If you call for me to imagine what a spinoff ofThe Callisto Protocolwould look like , I ’d probably have some quick answers . Maybe it could be more of a revulsion narrative adventure akin to games likeUntil Dawn . Maybe there ’s some sort of PVE gunman likeBack 4 Bloodin the enfranchisement ’s DNA . What I would n’t have pitched , though , is unsymmetrical roguelike model afterHadesthat ’s full of sardonic wisecrack and punk rock ‘n’ roll music .
That ’s precisely what Striking Distance Studios has make up with Redacted , stylized as[REDACTED ] , an unlikely spinoff on equivalence withBayonetta Origins . In this full reimagining , role player press their path out of the alien - infest Black Iron Prison in flair . go is the gritty realism and serious shade ofThe Callisto Protocol ; in its place is bright soda pop art and hammy comedy . Yes , it comes off as a heroic left turn that ’s way too derivative of its inspiration . Set aside the linguistic context as best you’re able to , though , and you ’ll find some reliable fun and surprising ideas in one of 2024 ’s oddest projects .
Race to the pod
On its surface , and even below it , Redactedfeels likeHadeswith some noun switch around . When I jump into my first roguelike run , I dashed from way to board bonk aliens with my baton and shooting them by holding my correct control stick in their direction . MostHadeshooks have an equivalent here . There are boon - like upgrades that modify my acquisition , NPCs whose write up evolve through subsequent runs , and lots of up-to-dateness I can sell between runs for lasting reward . That formula is successful for a reason , so it did n’t take long for it to overcharge me here .
I have a few move at my disposition during combat . In add-on to my melee and equip gun , I have an evasive hyphen , a kick , and a especial mightiness that blows foeman back . fighting is n’t quite as lightning fast as it is inHades ; there ’s a onerousness to my hits that better mirrors the powerful feedback ofThe Callisto Protocol . Upgrades assist make each run feel just a bit dissimilar , interpenetrate each power with wellness - draining consequence , burn powers , and more . With a handful of weapons to mix and match , I quickly find my experimental groove run after run .
While it ’s all fun , Redactedis another roguelike that does n’t fully nail what makesHadesso special . In that game , andits excellent subsequence , the Boons I pick up can radically change how I use a weapon . There are gross ton of synergies to find that can make muscular builds . Both this and other copycat likeTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles : Splintered Fatetend to sweep through the system around combat , but fight to find the depth beyond simply spamming attack button . Redactedfeels a bit special in scope as a result – its four- biome endure especially gets repetitive after a bit . Its immediate thrills are still enjoyable ; just do n’t expect to spend dozens of 60 minutes sinking into its develop lore .
This is n’t to say thatRedacteddoesn’t bring some genuinely expectant ideas to the table that help differentiate it from other games like it . In fact , it ’s a bit ingenious at times . The big twist is that I ’m not the only one prove to escape Black Iron Prison . As I seek more rill , I meet computer - controlled character who are also step on it to the escape cock bay . It turn out that simply clearing a campaign is n’t enough ; I ask to do it faster than my rival , because there ’s only one escapism seedpod . That create a more pressing , speed - focused action game that incentivizes me to get risky or else of evade from danger .
That core musical theme branches off into a pair of singular systems . One of those is a disruption menu that lets me decelerate down my rivals during a ravel . When my hacking baron is charged , I can call up a carte du jour and choose one of my three active competitors . Once I opt one , I dial up an interference with a specific push program line – thinkHelldivers 2 ’s gambit . I have to hit the push button successiveness fast or else it ’ll fail . What ’s more interesting is that my foes can hit me with their own disruptions . Sometimes I ’ll enter a way to find that the lights have been shut off or that there ’s a gun leak . That estimation adds some need variance to the otherwise stagnant run .
The other twist is that I can once in a while find computers that take files on my foes . When I let on them , I ’m able to expose one piece of blacken - out info . This does n’t just order me what they were in space poky for , but for good debuffs them . That ’s important , because they double as powerful sub boss that can ruin a trial when I catch up to them . All of these mind makeRedactedfeel distinct , with an vehemence on slowly peel rival of power in bicycle-built-for-two with my own exponent rise .
An uneven tone
What ’s less successful is its tone , which is where it ’s most unrecognizable as aCallisto Protocolspinoff . It looks like a comic book and sound likeHi - Fi Rushwith its wailing guitar riff . That part is hunky-dory , as it afford the roguelike a fashionable goon rock sheen , but it falters when it pass away for drollery . Redactedis full of fake - nervy committal to writing that had me cringing anytime a character spoke . Dialogue snippets are childishly irreverent , peppered with thudding ill-gotten jest and left - field dad refinement reference book . They also pop up constantly , as all three of my challenger fire off bad one - liner during my runs . It feels more likeDead Risingthan anything .
None of this is to say that Striking Distance ca n’t have fun with its IP . This is intend to be a playful side - game that drop the ball around with its existing lore in ways that a genuine sequel could n’t . I ’m just left feeling like it ’s so far removed fromThe Callisto Protocol ’s disconsolate world that I ’m not even sure why it was visualize as a spinoff as contradict to a new game . I do n’t feel like I ’ve gotten a deeper understanding of that world here so much as aScary Movie - vogue parody of it . Maybe that ’s the breaker point , but I ’m not sure that the serial has enough die - hards fans yet to earn that sort of discourse .
Redactedfeels a bit like a hail Mary for Striking Distance Studios . The Callisto Protocolwas acommercial flopthat welcome a lukewarm reception from fans and critics likewise . A high - budget sequel was already feel like it was out of the calling card , but the studio had already poured so much into craft the universe . This feels like a libertine way to relieve what it can from those ash and reimagineThe Callisto Protocolas a smaller - telescope title in a democratic genre model . It ’s a reasonable survival instinct that visit the studio dashing for the close escape pod . I ’m not certain it has the fuel to get very far , but there are pot of intriguing ideas here that are worth saving .
Redactedlaunches on October 31 for PlayStation 5 , Xbox Series X / S , and PC .
