings! The Callisto Protocol may nail many aspects of sci-fi survival horror, but there's much to improve here.
LINKS:
/ nitrorad
/ nitroradofficial
/ nitrorad
Indie Horror Links:
Faith - store.steampowered.com/app/11...
Signalis - store.steampowered.com/app/12...
CHAPTERS:
0:00 - INTRO - The Hype For Callisto!
2:55 - Visuals and Presentation
6:46 - Gameplay and Combat
16:11 - Stealth and World/Level Design
24:24 - Some More Pros and Cons
26:19 - Conclusion
30:03 - End Slate

[@NewMateo]

In my 30+ years of being on this earth I have never once heard someone pronounce Protocol as "Proticle"

[@snowlocke1]

I realise now that Canadians are on a different level EDIT: It seems I was wrong which is known to happen and I apologise to all Canadians for my assumption and attempt at taking the piss I know the errors of my ways and will not make assumptions nor will I insult Canada again should I face the wrath of the Canadians

[@itsgonnabeanaurfromme]

I thought I was hallucinating. immediately i thought, oh, he doesn't watch tv?

[@shadedway5277]

D Divisive Dih vis ihv???

[@Technonova323]

I had to repeat that to myself when I heard it. "Pro- prot- proticle?"

[@moister3727]

Canadians ☕

[@hauntedheathen2732]

Fun fact: every "out of bounds" area is an instant-death to enemies. Everything non-climbable. I survived many fights by just carrying an enemy and throwing them on top of a bench, gurney, shelf, debris, etc. and they just collapse dead.

[@NitroRad]

That's amazing, holy shit. Reminds me of when I discovered in Deus Ex Human Revolution, guards cannot discover bodies on any elevated surface they can't walk to. So I just pile all the knocked guys on a table in the middle of the room, clear as day, and the guards are like "Hmmmm, nothing here!"

[@jamestomato1744]

@@NitroRad I gotta use this tactic next time I play Deus Ex HR.

[@mickeymickey9914]

@@NitroRad i did not know about that. 😅

[@BigHailFan]

10/10 Game design

[@Sheeps856]

@@NitroRad Meanwhile I had the problem that I repeatedly failed the "non-lethal playthrough" achievement because sometimes you'd be dragging an unconscious body around and something weird would happen with clipping/movement and... they'd die.

[@BewbsOP]

I think the best way I've heard to describe this game is "aggressively mediocre." It's got lots of good and lots of bad but they all just cancel out and you end up with something that's so middle of the road that its forgettable.

[@nikolasperez7745]

Sadly. Im really hoping the story DLC gives us like an epilogue. The way it ended felt like it was there just so it could end like Dead Space. I am excited for the horde mode tho!

[@nepnep6894]

@@nikolasperez7745 I think the DLC has a chance of being better than the main game, as it is clear that some parts of the game are better than others. Most likely the reception will be used to focus on expanding on what worked well.

[@denimschaffer9439]

@@nepnep6894it might turn into a Evil Within scenario 1st one has potential but missed the mark but the 2nd one fixes all the issues and plays way better

[@matman000000]

Yeah, the mediocrity is even more apparent when compared to its predecessors. RE4 and Dead Space are still instantly recognizable 14 years later, but the enemies, weapons and environments of The Callisto Protocol just seem bland despite their detail.

[@vagamer522]

I will say I never felt so frustrated until I got to the end of the game and once that end scene happened I wondered wtf happened during the production of the game.

[@Hatsworthful]

Its funny how gyro controls are slowly making the "you kinda turn your whole upper body along the controller when you turn in a racing game even if that doesn't do anything" into not only a reality but an optimal way to play lmao

[@Mewchu14]

I genuinely think that's why it's becoming more common! it's instinctual, and making games that play into your base instincts on how they should play is just good game design. Like the gyro aiming here just plays into something you'd probably do slightly without even meaning to.

[@Hatsworthful]

@@Mewchu14 Even if it might not be the main reason behind it its DEFINETLY amongs them! I sadly haven't had much close experience with gyro controls since i'm mainly on a pc lately but when done correctly they all feel very natural, like an extension of the analog aiming that gets that extra fine precision that a lot of games benefit a lot from.

[@mickeymickey9914]

Welcome to the PS3 bro

[@PaladinGuy]

KZbinr Nerrel has a couple of videos on motion controls and brings up how gyro should be normalized, but tends to be misunderstood since people associate it with Wii style motion controls.

[@Hatsworthful]

@@PaladinGuy Which is kinda weird to me since gyro specifically has been pretty well implemented as an utility rather than a gimmick in recent years (and the wii is so old it makes me feel like the melting skeletons from the lost ark). I mean it has been a major cornerstone on splatoon's control scheme since the first one.

[@KnightSquire]

holy shit, you are so right about designing a prison around the glove... that would have been great and made so much sense, they could have even had environmental kills, like slamming doors or enemies.

[@TheValveBox]

I’m surprised I haven’t seen too many people mention the facehugger QTE’s. It’s unbelievably frustrating that there are so many QTEs where an enemy jumps out a locker or chest, and you physically cannot react or mash fast enough to not take damage. It felt super cheap and frustrating after the 30th time it happened.

[@NitroRad]

I should've mentioned that! Very stupid mechanic. I remember reloading a save about have a dozen times just to see if you can actually shoot it or dodge it, but you literally can't. Very dumb thing!

[@Blackgriffonphoenixg]

the fun thing is: In this game, you can deactivate the QTEs!!! They should allow that option everywhere!

[@bigstupidgrin]

QTEs in 2023 LOL

[@jqze]

Ultra rare holo foil Nitro Rad in this episode. Limited edition without the Rayman haircut.

[@rhynelinker7922]

Can't tell if NitroRad is super excited or decided to go skiing before this video lol.

[@Josuh]

man straight up looking like the pixel art poster in his room, i know it's from some other youtuber but I can't rember his name

[@5Account5]

@@Josuh It's the main character from StarTropics

[@davebob4973]

@@Josuh ITW STATTORPOCS DTAR TROCPF TSTSSS TATST EIST DFORMSTARPPCI!!!! !!!!! STARPROIPCS

[@Josuh]

@@5Account5 That makes way more sense, thanks

[@JDracovia129]

I really like the non scripted format to these. You are extremely good at being spontaneous with your humor while being informative and cohesive about it.

[@sb792079]

It feels very real, and I love it Just feels like a nerd friend unpretentiously spilling his thoughts He even left a burp in there

[@riddleiddle]

I didn't mind that you just spoke your mind without a script. It felt natural! :)

[@riddleiddle]

Like when you were swinging your arm to show how the combat felt, that was dope!

[@Stonesands]

Same here would love more videos like this while he works on more time demanding projects

[@keip4568]

I like Apples

[@coolbrotherf127]

True, he's so good at talking on camera that it was engaging and interesting the whole time.

[@nick0man]

Actor-ass actors, videogame-ass dialogue, Michael bay-ass production, Nitro Rad, I love your quality-ass content.

[@BigHailFan]

Content-ass content.

[@miilexthemii9353]

Ass-ass

[@RNGeeGee]

I also love his ass.

[@joshuagraham2843]

kojima hires actors too

[@livinglie5598]

@@joshuagraham2843 Kojima-ass games.

[@miniclip13sa]

I am surprised to see a AAA modern game discussed on here!

[@RubykonCubes3668]

Ikr, didn't foresee an AAA game review in the slightest, i was shook XDD

[@cringe__6040]

Level3 is that you

[@miniclip13sa]

@@cringe__6040 🤔

[@blackjacka.5097]

The game is called AAA and has a triple A price yet it's basically AA, I think the company has less employees than Fatshark which are not afraid to say they're second A.

[@johnnysaurus04]

When it comes to horror he's more likely to do so.

[@joshp9947]

Your point about the GRP Glove is so spot on. Part of what made Dead Space 1 so good was the puzzles were based around Isaac being a ship engineer, the puzzles were not only there as a challenge for the player but also to reinforce Isaac's character and backstory. It made the world so much more believable because you are doing things that make sense in that environment.

[@luqhakim5711]

late ass reply but i agree Isaac is an engineer, and his journey takes place in the heavily damaged planet sized ship, the USG Ishimura. Its natural for him to repair stuff along the way , and it is satisfying to see the results from the moment he fixes the tram system and slowly make his way round the ship.. like an engineer would. And ofc, with the tools of the trade. That was what made Dead Space 1 so memorable to me

[@Sikanda.]

The point Nitro Rad made on the wasted potential of the telekinesis glove as a storytelling tool is so true. Why having these super gloves If the entire prison doesn't make use of this technology for security doors, special locks, moving heavy machinery for instance. A missed opportunity for interesting puzzles.

[@landonhagan450]

25:52 You know what you could have remembered? The orange prison clothes from earlier in the game! Why wasn't that look the foundation of his character design? Dead Space's entire design ethos was built around Isaac being a defenseless engineer on a derelict ship, wearing construction armor and fighting back with power tools. Calisto feels like it started like that, with the stun baton and the context for the grab power, but then immediately threw that away in favor of generic space marine stuff. What if you just added armor to the orange jumpsuit or if your weapons were based of execution methods or something? Anything to better sell the prisoner scenario. Then again, their suit design was declining even as far back as Dead Space 2, so maybe we shouldn't have expected them to capture that lightening in a bottle. Also, to be fair to AAA games, Signalis and Faith are also recreating past experiences. They're just better at it because they have superior, more creative visions to make them feel fresh and new.

[@Tman2bard]

I'd say for Dead Space 2 and onwards the suits make sense due to location. In 2 they're still engineer suits, but goes from Basic, Advanced, and Vintage. The only outlier is the Security suits, which is a personal fave. For 3, it's all over the place since the suits are actually found in the places that make sense for em usually. Basic clothing, a standard EVA suit, winter military suit, etc etc. They all still look beautiful imo, and I can't say no to any of these suits

[@froglifes6829]

@@Tman2bard It doesnt make sense for dead space 2. From what i remember you were being tested on while on one of saturns moons. Everything goes crazy and you escape. Then you find an upgrade station and magically get your suit... Youre on a planet you never were before,you were a prisoner..Etc yet he magically manages to get an engineering suit from the upgrade station...I mean they couldve put some effort into getting the suit not just "heres the store. Buy one suit now" How did isaac even have the money? Why is he allowed to use the shop when he was a prisoner? Etc.

[@coltonwilkie241]

This game suffers a lot from "first game syndrome". Glen seems like a sweet guy, I'm sure he wanted to do a lot, but at the same time, his team is still new. Probably a lot of first time developers and such so he didn't want to overwork them. I hope that's the case at least. There's a very good foundation, just hopes this isn't where it ends. Hopefully it does well enough to get a sequel in a few years.

[@just4joebob]

I think photo-realistic faces work best with horror games. When they look good, they add to the nuance, but when they look bad or age poorly it adds to the Uncanny Valley effect haha.

[@kiraina25]

Like OG Siren?

[@ichigo11220]

To this day, it's still adorable when Nitrorad mispronounces a word I'm assuming he's only read before. Keep doing your thing dude!

[@isenokami7810]

Hey, we’ve all done it. I’m sure some of us have cases where, even after we hear the right pronunciation, we prefer our own, and I think there’s some charm to that. Personally, I’ve always pronounced Rayquaza “Rai-quah-za”. I know the rest of the world says it differently, but dammit, I just think my version sounds cooler. And that’s coming from a guy who used to champion Dialga over the sky snake before it went Mega and broke everything. For a more interesting example with an…unfortunate real word, I’ve always pronounced the first syllable of Omicron as “Omm”. It was only with the…variant that I heard a lot of people say it “ohm”. It’s led to a weird thing where I’ll pronounce it “ohm-icron” when referring to the variant, and go back to “omm” every other time.

[@mickeymickey9914]

I was thinking about it, and I (Ohio) say pro-toe-call, while he says prah-ti-coll. WE'RE BOTH WRONG. It should be pro-toe-coll. It should be all O's, no A's. Be the change your want to see in the world. EMBRACE PHONETICISM!!

[@blubercharge19]

@@mickeymickey9914 -all (All, Ball, Small) and -ol (Propanol, Alcohol, Protocol) are phonetically the same.

[@mickeymickey9914]

@@blubercharge19 Their common pronunciation is the same, which makes them non-phonetic.

[@Jordan3DS]

Reminds me of the "Ca-ma-lee-on" moment in How I Met Your Mother

[@SupremeMarioGamer]

Callisto Protocol had its developers crunch in order to make it. Not sure how much of the game's faults lie there, but it's a shame regardless that Glen Schofield resorted to it.

[@mint5438]

Wasn't there a tweet saying that he moreso _allowed_ crunch than instigating it? I could be remembering wrong but I swear people looked at it wrong or something.

[@cjgg4885]

​@@mint5438That's still shit, allowing it at all in an industry like game development is virtually no different then forcing it because crunch is seen as the standard working condition.

[@mint5438]

@@cjgg4885 Crunch is absolutely an unhealthy game development tactics, but I will say that there's a right an wrong way of doing. If you dont force your employees to do it and compensate them well, then I think it's alright. Then again, I don't work in game development so take that for what it's worth.

[@TAMAMO-VIRUS]

@@mint5438 At the same time, too much compensation for voluntary crunch is the same thing as mandatory crunch. You are incentivizing your employees to work in an unhealthy way to optimize their earnings. It requires a delicate balancing act, and it's probably easier to just not allow crunch at all.

[@-EJ-]

I don’t know why, but the way I’m hearing people talk about this game gives me the impression that in like 3-5 years from now there’s gonna be a 2-hour video essay on why it’s a hidden masterpiece that’ll get 4 million views.

[@jimmylittle9393]

Yeah that's...not gonna happen. It's bad....and once the Dead Space remake comes out TCP will only look even worse in comparison.

[@nikuzair]

@@jimmylittle9393 Nah it's gonna happen. I remember how a lot of people shat on sleeping dogs when it was released but now all of sudden, they calling it a underrated/hidden/overlooked gem

[@toceeno874]

@@timothyfinn3619 pelvisters

[@BigHailFan]

Yeah.....no.

[@cloudfoxdie]

Probably in like 3-5 years the game will be complete, because right now it's like an incomplete story and an incomplete game, and of course dlc and new modes will come next year with the season pass

[@elidasilva5558]

1:02..Man people think it's just 70 bucks but the exchange rate is what kills it.. people are already paying a 100 for a game, imagine in a few generations when this the price If it keeps creeping up like this

[@ddjsoyenby]

exactly, and i'd be fine if it was going to help dev teams or actually needed to fund the games, but in most cases it isn't and is just going towards already overpaid ceos.

[@KaoticReach1999]

Exchange rate? Huh? I just paid 70...

[@Gatorade69]

I hate paying more so I'm not saying this is a good thing. I'd rather be paying $50 but hear me out. This isn't new. Look back into the Toys R Us magazines from like 1994 to 1996. SNES games to N64 games were easily $60 to $80. Adjusted for inflation is close to 120-140$ in today's cash and they had a lot less meat on their bones than games today. Even Atari 2600 games cost $20 to $30 dollars at release, adjusted for inflation that is $100 to 135$ dollars today. Games have always been expensive. What really helped drive down prices was disc based media as it was much cheaper than carts, considering that they barely even print discs anymore a digital edition *should* be cheaper. But hey, we could be paying 130$ for our games.

[@8lacKhawKtheRIPPER]

It's interesting how expressive all of your explanations get when you don't have a script~ Wouldn't mind seeing this kinda review more often.

[@Smeali]

I was not expecting a video on The Callisto Protocol! A great surprise!

[@oddangelboy]

he did make a twitter post talking about something with the game but yeah I didn’t expect this either tbh

[@ddjsoyenby]

same, at least so soon.

[@TheKowalyshen]

Love this more laid-back, less scripted take on your videos! I'm always interested to hear your take on any game, so this is really cool imo! I also love the more scripted, polished videos you do, but if this is a way to supplement those with some takes on more modern games, I'd love to see it! Keep up the great work James!

[@jameslawrenson1208]

Good to listen in the background.

[@lostuser6410]

I’m expecting this to be one of those games that’s gonna cost like 20 bucks in a year or two because the demand isn’t very high for it

[@CyberLance26]

I would ony be able to wait that long if it was a game i was not even that super interested in.

[@LazyBuddyBan]

this is basically every 3-AAA game, you buy overpriced BETA if you don't wait for several months/years

[@shaneriggs6678]

I it not the best game ever but I still glad I got day one edition gotta show that there interest for survival horror games

[@Wanderlauch]

I hope you're covering Signalis!

[@morphogenetic_]

It was very refreshing and fun to see you act with your whole body (when you're explaining how the stealth mechanic with a knife works), really conveyed how passionate you are about those gameplay elements and how well you know your subject :D

[@coconutwater99]

Hope Signalis gets its own review! Great vid

[@malachitep4276]

I really liked your "Drawing Bullshit" segment. Raises a good thought on making easily identifiable character designs. Hell, I never even thought about Issac Clarke's design being all that recognizable, but I caught it before you said who it was, so it checks out!

[@clonetrooper576]

this off the cuff kinda rambling was pretty good tbh, it just shows you are a natural for this

[@vendicius154]

I really like how James is always gesticulating. Gives the review so much energy

[@UltimaKeyMaster]

No matter his opinion, whether something is positive or negative, he's just so lively and expressive.

[@kazuyap.1997]

I really like how it feels like he's talking to a friend. Like I can tune in and he's just rambling about a game he played just giving his views and opinions. You can tell he had fun but was disappointed with some of it. The vibes remind me of just chilling with an old friend and talking about stuff. Keep it up yo, much love with your opinions and video types.

[@GanymedeBoy]

For the rest of my life, I'm going to refer to Meryl Streep as an "actor-ass actor."

[@Asaylum117]

For those who don't know, this isn't the first time Nitro Rad reviewed a triple AAA game. He also did reviews for Silent Hill, Fatal Frame, The Evil Within & other triple AAA titles. So this isn't his first time doing it. It's just that he has spent more time reviewing games that other people haven't heard about & a lot of triple AAA titles take too long to finish, so it's for that reason he doesn't review them as much.

[@slaviclad9705]

Yeah but they are old games so its really rare to see him review a very recent horror game

[@DemonicRobots]

Also he doesn't normally review brand new AAA games.

[@mickeymickey9914]

They meant new releases

[@zestytriss5282]

I thought he review old and new horror games

[@smergthedargon8974]

Anyone who's saying they're shocked is being mostly facetious.

[@mastergame1311]

I love your expresiveness and this feeling of improvisation which stems from the notes being read. Such a great video this one is.

[@JMenitta]

I was hoping this was gonna be the saving grace for 2022 in games for me. It looked so incredibly cool and had Sam Witwer and Karen Fukuhara, it seemed like it'd be a potential game of the year. It's really less than the sum of its parts with how combat, resource management, and level design all come together. The presentation and art direction are top notch though, that's for sure.

[@blackbird7781]

Saving grace? Bruh wr have had nothing but good games this year for the most part

[@SirGrimLockSmithVIII]

@@blackbird7781 this dude never played Elden Ring or GoW

[@blackbird7781]

@@SirGrimLockSmithVIII or xenoblade 3 or sonic frontiers or-

[@reed1645]

@@SirGrimLockSmithVIII to be fair GoW only dropped in November so most of this year has in my opinion felt a bit light on big releases and several like gotham knights, dying light 2 and ghostwire got a pretty mixed reception.

[@12ealDealOfficial]

"Less than the sum of its parts" is the perfect way to sum up this game; it legitimately needed less "experience" and more "game."

[@rubyjohn]

8:20 When Nitro doing the hit I was very worried that he may ruin his background items lol

[@Lach90]

Well done on doing a new game and getting it done so quickly! Always love your take on things and I'm super excited to watch this vid.

[@Gameboi834]

Damn, this was a quick turn around! Looking forward to your thoughts. Great job, James!

[@CeHee123]

It sucks to hear about all the issues. I still want to check this out, but that won't be for a while. Lower price, and later patches.

Honestly this type of video is nice to watch! You're very good at keeping your thoughts cohesive while still being funny. If this is fairly easy to put out, I can see this being a good type of video to tide people over between your larger projects.

[@J_Pawsadas-PTSDEnjoyer]

really nice to see a review of this from you, and the unscripted format is pretty cozy. also glad to see a link to signalis! i've been hoping to see a review for it from you because it seems exactly like your bread and butter.

[@coolbrotherf127]

I feel like they really wanted to make a big fancy AAA horror game, but were too afraid to make it too complex or difficult so in the end the final product came out as the most generic version of a horror game possible. It looks to have been designed to be as accessible for as wide an audience as possible which sacrificed what makes games like this interesting for the fans of the genre. I'm sure there's a lot of pressure for these guys to meet publisher demands to get sales up for certain demographics, but I feel like targeting a hardcore niche of players really specifically creates a better game in the long run. When fan communities get really hype about games, that positivity sells a lot of copies because of other people seeing that hype.

[@TheRealOAFs]

These idiots have no idea that to attract an audience, you have to make a game the way you want it too be and then over time build upon what people loved and keep that core audience happy.

[@froglifes6829]

@@TheRealOAFs "These idiots" You ARE the idiot. The creator of this game created the original dead space. Like many people have said; He used all his unique and cool ideas on dead space.

[@eXtremeLink859]

This was actually a really great style of video. Just hearing your thoughts off the top of your head made for a really nice viewing experience. It'd be cool to get more videos like this from you!

[@triplehelix3207]

This game reminds me so much of the first Surge game, hope they can pull a massively improved sequel like Deck13 did

[@Zidane_Mina]

When in doubt about a horror game, Nitro Rad it's my first choice for consulation. Thanks, man.

[@anneprocter]

I'm glad somebody else appreciates gyro/stick combined aiming as much as I do. It absolutely makes games like botw and especially splatoon

[@ewigengeist]

Love this video man. You’re really fun in it!!

[@ERROR-hf3wx]

James is the anti-reviewer. He actually cares about games as something cool, rather than just doing the rant comedy. He’s honest, and tries to keep his opinions as far away from third parties as possible. I hope this channel will gain traction man.

[@isenokami7810]

I hope he gains MORE traction, but I thought he had plenty already. James has something really good going here, it’s been going good for a while now, and I hope it keeps going good for years to come.

[@toceeno874]

the jerma of gane reviwing

[@gabrielteddy2588]

He’s my go to for recommendations. He does his job so good that I can instantly know if I will enjoy or not, even the games he doesn’t like.

[@yellow_jacket3260]

I think this review really cements why I really like this channel, usually reviewers would just sum up with something not working as it not feeling right. Nitro actually explains why it doesn’t work and how it could improve too which is what I think what reviewers sorely lack nowadays Love the review

[@DaCaptainDerpy]

Love your videos James. They helped me through a very rough day today

[@GatorVOStudio]

Thank you so much for your raw and real moments in your reviews, even more so in this one! Awesome video

[@Starcitysteve]

You’re one of the best reviewers out there right now. Keep up the good work

[@leinadlink]

I have the feeling that you were spot on with the producer being more of an ambient and artistic direction guy than a game mechanic one. It is surprising how many games we are getting boasting for being made "by the creators of X", only to be disappointing lately, back 4 blood comes to mind. I think it's about time that videogames get recognized as a team effort, because that's what they are. Don't get me wrong, being a good producer/director is important, but everyone is like pieces of an engine, if one of them fails it will affect it's performance or make it fall apart. No one role is more important than the other, games are more than the sum of their parts. Im any case, I think I have learned a few things about this game. I am studying to be a game designer, and your videos are very useful to get feedback about game mechanics, you have a good eye for it and your proposals are very smart.

[@artisticpsychologist3679]

YES! PLEASE review Signalis!

[@xavior1352]

Watching the opening. You aren't staying 20 feet away from the monsters. So I see a thing that could be against it already.

[@lovelesswing458]

The way you said "protocol" gave me a giggle. Is that how Canadians say it? 😳🤭

[@timothypierce2478]

Was checking to see if anyone else noticed before I commented. Never heard it pronounced like that 😂

[@lovelesswing458]

@@timothypierce2478 I thought I was nuts because no one else was mentioning it 😂

[@lovelesswing458]

@game dev and chill ahahaha good to know! Too funny. We still love Nitro

[@splendidcyan]

YESSSS I'm so glad you mentioned Signalis, I played it recently and I desperately want your review on it, if you're willing to make one. I haven't been interested in Callisto Protocol but seeing the pretty environments just reminded me of the watery planet in Destiny 2 and made me want to go download that again haha

[@bZman]

I hope to see one of these kinds of videos or one of your more scripted ones on the Dead Space remake and how it differs from the original. Keep up the good work man, always excited to see you drop a new video!

[@thomashooper2451]

I like a change of pace from time to time. It might be nice to get informal videos like this between the more structured reviews. It breaks things up and lends your channel some more diverse flavor.

[@johnnysaurus04]

I'm impressed with how well you do with such a loose script!

[@TheDeliciousMystery]

its a pretty clear case of another Back 4 Blood. Have like 3% of the same team and advertise it as a spiritual sequel with nobody who made that a hit having experience on it and not knowing why. Even the touted director was one of two on the project and by most regards the one with the least input on the original dead spaces final retail build. Always look up games that sell based on another ips success, its almost always a boondoggle.

[@michaelbronder9147]

I really liked this video! I would love to have a few free-form vids like this between your bigger projects.

[@SaintTutter]

Your videos are so awesome dude. Thank you for doing what you do.

[@hussainqureshi9933]

Man, this is a treat! I didn't expect to see you review this game, let alone so quick after it's release. This is hype! Do you think you'll review the Dead Space remake? I understand if you probably won't since it's already well-established in horror, and you probably know what to expect from it. Still, I'd love to see you do a Dead Space remake video.

[@jimmylittle9393]

That's part of the problem... it's so short it's over the day you buy it.

[@grodcoyote6635]

@@jimmylittle9393 yeah we will probably expect a longer wait for a dead space remake review because Dead Space is actually much longer than Calisto and the Remake confirmed that they're going to expand chapters and make the whole ishimura explorable seamlessly and add new content for when you backtrack optionally so there's definitely be a longer play time.

[@aceroculturaanahuac8684]

The Callisto Protocol, Easly one of the best games I have played this year. Although many negative reviews are behind it to which, I don't understand why, I absolutely love it. This game gets compared a lot to dead space and from personal opinion I like it a lot more than dead space.

[@Vermilleno]

Hey NitroRad. I appreciate your videos and content, and I wanted to thank you for entertainment. I have watched all your videos since I came across them and thanks to them I've played many horror games that I consider now my favourites.

[@Vermilleno]

Oh also I hope you will play Darkwood one day, it's a neat survival horror game too.

[@vinylthedeadqueen]

Im VERY late to this video, but i wanted to say how much i loved this more off script style? Perfectly fits the vibe of "listening to your mate talking about a game he just played" and its super comfy, you do great stuff!

[@NotVibin]

I really liked this video it really put into words why this game is so disopoiting without sounding like an angry rant.

[@solidskullz5736]

I’ve heard this game getting dogged on a lot lately. Can’t wait to see your take on it

[@FeedbackKing]

You should make more like this where you get your thoughts out! It's nice getting more content from you like this that doesn't have you editing for months 😁😁

[@LJW1912]

Love the use of Hotel Dusk music in the background

[@psycake]

Really glad you stumbled upon Signalis, this game is a masterpice in my opinion. But I still hope you will make a video about it. This game NEEDs more attention and hardly anyone is talking about it which is a real shame.

[@Momentanius]

Really like this unscripted style, James. Great to see you naturally excited when talking about certain topics.

[@Drayton226]

Yay new video thank you so much and Nitro rad!

[@Fuge0910]

Just wanna say, with a man that have Hotel Dusk as a all-time favorite, I'm really enjoy your analysis for every game review, because you really break it down and explain them, no bias opinion get mix in. Keep doing the great work bud :D

[@FunvoltGunvolt]

I was hoping Nitro would take a look at this game, unfortunately I was hoping he wouldn't also say it's disappointing But I'd still consider picking it up on Boxing day

[@12ealDealOfficial]

It's disappointing in the sense that it looks and sounds like a 10/10 game, but the gameplay is aggressively average. There is nothing I've experienced that is bad about Callisto Protocol aside from the patronizing tutorials breaking up the action and the lack of gameplay overall, in my opinion. Knowing this, it's definitely good enough for a playthrough or two, if you know what to expect.

[@rofflesvanwagon]

I'm actually enjoying this game. Definitely has issues, but damn the Immersion is incredible when it's working.

[@sebc8253]

I hadn't even heard of this game but it looks cool! Also love this different style of video!

[@BewbsOP]

this came out fast. Didn't expect a new video so soon.

[@BugsyFoga]

It’s fascinating to know that we got not only a spiritual successor to dead space, but a remake as well.

[@gamerguy6990]

Where’s the spiritual successor at

[@jd7439]

You mean a Spiritual succesor of punch-out

[@ryans.1900]

Nitro Rad always has the best, most nuanced reviews: he's never jumping on the hate-bandwagon or praising everything to high heaven. He takes it all as is, giving props where its due and criticizing aspects which could've been implemented better.

[@DrRESHES]

Holy shit, man. I've checked at least 7-8 reviews looking for a bit more in depth review or a bit less obnoxious reviews, and I got it here. I've seen your reviews here and there but now I got to see that you're pretty level headed reviewer, with a more fair and nuanced mind. I guess I have no choice but to subscribe and see what's your big project that you're hinting.

[@skinnysnorlax1876]

One of the best reviewers working currently. Check more of his shit out my dude, it's all good

[@notadweeb1074]

Nitro rad is my “pandemic” go to. I’m happy that his channel is growing! Love your vids man! (Been here since Silent Hill videos)

[@dip.918]

Glad to see a review that isn't just "bad performance = bad game"

[@UltimaKeyMaster]

It helps that he was on the PS5 version. The Xbox Series/PS5 versions are the perfect spots to play it right now, as evidently the PC version was simply the wrong build given to Steam. Not sure about last gen, but I hear those aren't great.

[@AlvinFlang69420]

"And Faith" Wait...you played Faith? You played Faith and you didn't tell us? The betrayal...the disappointment...

[@ScorpionJC7]

I really dig the natural feel of this review. Even without the production, you still got your points across cleanly and to the point. Thanks for another review 👍

[@gabrielteddy2588]

Love this new format, especially if it means more content.

[@N3rv3d4m4g3]

Dude it's not "prot-ickle" it's "Pro-toh-cahl "

[@WH250398]

It's Leviooooosa, not leviosah.

[@xipetotek8366]

It's actually a good game lol. People just suck at playing games because everything is easy now

[@hgmd3284]

w-what?

[@skittlez8943]

man youve come a long way since your first vids :)

[@Psmgamer]

I probably pick up Callisto Protocol when it goes on sale later on this year. Great review.

[@DistantKingdom]

wow not the first time a Callisto Protocol review recommended Signalis. Im gonna have to check that one out!

[@nvxrei8058]

I cannot say how much I loved this game. Nowadays everything is so „open World” and complicated sometimes is nice to have linear but quality stuff. Like this game kept my attention until the end and I never got bored with it, that for me is a great sign.

[@HeavensRipper-he4sz]

your gesticulations are fucking amazing i love you

[@Patty-Q]

Always interesting to see more unscripted stuff. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt and say they're starting with what they know and will develop the gameplay side as they go along, based on your thoughts. I'll have to pick this up at some points to get a better feel of it.

[@earlandmeyers7455]

I really loved this new video! In the future, I wouldn’t mind seeing more unscripted stuff, if it allows you to put out smaller videos while you work on the big scripted ones!

[@indysbees692]

Love that you're using Bomberman Hero music!!! hearing it always makes me smile

[@iamjustkiwi]

This was a great video, you do off the cuff content really well. I also appreciate your nuanced takes where you seem to be able to find good and bad in all games when it is so easy to be uncritically cynical or overwhelmingly positive.

[@Jaden-hy5bd]

I know you love your horror games as much as you love your platformers, your halloween specials being testament to that. I found a game in the same vein as the original Resident Evil and early Silent Hill games in tone called Signalis that you may enjoy. It's sitting at overwhelmingly positive on the Steam store and having been playing it myself, may be worth looking into.

[@giacintocognome8506]

Love all of your videos, you always manage to make me understand whether I could like a game or not, as if you knew my expectations and my doubts about a certain game before buying it. I'd say you should apply for a job as a reviewer, but I truly love the fresh and immediate way you address your watchers that makes you special. I also heard the game somehow fails to build up and recreate a menacing atmosphere, relying too much on scare jumps and gore (the study on gore was particularly advertised on this one, and I honestly think the title is laking from anything that hasn't already been seen somewhere else, at least from what I could see).