Striking Distance Studios’ chief creative officer Chris Stone has revealed that The Callisto Protocol horror and gore is inspired by real life, dividing fans over the issue. This is reminiscent of the controversy surrounding Mortal Kombat 11‘s development after members of NetherRealm Studios were diagnosed with PTSD from watching real-life violence and gore as part of work for a considerable period of time.
Striking Distance’s statement on The Callisto Protocol horror and gore
“We’ve found ourselves looking at a lot of real-life examples of horror and gore,” Stone told PCGamesN. “While these were a lot less fun to research, it was some of the most memorable and valuable content when it came to creating realistic visuals and experiences.”
Some fans are of the view that Striking Distance need not put its developers through the same experience that Mortal Kombat 11 developers went through, knowing the potential consequences of doing so. They believe that the developers can use their imagination without having to “research” real graphic content for work. Others have argued that games have always sought inspiration from real life irrespective of how realistic they look now, and The Callisto Protocol isn’t an outlier.
The Callisto Protocol might be a fictitious entertainment product but PTSD is a real issue. How developers react to watching real-life violent material for extended periods of time will differ from individual to individual. “I’d have these extremely graphic dreams, very violent,” a Mortal Kombat developer previously told Kotaku. “I kind of just stopped wanting to go to sleep, so I’d just keep myself awake for days at a time, to avoid sleeping.”
Here’s hoping Striking Distance prioritizes its developers’ mental health.
In other news, a tech YouTuber has created a functioning PS5 Slim, and Assassin’s Creed 1 fans think Ubisoft is working on a remake or a remaster.
