Ren'Py - Completed - Callisto [v1.00] [Xavster Gaming]

Gameplay: Sandbox point and clicker, choosing between locations and choices. However, there is no gallery, and that keeps this out of 5 stars.

Writing: Funny with a good plot.

Art: While the models are good, I felt the character design was rather simple. In this massive universe, with all kinds of races, the characters you romance are basically all human. Lia is a caucasion human with tattoos, Kara is a blue human. Alice has a unique face marking, but they remove it when you start her romance, making her a regular caucasion human.

Audio: Occasional music and sound effects.

Ideally I would give this a 3.5 if I could since there are some real issues with the game, but I'll just round it up due to the amount of content. Here goes:

• Story: The story is decent to good. I do feel the prologue should be an unskippable part of the game, since you miss out on a lot of context without it.
• Characters: The main girls are generally interesting, with just a few misses, SAM the robot is underutilized, while Julia the doctor is not truly explored. Side characters are also decent enough. Still feel there is not enough intra-companion interaction, which used to make games like Mass Effect feel like truly lived-in worlds.
• Gameplay
  • Sandbox: The sandbox seems empty. The trading is a bit shallow, while the salvage and its special moments seem few and far between. Could have just as easily worked as a visual novel.
  • War Systems: While not occurring very often, there are some interesting things here. If only they were better explained, this part could have been much more engaging.
  • Choices: Choices matter, so I'm happy.
• Graphics: Not the best, but not too bad either. Quality varies from time to time.
• Animations: Generally OK, though some are very choppy.
• Lewd: What's there is good to great, I just feel there isn't anywhere near enough for a game of this length. In the first act there is enough, but in the second and especially third acts, it feels more like space-western first and foremost, with some lewd scenes sprinkled in. Wish there was more here.
• Enjoyment: I enjoyed this game overall, apart from some scenes where the story dragged on a bit.

I would still recommend this game, but please be aware that if you're looking for lots of lewd content, this game under-delivers. Otherwise, a solid game and time well spent.

Callisto gives a nice Mass Effect vibe in the first hour, but the more you play the more it feels like 3 episodes of Star Trek stitched together. There are too many characters for the plot, too few interactions between characters, and the gameplay (money and relationship mechanics) feels tacked-on, bareboned and laborious to navigate. Very nice setting, rarely seen utilized for adult games, but unfortunately this is a miss for me.

Storyline - 9/10! Very Enjoyable. I would have liked a harem ending, but you can't have everything, and even without one, I was left very satisfied with the endings.
Characters - 9/10! The good guys were great and very likable. The bad guys were also great because they were easy to hate.
Models / Art - 10/10! Absolutely gorgeous! Nothing else to say here.
Sex scenes 10/10! Beautifully animated. My only gripe is that there weren't nearly enough of them.
Playability - 7/10! It's fun to play with a mod, but sandbox-type games aren't really my thing so I deducted a few points here.

All in all, I'd definitely recommend this one. If you're like me and don't care much for sandbox games, then definitely use a mod, but for sure give it a shot b/c it is absolutely worth your time!

P.S. Kara is best girl. I don't care what anyone says.

Awful gameplay and grind.

The prologue was pretty alright, mildly interesting setup and character introductions that turned out to be the best part of the game. The actual game and plot was fairly uninteresting with developments that really don't have any flavor.

The characters aren't really well written, but there are a bunch and a nice attempt exists to give them distinct personalities that are mildly successful.

Substandard graphics vs the best games on the site. Hopefully the dev can improve from this.

+2
Interesting:
graphics, animations/stills, music, mod support(if this should not count still a +2), etc...
0
Some characters are hea looking while some are great.
+1
Unique and complete with full functionality and likely issue free
-2
Horrendous story + characters that have almost no individuality and change their ways (personality/views...) a scene later often and not through growth just random.. -> to point
that it makes the biggest trope anime harem + hentai seem like they have
the best story and characters ever made or as they say "shaksphere".
-.5
The "optional" prologue on computer seems like it should be a mandatory thing and feels like idk a after thought.
Suppose the "need" to have story 100% start this way, but then that just damages the whole story + choice... heavily.
Should have been either made a intro scene to make it more fitting and less feeling like a late addition/optional thing or better yet had proper choices in it to make your story and therefore way better and replayable on top of that .. (but again with these characters and story ... suppose that goes beyond the capability).

2.5/5 rounded up
(To me Story + Character are most important especially when it has so so many scenes and talks and events with them and a good length to game).

It's rare I leave a review. Instead I just drop a comment in the forum. It's also rare that I stumble across a game really get drawn into on here. I really enjoyed this one. It has it's problems that could be tweaked (animations are a bit slow, the quests are a bit unclear how to complete, Tutorial needs some more specific direction) but the story is pretty good and that is what kept me playing until the end. It has no harem ending in spite of the tag, but that's ok because it would not have fit the story. The L/I's are so diverse in personalities and desires that the only harem ending possible was for them to continue on the Callista instead of pursuing their evolving dreams and duties. A big thumbs up for this one.

Verny nice game. a good sci fi story with many good looking girls both human and aliens (kara was badass and beautiful), nice renders and animations. overall a 5 star game and a plus fdor see an ending..same can't be said form many other abandoned VN. Good work , waiting for the next game

this game is awesome, and the dev's work is very serious. Even if others endings would be appreciated (harem, julia, etc...) it is a very very good work with many details and good thinking. Thanks a lot for this marvelous moment I spend during the game.

pour les francophones, franchement c'est un excellent jeu et surtout vous y trouverez mille détails qui démontrent qu'il y a un vrai travail sur l'histoire et la scénologie. C'est du très bon travail, on sent vraiment un vrai savoir-faire et j'ai adoré y passer les quelques heures nécessaires à le terminer.

So, I want to start by saying: I truly enjoyed this game, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun sci-fi game and story.

Pros? Awesome visuals. A competently told, complete story. Attractive LIs. A great MC who makes a compelling protagonist. Dialog that is well written, and that you can follow without issues common in many games, like translation issues, or vague writing, to confuse you.

And, of course, it being complete, meaning the dev put the work in to make a complete product.

So... I wish I didn't have to go into cons. If you are reading this part of my review and wanting to see my gripes, that brought about such a mediocre rating, I just want to reiterate: I highly recommend this game. Play it. It's good. Enjoy.

Ok. Cons.
1) no index, encyclopedia, codex, etc. Stories of this size benefit greatly from having something like this. And in a sandbox, accessing the captain's PC, something could have been there. Info on characters, races, history, conflict, etc.
With competent world building, one assumes the dev had something in mind, in expanded lore, that we just don't know. Wanting that content is a sign that we're invested in the world you've built. Lacking it actually hurts the end product, however. Especially as the player may forget some information that is only given in limited dialog if taking an extended break from the game, and come back confused.
I find this point especially applies to the hive. With what we get told, I'm curious to learn more about them, the queen, etc. And we don't learn anything.

2) Under utilizing character interactions. It seems that there are far too many times in the game when conversations or small events could be present, and aren't. Talking to girls alone, or in the different groups they appear in during different days and time slots, in different places. This includes interactions with each other.
I'm not saying such things are absent! Merely that, for the time you spend in the sandbox, they seem too few. Especially because, as the plot unfolds, you could revisit the girls and have dialog change.

3) Under exploring the growing and changing relationships between the girls. In too many VNs, the girls seem a universe unto themselves, except in special scenes. You can play games where your "housemates" apparently are oblivious of the other's existence, because their scenes focus on just them. This game does not have that issue! The girls all very much know each other are there. While playing, you get the feel for the fact that they're all in this together.
And that's great!
But, piggybacking off my second issue, it seems far to few and far between for there to be events between the girls, discussing issues, growing their interpersonal relationships, etc. And most of such scenes involve the MC, not just in being present, but being central to the moment. Too few instances of him overhearing things, or just leaning back and relaxing while they continue their conversation without his input.
When going about the ship, it's common to try to talk to a girl who is with other girls, only for the MC to say something along the lines of "I'll leave you girls to chat, then."
Missed opportunities.

4) underutilized characters. Some of the girls who are "main girls" just don't seem to get a time to shine. Some side characters don't get as much screen time as they should.
Sam is brutally underutilized, which is tragic as she is a lot of fun.

5) scenes just seem to end. There are several scenes that feel like they should have more to them, that just end. The way they end, it feels, often, like you don't have the "points" or are not on "the right path" to see more of the scene.
Then you play a second time with a cheat mod and realize, nope. The scene is just done.

6) sandbox that could have worked, but feels too empty at times. The sandbox exists, mostly, to travel and trade goods/salvage for money, and to interact with the girls. Once you have all the upgrades you can buy, other than seeing the girls paid to keep happiness up, money serves no real point. Otherwise, you're playing a balancing game in freetime to see the girls to keep their happiness high.
But there isn't enough to buy to make money harvesting fun. There isn't enough special events in salvaging to make that interesting to go back to when you can trade in higher amounts. There isn't an "explore" option to bring you to special scenes to expand on story, give lewds, or some other bonus.
A sandbox style could work well here. Instead, it seems... well, I've used this word too many times, but I have to again. Underutilized.

7) spoilers ahead.
first issue: No harem ending. Look, all game, you're nailing all the girls. They all know it, too. If you can get and keep their affections in the right range, there should be more ending options than "pick the girl you have the points with and see that ending." Even if there is no way to get all, there should be some 2/3/4 way options if you work for it
second issue: Girls who don't have endings at all. OK, I'm not opening the game back up to double check names. Sorry, I'm lazy, and I'm writing this a few days after completing it again. But the doctor (Julia I think?) has a love stat. But no ending. Alice and her girlfriend (redhead) have love stats. No ending, together or separate. It just seems like a huge oversight, and makes the game feel rushed to complete and like content that should be for them is missing.
third issue: No epilogs. What happened to certain side characters? Side conflicts? Either based on choices made, or just a canonical endings to tell us what happened. Take Tracey for example. Side character, but she has meaningful interactions with the MC. What happened to her?
forth issue: Tiffany in her ending and the "10 years later." I know people age and change styles, but what happened to her hair? OK, this one is pretty minor, but still!

Look, I'm HAPPY with the characters, the story... and even the endings.
As I've said, play this game! It's worth it!
But I feel my cons are entirely legitimate, and sadly they are severe enough that, while this game should have been 5 stars, in spite of my love for it, I can't give it even 4. Not if I am being brutally honest.

But, in my brutal honesty, I want to make it clear, there is a gem to be found in this game, and it is worth your time!

SPOILER WARNING: This review contains spoiler of some major aspects of the plot.

This game is disappointing.

I when I first played this game I saw a HUGE potential in its development. Waited for the full release and then came back to play it again.
I felt sad for it. This game has a great story with a lot of interesting points, but there are major flaws that really breaks the game to me.

It really is a game of a Gary Stu commanding a crew of Mary Sues. That's it.

The story, although really well interesting, fails to captivate me for what it is. The reason is that the characters are just WAY to good at what they do, without any flaws. Anything that any character is supposed to try to do, they to it flawlessly. Also, the amount of plot shields used in this is alarming. The political conflicts are way too easily solved because, well... The crew is just too good at dealing with those things.


The game also tries to explain why everyone is good at what they do, but they fail miserably. Not because the backstories are bad (they are probably the best part of the game). It explains why they are GOOD at what they do, but the present does not present to us people that are good at something, it presents ppl that are FLAWLESS.

But the game is a porn game, right? Right. The renders are good, even on sex scenes, but the sex scenes overall aren't. First off, every sex scene that happens in the MC's room in Callisto seems to be the exact same sex scene re-skinned to the character you call to the room. And they happen in slow motion as well. For the scenes that do not happen in the MC's room, they are average at best, besides the one that happens with Tanya and a friend of hers, nothing comes as anything remarkable there.

Overall, this game has a pretty nice skeleton but a rotten flesh, hence the 3*

PS: What they did to Alice is deserving of a facepalm

Very good sci-fi game, plenty of action (in space and in bed), lots of things to do to advance on main story and sidestories, very good graphics and same applies to writing, each character have their own personality and body expressions just spice things up.

renders are good
story is not bad but not great is better than most
sex scenes are kinda bland it feels like the characters re having sex in slow motion and that kinda turns me off
the characters personality are aceptable

Nice renders, nice models, sex scenes are cut and paste, repetitive. Not bad, not great, but pleasant.

Harem game until it isnt. Live on a ship, have relationships with ALL the girls on it, fuck ALL the girls on it whenever you want, but then be forced into a choice ending. I mean, just.. stay on the ship with your girls forever lol

A solid game with lovely characters, a middle of the road story, and an ending that betrays it.

The game is interesting albeit repetitive throughout as you collect salvage/trade between stations amongst random events on the ship and story missions. During this time you forge relationships with your crew but don't think this is a harem game as you will be forced into a choice at the end. This game despite the lovely characters is yet another faux harem game that lets you go wild with every love interest on the ship and then pulls the rug out at the end.

The story, basic but generally interesting, and events, some being repeatable and others being frustratingly difficult to trigger/not miss, within push the illusion throughout but don't be deceived.

4/5 great game! Well done story, very likeable characters. I like that there is a small trade game hidden behind it, events are fun, characters are all very sexy. Overall the setting is great, story is actually interesting. Small flaw is the unrealistic setting with women only on the ship, who all want to bone. But thats okay, it works anx some are holding back for a longer time. I LOVE the animated cumshots. Sex scenes are a bit bland, repeaty and need fleshing out. Just put some more text to each scene, maybe alternate it and if there is dev time add some kinks to it. Thats the reason I give only 4/5, Porn is only okayish and mostly uneventful. Love the rest

Good game.
Interesting plot and captivating story.
Renders are awesome.
Good video.
Very beautiful expression of the eyes of the girls.
The developer amazingly checks all the facts.
I will eagerly await the update.
Respect.

Calisto is to me the best sci-fi VN around at the moment. It has sandbox elements and I normally avoid that but Xavaster makes it work without ever becoming tedious. Sometimes I even find myself just cruising the black ocean with my girls collecting salvage.

The story is good and fun, it has serious element's but nothing a seasoned captain can't figure out.

Good job Xavster on a great and fun VN

"Firefly" and "Mass Effect" vibes in one game. And this BSG ''frak'' is so naturale too.
Crew is marvelous.
Don't waste your time, just give the command to the pilot and go to the stars and beautiful girls!
Do not forget to watch the "prologue" on the monitor in the captain's cabin at the beginning of the game, you won't regret it.

I don't write many reviews but this one begs to have one.
Callisto has the best balance I have seen on F95 between great graphics, animations, humor, story, which includes back stories and Hscenes.

Much of the humor is of the tongue and cheek variety.

The back stories are there for all of the main characters with only 4 specifically called out but as you go through the different events there is a back story for each one to include Sam. Lia is the only one that you don't find a back story that is not seen in a single story but is intertwined in the main story.

The Hscenes do NOT drive the story at all and can be avoided if you don't mind missing some of the events and do not detract from the enjoyment of the game by any means. However, this is an adult VN that also has a sandbox element.

Once you learn how to navigate the GUI it easy to see that it is a perfect guide to all the events even if it isn't exactly a step by step walk through.

I would say this is the top game here but that would only be for the writing of this review because there are several other games that are also at the top of my list for many reasons.