Space has always been a scary place when you stop and think about it. Endless darkness, nowhere to run, and if something goes wrong, you’re pretty much done for. Supermassive Games clearly understand this primal fear. And with Directive 8020 they have blasted the Dark Pictures formula into space. A masterful tale that feels like Alien meets The Thing and got in a fight with Event Horizon.
After a bit of a break following season one of The Dark Pictures Anthology, the studio looks to be going bigger this time around. The result is a tense and grim sci-fi nightmare.
Directive 8020 feels far more cinematic from the off while still keeping the choose your own path style gameplay the team have become known for. It’s worth noting that this title has dropped the ‘The Dark Pictures‘ title of the series as well.
Storied Universe
The story follows the crew of the colony ship Cassiopeia. You and the crew are on a mission to save humanity by finding a new world to live on.
But naturally things don’t exactly go to plan. The ship picks up a strange alien organism which can copy the appearance of the crew, leading to plenty of paranoia and distrust amongst the crew.
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It’s very clear where the inspiration comes from and, to be fair, the game doesn’t exactly try to hide it. There are moments that feel ripped straight out of a number of classic sci-fi horror films. The tension slowly builds as the crew begin to turn on one another and you start second guessing every choice you make.
Like previous Supermassive games, your decisions shape how the story unfolds and who makes it out alive, though this time the stakes feel much bigger due to the setting. One bad call can end with a crew member getting dragged into the darkness or vented out into the void.
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Like past titles in Dark Pictures, Directive 8020 features a somewhat star-studded cast who put in a solid shift. Lashana Lynch is the marquee name and leading things well.
Cruacially, when the accusations start flying, the cast does enough to keep you invested in who lives and dies.
Turning Points
If you’re not happy with your choice the Turning Point system comes into play. This lets you rewrite outcomes so you can choose other paths. However, it feels off on your first playthroug. I feel these titles are best played straight the first time around and them and then jump back in and start changing your choices or paths.
Gameplay wise things are a lot more ‘video game’ this time around than movie. You feel part of the terror instead of just witnessing it unfold as you’ll be walking about, having dialogue choices and trying to beat quick time events, with a few more action-heavy moments as well in the mix.
Sadly, movement can feel stiff especially during the stealth section side of things and there are sections where the pacing dips just a little.
Visually, Directive 8020 is probably the best Supermassive title to date. The ship itself is packed with detail. The lighting also does a great job of making even simple corridors feel like a world of hurt. Mix in a very good sound design with distant bangs and eerie whispers and you’ve got a game best played late at night with the lights off.
Directive 8020 doesn’t reinvent the Dark Pictures wheel too much. At times it leans a bit too heavily on the movie inspirations for me, but when it gets going it delivers a tense and entertaining sci-fi horror packed with tough choices and enough creepy moments to keep pushing to the end.
- Directive 8020 review – Space. Agency.
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