PlayStation Plus new free game so intense it was actually banned

Each and every month, subscribers to Sony’s PlayStation Plus service are treated to a new plethora of games, regardless of the tier they may subscribe to.

Earlier this week, the PlayStation Plus October 2023 titles were announced for the Essential tier. One of the games included in the October offerings is the sci-fi horror and Dead Space-inspired, The Callisto Protocol.

Check out The Callisto Protocol trailer below!

Prior to its release, there was a lot of hype surrounding The Callisto Protocol, largely due to the fact that co-creator of the Dead Space series, Glen Schofield was leading the project, who at the time was the founder and CEO of its developer, Striking Distance Studios.

However, costing a reported £132 million to develop and allegedly selling two million copies (of the pre-release estimation of five million units), The Callisto Protocol was deemed a flop and as reported by Eurogamer, Glen Schofield departed Striking Distance Studios.

Still, despite the shortcomings of The Callisto Protocol, those who subscribe to PS Plus have a chance to experience the game for themselves, a game that was so intense and gory, that it was actually banned in Japan.

Having played through The Callisto Protocol myself, I can confirm that it is not only visually stunning but incredibly gory too. That being said, I felt it failed to live up to my expectations and once I had finished its campaign, I sold my copy with no desire to return. Which I suppose, would make it an ideal game for a service such as PlayStation Plus.

On the flip side of my opinion, GAMINGBibles Will McCue had a different experience with the game. In our review, Will said: “The Callisto Protocol is a lucid dream of a game. You want to escape the terrors flickering before you but once the game gets hold with both tentacles, you’re trapped in the hostile environment of the best horror game of the year.”

The Callisto Protocol arrives on PlayStation Plus on Tuesday 2 October and is available to purchase on PC, PlayStation and Xbox right now.