Soulslikes have taken on a fun identity in gaming as they commonly share formulaic elements while also contributing to the subgenre with their own signature flairs; for example, Lies of P’s flair is its lying system in dialogue options, Lords of the Fallen’s flair is its dual realms, and Mortal Shell’s flair is its distinct Shell builds. There’s something in this pattern that other genres could strive toward, where games of similar ilks could stand to gain from a contemporary balance of familiarity and rarity, and that’s a lesson The Callisto Protocol desperately needs.