The Callisto Conspiracy: BETTER with PUBG?

[@revenger210]

before the video: oh huh yeah callisto was indeed tied to pubg before lol, what was that about? after the video: im a callisto pubg truther now

[@SerHalfrican]

Especially with the scientific research done on Erengal and the weird futuristic prison cells in the basement of the Lodge on Deston.

[@ctdaniels7049]

Speaking of this, I'd love to learn what kind of shenanigans led to people from Dead Island switching publishers and making Dying Light, and if any of them switched back later for Dead Island 2.

[@Poormrworry]

gonna be honest. If I had played through Callisto and the reveal at the end was that I just went through a battle royal to prove I was the strongest person I would have been shocked. Can you imagine playing through a 10 hour serious sci-fi horror game only to defeat the final boss and see him offer you a ride on the fortnight bus? it would insane!

[@cytokindness]

Honestly, I think the whole theme of "you're a survivor" and "you did what you need to to survive" are probably leftovers from it being a more explicit battle royale scenario. It seems bizarre to have themes of guilt etc for fighting zombies, but if there were more of an explicit battle royale where "kill semi-sympathetic prisoners" was mixed in at points would make some things make a lot more sense.

[@AlternateKek]

Riddick was the blueprint for a good prison horror game, it had everythinf Calypso didnt including a branching inmate story.

[@LazyBuddyBan]

explains the moment why you were scolded for seemingly innocent self-defense that you did through entire game - because when the dialogue was made at that point in development, there were still alive humans in the game outside of cutscenes, those prisoner gangs that no longer exist in the game outside of single text mention. oh glen schofield, why did you had to ruin it all.

[@pintolerance785]

Gives you that feeling when you're playing the Metro games and you kill giant evil mutants and actual Nazis/cannibalistic bandits but save everyone who you get the choice to and also knockout surrendering enemy's. And then at the end of the game you still get the bad ending, like at the end of Last Light, "Oh boohoo you killed mutants, and literal enemy combatants during a war?" Welp thanks for helping me save my family Artyom but peace out jabroney have fun blowing the fuck up.

[@Mas3d_p0ta3rs]

​@@pintolerance785 You forgot how you NEED to play some instruments to get said good ending

[@camarosquid]

Watching this just makes me wish that Striking Distance Studios doubled down on the whole PUBG connection to The Callisto Protocol instead of getting rid of it entirely. That original supposed connection actually answers so much of Callisto's questions. This video analysis is incredible.

[@guntahnotarealname8817]

...Huh. Now it feels like they should have just stuck with their guns. The MC's character arc feels so much more completel when you find out he was a human trafficker, and now he's being put though the horrible game that everyone he transported was as well.

[@calamaria9221]

Damn, I can't believe we're in a timeline where Callisto Protocol would have been better if it stayed connected to PUBG. The lore you talked about sounded genuinely interesting and I'll certainly check out the webcomics.

[@Poormrworry]

I think we underestimate the power of a truly well done twist. There is a difference between being told a game will tie into another franchise somehow and seeing how the core conflict of the story derives from another game based on completely different mechanics! A moment I compare it to is when dante shows up in SMT3 it totally makes sense for him to be there it’s literally his job to save the world from demons and stuff but the fact that the explanation for him being there is “well the world is in danger from demons so a demon hunter arrives!” Is great!

[@fenrirsrage4609]

I like how this and MandalorwGaming's video showed that The Callisto Protocol's barebones story NEEDED this conmection to give it more substance lmao

[@ARStudios2000]

As someone who watched Mandalores video, I agree.

[@TheSphereHunter]

This video had me on the edge of my seat 😂

[@CHANNELREQUIRESDLC]

Glad you enjoyed it! We're fans of YOUR work, so thanks for watching! Means a lot 😁 - P

[@peacemaster8117]

I found this video because someone recommended it in Mandalore's comment section, and I'm glad they did. It's really interesting to see just how much of the PUBG DNA was still left in Callisto Protocol by the time of release. The fact that the phrase "Vir Solitarius" is still in there is pretty crazy... they could've just edited it out...

[@Huvpalto]

This reminded me how blown away i was when it turned out that warframe is set in the same universe as that one shooter game I forgot the name of that I played in 2009 and which had a big shuriken as a USP. I was like "wow! they are connected? why?". Then i found out and thought "wait why again?" Apparantley that game ended with the player character (who is a spec ops fighintg soviets in the cold war or something) unleashing a virus in 1980s and like, BILLIONS OF YEARS in the future a bunch of unrelated stuff happens between waring space factions and the virus is still there I guess. (I do know the deeper warframe lore enough to *think* the mega advanced race that disappeared were actually evolved humans who fought the virus and the warframes are like suits controlled by autistic children in comas... but not deep enough). This connection between PUBG and Calisto sounds like it at least could have been cool.

[@CHANNELREQUIRESDLC]

Are you talking about Dark Sector? Wow, that actually blows my mind. I haven't thought about that game in literally more than a decade! - N

[@sitchreapotere1073]

@@CHANNELREQUIRESDLC Warframe lorenerd here - while Warframe was said (once) by the developers to not *technically* be in the same universe as Dark Sector... it takes place in the same universe. The same people, at the same studio, in the same building, with the same tools and engine, made Dark Sector and Warframe. Warframe lore details and timeline slot perfectly into Dark Sector's world. Dark Sector skins and items not only appear in Warframe, but can be wielded and have the exact same mechanics (including the control-the-thrown-item mechanic). Player characters, the "Tenno," are collectively called the same name as the protagonist from Dark Sector, Hayden Tenno. Moreso than anything, however, the one (two) piece which confirms Dark Sector and Warframe's connection, is the original 2004 reveal trailer for Dark Sector. It's... it's just Warframe. It's a sci-fi space-ninja action game with biomechanical suits, gun-kata, parkour, and a *heavy* emotional story about transhumanism - which is exactly what Warframe is in 2023. Literally, please, go back and watch the original two reveal trailers for Dark Sector from 2004/2005. The characters from Warframe, Excalibur, Trinity, Rhino, Jackal - they're all there. And I don't mean homages, but the literal *characters and character models* are exactly the same. It's an incredible story how Dark Sector became Warframe, and is a beautiful rabbit hole to lose yourself down.

[@LazyBuddyBan]

well i would worry about warframe too much, its all a bloated half-baked mess that gets retconned pretty frequently. this also applies to their game design (more like the lack of lol)

[@Zynet_Eseled]

Well, to give some clarification on the warframe stuff, theres a looooot that needs to be gone through. Virus: That seems strange. We can say with confidence that the orokin (the advanced race) were pretty much abandoned and all died out hard. They initially created the sentients, bio-artificial machines meant to help pre colonize the tau system. Sentients gained...well, sentience, and, like in all media essentially, turned on their creators, not wanting to be simple mindless working drones. The "virus", could perhaps be the Infestation? A technocyte plague that fuses mass and metal, in a neverending desire to spread. Think the flood, but it's got a heavy focus on the mechanical side. The orokin used this plague to create new forms of power that, in their hubris and fallacy of absolute domination and rule, would later come to be their undoing. The autistic children: The tenno. Or as they are lesser known as, the Children of the Zariman Ten-Zero. Survivors of an attempt at crossing through a different reality form, gone unimaginably awry. Twisted by the void, becoming psychokinetic warriors, the sole reason the future frames of sword steel flesh could be tamed and controlled. The Zariman Ten-Zero: A space faring vessel carrying a colony of lesser members of the orokin empire. A culture that differed quite heavily from that of orokin gilded gold and gleam. The zariman's architecture was, on the outside, very industrial, brutalist, and function over form. Yet, on the inside, something magical. Creations that spoke of forestry, fawna, and the voice of nature.

[@Huvpalto]

@@sitchreapotere1073 Wow thank you for that info it really is very interesting how the game evolved and then changed and then they basically finally made the game they wanted. I got kinda excited and might even try to reinstall warframe if I remember the password. Warframe fro me was always a game id play mindlessly with friends and then spend hours reading wiki and watching videos on the lore and you lit that spark a little :)

[@s7robin105]

Something else to keep in mind is the director only worked on Dead Space 1, and his clout was mostly used for marketing. But this video does explain the story. I think the only way the game would have worked is if someone already knew the lore or they had some sort of introduction to all that stuff about PUBG. Otherwise it would have been the same issue.

[@CHANNELREQUIRESDLC]

I agree. I think the real failing is on Krafton for not capitalizing on the lore that is already there in an actual video game. Whether it be PUBG, Callisto or some other game, they should have done a better job making the stuff they crafted more known - Logan

[@Poormrworry]

The focus on brawling makes a lot more sense if you are supposed to be fighting humans in a single player battle royal and the monsters were a secondary threat

[@wompp__wompp]

definitely makes the story of callisto so much more interesting knowing its just a crazy ass battle royale

[@TuShan18]

Mandaloregaming came to a similar conclusion that the pubg connection might not have saved it, but everything would add up. I even said in that video that a battle royale would be a horrifying reality, and I like the idea of playing with that concept for a survival horror dystopian setting. The virus not going anywhere because the test environments are too controlled, so making the test environment wild to force evolution is an interesting concept as well. Perfect for a battle royale. The pieces are here for something interesting, but might not be expanded upon. All this, while dead space came back from the grave to reclaim its status.

[@MAJR172]

I gotta say, as someone with no interest in PUBG, I would have MUCH perfered this story to what we ended up with.

[@TATERplaysGAMES]

This would've also put even more weight into that guy I can't remember the name of who helps you escape initially. In the game it's like, well yeah, why wouldn't as many people work together to survive the zombie threat, prisoner or guard or no? But in a battle royal setting, the two of you cooperating is against the rules explicitly, so it would lend even more weight to the connection the characters have formed in regards to mutual survival.

[@tannerhill9648]

This was incredible as well as being undeniable proof that Callisto was a mess. Ironically the reason Callisto Protocol failed was because of the thing that excited people about it; Glen Schofield. #releasethePUBGcut

[@Nogardtist]

how come this video got so less attention if it wasnt for mandaloregaming i would never found it cause i doubt algorithm does anything this is the age of hidden gems on youtube for sure where small channels with high effort dont get rewarded

[@neckripperoni]

At least they corrected the latin name... Vir soliDariOus means nothing, Vir soliTarius means "Lone Hero" (Vir as in exceptional individual or hero)

[@jesustyronechrist2330]

Callisto Protocol just oozes lack of confidence and this really proves that it is true: They really lacked confidence to pull the PUBG connection fully, to make their own game that's not just riding the high of Dead Space nostalgia.

[@jamedkan]

Something to note: most webtoons (unless they're really bad) usually have a 9+ rating on the site. Ratings aren't a good indicator of the quality of the manhwa, people just rate most of the highly cause its considered bad manners to give them a lower score.

[@aslightlystablefootsoldier9838]

In an alternate universe Fortnite takes place in the same realm as Unreal Tournament

[@Greaseball01]

RELEASE THE PUBG CUT

[@hachijospaniard5643]

Resolve the hacker problem in PUBG, then we can talk about adding lore in that game...

[@Fi_Sci_]

I would’ve liked Callisto a lot more if it had a Hardcore difficulty that awarded you a frying pan that one shots enemies.

[@MontyZander]

“It was whelming.” Aaaaand LIKE

[@HeathenSWolf]

Jesus, I never knew about anything from PUBG universe. I always thought that it's a stupid battle royale with nothing behind it that became popular by chance and there was no lore developement whatsoever. If I'd known I wouldn't have been so suspicious about the Callisto connection to it. All this suddenly explains my main gripe with the story - Jacob is being taken in not by some stupid decision, but because he already survived a near death experience, so he may have what it takes to become that lone survivor that the whole project revolves around. Hell it even explains that Dani was taken with exact same reasoning and not because she is a criminal. Callisto made real poor explaining of these things.

[@daltonrussell3357]

I wonder if, assuming your theory about the first half or so of the game has you fighting other humans if that might of been Glen's main issue. Yes, people made fun of the PUBG connections, but I could honestly see the guy known for creat space sci-fi monster games, take issue with the fact a nonnegligible percentage of this game was spent fighting jo schmo humans. Especially since if I recall one of the things DS3 was raked for was the inclusion of human-centric combat.

[@ehk5948]

This was a neat video I'm glad Mandalore linked it you found even more than he did! Really interesting.

[@damianwozniak3946]

Did you just comvience me that PUBG has rather interesting lore and that it might have been a better choice to go full in with the connection? Edit: Damn I thought this was a video with a million views or so and it just got recommended to me, but it's only like 5k. You certainly deserve alot more, so I hope this goes viral.

[@CHANNELREQUIRESDLC]

Kind of you to say! Glad you liked it. - N

[@toxicbird6239]

"God I love a good flamethrower" Pyro if he could talk without being muffled.

[@ledzeppelinfan1001]

As someone who thinks this game is a pretty solid 7/10 and hopes a sequel would make it a solid 9/10, this is a super interesting watch lol

[@CHANNELREQUIRESDLC]

Another bit of food for thought which I didn't elaborate on in the video: At 24:15 I point out Dani having an emotional moment with a faceless corpse. Look closer at the corpse - it's half her size. CHILD sized. ...Despite being a security guard. Additionally, saying "I tried to protect you, you didn't deserve this" doesn't make sense to be saying to a corpse that has decayed for 75 years, even if you're seeing the other's memories. It makes more sense if she has this moment with her sister, the girl's body from the start of the game with the puzzle box. She's the one she tried and presumably 'failed' to protect. I have a dozen other little things but I'll hold off to see what else people point out 😉

[@KnightOfNewColu]

I will as a counterpoint argue in context, it makes a little sense as she was just there like in their heads I guess. Maybe she was in the head of someone trying to protect that dead guy. So them dying and having their deaths covered up was very visceral and she got to experience it personally. Still this development sounds like a mess. Great video!!!

[@torrentarrow9097]

Honestly from the small bits of what we see I think they were gonna do a decent job connecting pubg and this game together and should have stuck with it would have been interesting, far more interesting than what they gave us.

[@DemonSnacks]

Super interesting watch. It's cool seeing people put in some good research without taking the perspective of "worst game of all time" or "masterpiece by the Dead Space guys".

[@Sev3617]

Well after watching this I have to agree with you. I actually think severing the PUBG connection probably hurt the narrative because with how the narrative is there so little to actually go off of in terms of lore or explanation for whatever is actually going on. The stuff with the golden masks people is pretty cool and how they’re trying to extend human life. The Callisto Protocol was probably meant to be the futuristic version of PUBG, this makes a lot of sense with how you laid it all out.

[@JaniacTheHedgehog]

You know what, I think this game can still be in the PUBG universe. It has all the same factions, same goals, an actual connecting premise, it can work. Think of it like Subnautica and Natural Selection and how they are part of the same universe. They never make direct ties, but it's the subtle connections, such as the factions and points of interest of both games. While it's not stated, it's there. Callisto can be in the same universe as PUBG if you want, but it can also be it's own game. It's honestly kinda fantastic how this happened.

[@raspymorten]

Got here off the Mandy quote tweet. Great stuff, definitely subbing.

[@CHANNELREQUIRESDLC]

Thank you!

[@conkersuprfan]

how does this have less than 500 views? this was a really cool video, had no idea there was supposed to be more lore in TCP, much less that PUBG had lore

[@wilm2109]

It would have helped, but I don't think it would have made much of a difference to the game's overall lackluster reception. The technical issues/poor optimization and polarizing combat design choices put off most people. Callisto Protocol is certainly a worse game without the PUBG tie-ins since it doesn't have anything substantial lore-wise (a common complaint from those who played it) to replace it and know we know why. I guess I don't blame Glenn for thinking the PUBG stuff was tacky, but they built so much of it into Callisto Protocol from the ground up, it's absence actively hurts the game. I do admit the original PUBG vision of Callisto Protocol is surprisingly deep and offers a fascinating hook that would have truly separated it from Dead Space's legacy.

[@readytopay6969]

Many forget that helix station audio logs exist with extend the lore ALOT

[@arcakahraman4040]

So much work has gone into this video and it is really well researched. I could've never thought that PUBG has such a deep lore and could provide a meaningful connection with The Callisto Protocol. It is just sad that you probably gave up KZbin as the last video was from four months ago. Wish you all the best.

[@CHANNELREQUIRESDLC]

Definitely didn't give it up - the next video's already deep into the editing process! Thanks for the well wishes and the concern for the output. Stay tuned...

[@wheremedad]

Incredibly interesting video man! Crazy to think that the PUBG connection that we were all hesitant about actually gives the game much more purpose and story cohesion. Goes to show that studios shouldn't always listen to the fanbase. I agree that these story changes wouldn't have saved how boring the overall game is but I'm sure I would've been much more excited to beat it if the original story was allowed to thrive.

[@jasonscarborough94]

6:09 Not a bad line read, a bit monotone on Scofield's part, but, at least they kept the gun pointed at his head out of frame

[@TheOnlyAdamal123]

I’ve played PUBG and wasn’t even aware of the lore behind the game until this video. I haven’t even played Callisto but I was aware of the supposed PUBG connection before they did away with it. I think the game might have been better if it double downed on the connection and put thought behind it haha. Especially if they kept it like the end of your video with the game essentially being a battle royal on a prison colony only for the virus to be introduced halfway through the event. Depending on how they advertised the game early on, they could’ve gone the route of Halo 1, introducing the body horror by surprise.

[@TurokRevolution]

To be fair, with all of these connections still in the game, the DLC could confirm everything you said and the story would be better for it. Who would have thought that PUBG has such an interesting universe.

[@CHANNELREQUIRESDLC]

I like where your head's at, but there's no chance Glen walks it back and un-retcons the connections... Would be interesting though! - N

[@Fuzhou]

I'm 35 minutes in and I'm actually wanting to replay this game to catch all these little things.

[@lsd-rickb-1728]

Dang this was a really good video to watch. I agree that TCP should've followed the PUBG universe because yeah the story probably would've been better instead of crunching his employees to change the game half way through it

[@yoplait3256]

Damn they should've kept it a pubg related game. I bet the dialog about the protagonist feeling guilty was related to some prisoner combat that would've been similar to pubg by having to kill notorious squads in the prison like a match of battlegrounds. Kind of a shame that the pubg stuff got cut because that sounds actually kind of cool.

[@calamaria9221]

I honestly didn't know Callisto Protocol was supposed to be connected to PUBG, but I guess that explains the weak story that feels like it was either put in last or rewritten last minute. Also I wonder if the change was influenced by news of the Dead Space Remaster being worked on making its way to Glen's ear. I can't help but assume Callisto Protocol was rushed out so it would release before the Dead Space Remaster.

[@CHANNELREQUIRESDLC]

Ooo I love that idea! - N

[@BanishedSilentShadow3318]

If you ask me it probably was because DS is a beloved game so when the remake was announced there was hype because it's the first since forever we got a dead space content. So obviously the Callisto Protocol didn't get a delay because of Dead Space Remake. To back this up, before the week of dead space launch the callisto protocol shadow drop NG+ even though NG+ was supposed to release a month after, but since dead space was coming out and NG+ was there on launch. It would've fan the flame on the callisto protocol in negative because we were gonna wait a whole month for NG+ to come to the Callisto protocol.

[@Darkcur]

Also this would explain why the gunplay isn't that useful against the infected since it would've probably been used on the human enemies

[@traumachild1737]

Ironically, it would've been better to keep the connection to PUBG, and it would have probably caused me to actually play PUBG.

[@Kane.JimLahey.]

This video... It has made the callisto protocol whole... It has made me whole... Thank you for you investigations. I always loved this game but it always felt like something significant was missing that u just couldn't put my finger on. Now I know. What has been seen can never be unseen.

[@j-dog853]

Love the different ways he introduces Sam witwer so subtly

[@starshottai2519]

I hated the game at first but now im warmed up to it thanks to you, you literally added the extra 30 or 40 mins of lore that i wanted

[@CHANNELREQUIRESDLC]

Very glad to be able to give others the same bit of relief I found

[@Mooseshovel]

Small correction: Jacob knew about that they were transporting something dubious since they found the secret compartment, but he just went 'i just wanna get paid so thats none of my business' which is why he says he belong in Black Iron at the end

[@PhantomHalf]

Having a consistent story that knows what it wants to say would’ve been 100x better than the disjointed shit show they sold us. This is what happens when you don’t stick with your plans and change them due to feedback from people who quite literally knew nothing about it.

[@bridgeadams4696]

To be fair, with few people privy to the extended lore of pubg, I bet the story still would have been dragged. Still a shame, this was all so interesting. Great job on this, man. You got me interested in two IP's that I care nothing about. I hope they develop this further somehow. I really think a single player battle royale story would lend itself to cool set pieces and interesting character development.

[@baddragonite]

Honestly they should have leaned into the connections Even if it didn't pay off now it left enough open potential for a future pay off down the line

[@jordangarcia465]

glad to see I'm not the only one that suspected basically everything the video talked about

[@jimmyha1898]

This makes the Callisto Protocol infinitely better as a game. My God why did they scrap it. They had such good lore. PUBG also need a story mode for real.

[@Sci-Fi_Freak_YT]

I never knew PUBG had lore so this intrigues me. Edit: Watched the vid fully and holy crap what were these guys thinking breaking ties with PUBG lore.

[@SerHalfrican]

The symbol on the flags in the secret room at @21:48 are on the crafting crates in PUBG.

[@CHANNELREQUIRESDLC]

Yup! That's the Kallipolis Symbol!

[@DedValve]

The re4 music, your voice, it was a very entertaining to listen while drawing I had to like and subscribe I love the content and style.

[@CHANNELREQUIRESDLC]

Loved to read this, thanks for the comment!

[@landonhagan450]

Honestly, with this info, it almost seems like the PUBG connection was never actually removed in the first place. Most of the gaps in confirmation stem more from the game itself being unfinished. How could the Calisto Protocol story, as it has been presented thus far, *_possibly_* continue and *_not_* be part of PUBG? They'd basically have to just pretend that they're different, even though they share identical lore at a fundamental level.

[@Skyfighter070]

To be honest, the reiterating in those tweets sounds like a standard press release and he was just trying to clearly get the point across.

[@kylejarnagin5316]

Great video. Metroid Prime OST in background is an added bonus

[@Jaymez2012]

This video covers some pretty interesting phenomenon of the public processes of game development; fan apprehension about the game's development, developer and publisher not really seeing eye to eye on things, and the ever-present crunch culture. When looking into it, anyone could see how interesting the lore is for PUBG, and the potential it has with horror-like themes, so it seems like this wasn't strictly a case of the publisher wanting to shoehorn in something that didn't belong. If Glen is as talented as we think he is, then he would've found a way to make it work despite the fan apprehension. Still, it would've been nice if KRAFTON put some more work into shining a light on PUBG's universe to better ease potential buyer's minds about the game instead of just pulling the plug altogether at the last minute. As we all know, marketing is a powerful tool. You can practically sell anyone anything with the right approach. Sadly, it seems like they might've taken the wrong approach with this game.

[@teslashark]

There was supposed to be a PUBG campaign mode, about how Erangel experienced something like the Armenian/Azerbaijani/Georgian succession wars. But then the plague happened.

[@haydenkinley5266]

Holy shit, what an bomb to drop on people! When it was announced there will be a PUBG connection in Callisto, I felt mildly intrigued, but mostly just amused, it sounded incredibly dumb, the most corporate decision imaginable. And yet here were, in a time and place where this connection would not only improve Callisto, but it would also be fairly interesting. With this in mind, and I fully subscribe to this theory, it seems like one hellish scramble to scrub the connection that was seemingly implemented on a fundamental level, it would explain heaps of decisions.

[@christopherking8603]

The metroid music though... also I feel like they tried to hard to make this the dead space killer or successor but it was more of a crappy copy.

[@giganoob1968]

I enjoyed playing this game but, I have to agree with you evaluation, and it was really good. Thanks.

[@joaoalbuquerque3171]

I am amazed by how deep PUBG lore actually is. Great video!

[@bobbybrine6547]

I never knew the PUBG lore and media was actually so good

[@SadMegane]

Highly agree because of one simple detail: Glen Schofield's Rancid Moon finally got made under a publisher who never put out their own lore gameplay-wise. Clearly, they asked him to tie it in then decided against it and the result is two great ideas coming out as one half-baked product with no self-respect. I basically can't think of anyone satisfied with this. Glen Schofield didn't get to make the game he envisioned nearly fifteen years earlier, PUBG didn't get to have sick lore in a video game that plays to it, and fans who supported the project got fleeced of their money for being the most committed. A year later, all the things that should have shipped with the game, now have, yet it is still too late, half-assed, and buggy a version for that many to care. And you shouldn't have to pay for half of those things. Oh, and Denuvo. jfc, game studios these days, i swear. just make cool products out of cool ideas stop trying to set up what is basically a dlc store no one likes when quality simply earns its profit, geez! great video.

[@BanishedSilentShadow3318]

To be honest I never played PUBG because I wasn't interested in that kind of game. Although I've started to warm up to battle royal. So seeing this video it pretty much makes alot more sense, it explains more on how the prisoners just escape and started killing anyone because it was all a game to these rich people. So imo I think if they stuck with the whole pubg universe it would've explained the plot holes to this game. While I did enjoy the game for what it was, watching this video makes me think pubg would've explained alot of things.

[@TevyaSmolka]

Calisto protocol connecting to pubg sounded like a interesting idea on paper

[@piedralisk7]

this video was really good and honestly I do wonder why they didn't just stick to the pubg connection because this lore is pretty interesting. but also when the hell did PUBG get lore

[@dezuran]

i didnt expect to be flashed banged in the middle of the night lol ( 4:25 )

[@aless7125]

Amazing video, this should have more views. U defenitely put a lot of time into this video

[@TheWickedSoulXBL]

Great video. Haven't played TCP but I do think the PUBG connection would have helped the game a bit more, it would have been a neat hook to make it stand out more.

[@h3llw4lk3r2]

Now I wish the PUBG story was more connected, it seems like it would have been wayyy more interesting...

[@WorldsWorstBoy]

You're silly for getting the $100 edition

[@georgewatts6790]

If we knew tbe lore yeah the game would mean a lot more. Excellent job

[@CatCraine]

I was sent here by Mandalore. Honestly, it's a shame they severed the connection. Sure, being a part of the PUBG universe sounds silly, but it is at least INTERESTING. As opposed to being generic and boring.

[@rustywalrus]

Thank you for this!! It would have been wonderful to see this world developed further

[@HorrorCrisisTime]

Never did i EVER think i would be sitting here thinking "damn I really wish they KEPT all the pubg content in Callisto" but here we are

[@Quick-Silver206]

It would have improved the story. I'm a big fan of interconnected multimedia AR stories. But the gameplay would still remain Diet Caffeine Free Dead Space Lite.

[@emmanuelmiranda9348]

Amazing video and points. Hope you grow soon.

[@ricofilm]

This is some awesome investigating!

[@Kefkaesque13]

Almost had a real life spit take when Jonathan Frakes walked out.

[@coronato7988]

this is a very underrated video, excellent work!

[@CHANNELREQUIRESDLC]

Much appreciated! - N

[@SabLEShOcKeR571]

I cant believe you convinced me that this game would be BETTER with the PUBG connection. Incredible video and definitely makes me disappointed that this game was squandered

[@MadPigmen]

Hey you should like totally keep making video essays because you're great and funny and I want more. Thank you.

[@CHANNELREQUIRESDLC]

Hey you should know this comment meant a lot. Thank you.

[@altusshow7574]

I liked Callisto Protocol. In fact I loved it. In _fact_ in fact, I enjoyed it more than the dead space remake. I know fully well it's because I've already played dead space, and the remake was amazing, but the Callisto Protocol was a brand new experience, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[@captainhowzer7493]

You’re speaking like The Marker from Dead Space is in your head in the intro

[@thoughts9856]

This was just a million dollar advertisement for the dead space remake

[@cromtuiseagain]

Didn't know PUBG is doing what Team Fortress 2 pulled off with just giving you straight gameplay in the game and later crafting an eventually well thought out lore surrounding it. Actually good stuff. Only difference is the fans have more to go on in Team Fortress 2 cause little things like flavor text on cosmetics/weapons and eventual lore crossovers (MvM, Ms Pauling talking to you) actually have consistent themes with the lore so it doesn't just feel like an (well constructed) afterthought.

[@captainthunderbolt7541]

This was a very interesting forensic investigation of the game's story, but the story could have been pure Shakespeare and it wouldn't have mattered to me, because I didn't want my Dead Space successor to have the gameplay of Punch Out... The game probably would have been better with the PUBG connection, but not by much.

[@nerdlingeeksly5192]

Yes with the pubg conspiracy added to the story it would make it better, but I also believe if given enough time they could have made an alternate story work as well. The fact of the matter is they spent way too much time making the game and it's monsters look good and too little time actually designing the levels and story.

[@obscure-cultist1709]

Super late, but I just thought of another potential hint towards the PUBG universe. Just before The Callisto Protocol released, Striking Distance released an audio-drama called Helix Station, which takes place in the same setting, and is about a couple of bounty hunters wrangled by Black Iron security to help them track down an escaped inmate. Why does this matter? Well, the very first scene is an establishing moment for the bounty hunters, and it involved them tracking down a slaver who lobotomised his slaves, to the point of making them zombies that eat anyone alive if they can. When I first heard this, I was confused. Why would anyone buy mindless, starving, and aggressive slaves in bulk? And after this video I realised… “Hang on, was the slaver’s buyer Kallipolis?” Suddenly it makes sense, they’re potentially hostiles for the Battlegrounds! Were they a cut enemy for the Callisto Protocol, or a hint of some future story set in the PUBG universe? Maybe a game mode where the players fight off hordes of lobotomites? That’s incredibly fucked up if true, and one more hint of how sinister Kallipolis really is!

[@CHANNELREQUIRESDLC]

That audio drama was way higher quality than it had any right to be

[@shreksnow1918]

Wow! Just wow! Before watching this I had the same opinion as most people where when I heard Callisto Protocol was supposed be part of the PUBG universe I thought that was a really dumb idea because I had no idea how you could make a story based on a Battle Royal game. Originally I was thinking that the PUBG connections were going to be Easter eggs in the form of map names, certain items scattered around as scenery, and maybe even an unlockable (or more likely dlc) armor from PUBG. After watching this my eyes are opened. That actually sounds like it would’ve been much better or at least just more interesting than what we got. It’s too bad that Krafton has done such an atrocious job of actually communicating there’s lore/story for PUBG. They really should’ve forced Glen to stick with the original plan. The way the lore was presented with fake websites, webcomics/animations, and other stuff like that makes me think of how different companies would use ARGs to advertise stuff (I Love Bees for Halo 2 comes to mind). Too bad they haven’t properly marketed this. If done right there’s a lot that could be done in this universe. In a way the setting makes me think of this cancelled multiplayer campaign hybrid that Black Ops 4 was going to have where it’s a similar case of ecological disasters, the factions involved are morally grey, and the players choices would’ve affected the future missions. You should really look up the game’s cut campaign. It would’ve been interesting. Your theory about the game being a brawler early on where most of the enemies you fight are humans would definitely explain why the combat is so repetitive with most of the zombies/mutants (can’t remember their actual names) are basically just human enemies. Honestly the game would’ve been better with the human element. Someone else mentioned that what can make humans scary is the fact that they are unpredictable so you don’t really know what they’ll do. People are also intelligent and those two things combined are what make us so dangerous. It also separates humans from wild animal and monsters. Having various gangs take control of certain areas while fending off the mutants would’ve been a great way to vary the combat. They could’ve also had human guards that would have filled the role of glass cannons where just like the security robots their guns just shred you, but they’d also be relatively squishy. They could’ve made it so firearms just tare apart normal humans, but you’d have to keep your distance from the mutants and save your ammo for them. Segwaying into the zombies/mutants, l I’m not going to talk much about what could’ve been done better because numerous other people have already talked about it, and games have already done this having the generic zombies and special forms. What I will say is the lore for how the larva mutates people was interesting, and for mutations it really should’ve been a modular design with numerous different body parts/types they could grow/turn into making you change up your tactics. Also, if you had some sections where humans and mutants are fighting it could have been like the Flood sections in Halo where you have to choose who to take out first adding more replayability. In a way this reminds me of how certain things with the original Halos didn’t really make sense, but after I learned about Marathon’s lore and how that influenced it things started to make sense. MandaloreGaming has this great series of reviews that talk about Marathon’s gameplay and lore. It’s super interesting. Another example of things not making much sense would be how the Forerunners seemed super inconsistent at first. Then I watched this great video called We were Forerunner where the guy who animated the Halo 2 storyboards (includes the big reveal an the Ark where humans and Forerunners were revealed to be one in the same) that talks about the numerous times when humans and Forerunners were HEAVILY implied to be and in some cases outright stated to be ancient humans. He also talked about various retcons 343 made, how Rampancy changed from the Marathon version to their weird one, and various other things. It was super interesting. Definitely watch both. By the way I really like how you included Halo music in the background. That was a very good video. I really hope it catches on at some point. More people really should see this. This game has so much wasted potential. Something I find hilarious about this whole ordeal is how people defending the game will either say you can’t compare it to Dead Space (even though the marketing and the lead guy literally built it up as the spiritual sequel/remake of Dead Space). That or they’ll say Dead Soace 3 bad because they can’t really defend it (kind of like how when you point out the flaws in Outer Worlds someone will have the same “arguments” about Bethesda Fallout bad therefore this is good, and you can’t compare it to New Vegas even though the marketing and devs built it up as Fallout New Vegas 2 in space. It’s so funny how after getting a truly insane amount of praise nobody talks about it because it’s a mediocre game. It lacked the nuance of New Vegas instead having a clear good guys vs bad guys approach, the environments were basically just a watered down version of what you’d see in Borderlands, and it was super linear lacking the branching quests of New Vegas. The game also feels super dated because they tried to copy New Vegas and didn’t really modernize it. The rpg states are good, the premise has potential, and it’s fun for what it is. But could’ve been so much more). It’s so funny how most of the time they don’t have real arguments. If someone likes the game that’s great. I just think it’s hilarious when people try to twist themselves into knots trying to present what they like as flawless and are unable to cope with other people not liking what they like. There’s various things I like that most other people don’t and I’m able to recognize the flaws. I’m just able to be look past them if it’s not super egregious. Good luck on whatever you make next. I’m sure it will be really good since this video was.

[@CHANNELREQUIRESDLC]

Thanks much for the kind words & your thoughts! Good pull on BO4, I had completely forgotten about that debacle. And funnily enough, this video originally had a whole chapter on ARGs. I originally thought the fake website and Q2 Business Review was a FAILED ARG that nobody actually found. I ended up axing the chapter after I found a youtube video of the powerpoint presentation where Jonathan Frakes calls in shouting about the 'Dark Web', it's hilariously campy. (look up Tythonic Earnings Call and skip to 10min in) The website even had personal blogs from 4 different fake employees which had 2 pages worth of posts for about a year. So much effort went into that website and the breadcrumb trail, but then they just pay a celebrity to essentially 'figure out' the ARG? Was it failed, abandoned, or was this always the plan? Incredibly strange circumstances I wish I had more info on. Unfortunately since it was a dead end, it wasn't viable to leave in the video while keeping it all cohesive. Thanks again for the encouragement & input! - N