The Callisto ProtocolRules of Conduct have been raising eyebrows for listing some rather bizarre restrictions.The Callisto Protocolis the freshman effort of Striking Distance Studios, led byDead Spacecreator Glen Schofield. It launched earlier this month to mixed reviews from critics, with some enjoying the game’s impressive graphics and sci-fi horror, and others coming away far less impressed.
The Callisto Protocolreviewshave complained about some of the game’s technical issues that have impacted certain platforms, and there’s also been some complaints about its relatively short runtime and general lack of replay value. NowThe Callisto Protocolis finding itself under fire for another reason entirely, and that’s the strange restrictions outlined in its Rules of Conduct that players have to agree to in order to play the game.
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As pointed out by Twitter user Sophia Narwitz and spotted by Bounding Into Comics,The Callisto Protocolincludes rules that seem needlessly strict for a single-player game. While most gamers likely don’t bother taking the time to read the Rules of Conduct in video games, those that have readThe Callisto Protocol’s rules have discovered that it strictly forbids exploiting bugs and glitches or otherwise playing the game “abnormally.” This is more understandable in an online multiplayer game, but it doesn’t make much sense to have these kinds of restrictions in place for a single-player game.
IfCallisto Protocolplayers break the rules, Striking Distance Studios reserves the right to “take action” against them through “official procedures,” which would include forfeiting “all acquired in-game items and other data.” While it seems highly unlikely that the studio would do this, the fact that these rules are in place at all is cause for concern, as it makes no sense to punish someone for taking advantage of a glitch or exploit in a single-player game. If those playing a single-player game want to exploitThe Callisto Protocolglitchesto get an unfair advantage, it’s really no one’s business but their own since it has zero impact on anyone else.
There haven’t been many helpful bugs inThe Callisto Protocoldiscovered so far, except for one that makes it so players can unlock the game’s hardest achievement without actually completing its requirements. Basically,The Callisto Protocolhas an achievement for beating the game on the hardest difficulty setting, but players can manipulate the achievement by starting a new game on that difficulty, swapping to easy, then swapping it back after the final boss.
Callisto Protocolupdatescould fix this exploit and will potentially patch up others that are discovered by the community, which is understandable, but the idea of punishing someone for taking advantage of these things in a single-player game is bizarre, to say the least. Again, it seems unlikely that these rules would ever be enforced, but many would agree that they shouldn’t exist to begin with.
The Callisto Protocolis out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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