A Definitive Leap
In 2019, something special happened; something different to the every day norm. I went aboard an old warship in the middle of the Thames and got to play a new horror game – Man of Medan.
It was a choose-your-own-adventure horror experience where choices mattered and people could die. But at that press launch, there was an announcement even more interesting than the game itself: The Dark Pictures Anthology. Eight games were initially planned, each telling a distinct story while sharing an overarching narrative link. We received one a year until 2022 – Little Hope, House of Ashes, and The Devil in Me – before Supermassive Games changed the roadmap, focusing instead on standalone titles under the same banner.
Now, four years later, we finally have Directive 8020.
Chaos Aboard the Cassiopeia
Space is the theme this time around. The year is 2069, and we are onboard the spaceship Cassiopeia, 12 light-years from Earth, travelling to the potentially habitable world of Tau Ceti f.
Earth is rapidly becoming a nightmare place to live, forcing humanity to travel to the stars to build a new start. With the majority of the crew in deep sleep and only two members holding the fort, disaster strikes just as they are about to enter orbit around their possible new home. An asteroid collides with the ship, breaching the hull. Upon further investigation, the crew discovers that the asteroid carried an alien organism capable of replicating human beings. Paranoia quickly sets in, as no one knows who is who or exactly what is happening.
The story is a strong one, focusing on certain sci-fi tropes, like surviving a rogue alien hunting you through the dark corridors of a spaceship, whilst the replicator element is heavily reminiscent of John Carpenter’s The Thing, which must have been a massive influence. The crew itself features a great mixture of archetypes: the sociopathic captain, the prototype pilot, the cocky navigator, the quirky scientist, the ship’s designer, the marine, and the money man. This diverse mix works exceptionally well to power the dialogue between them all, and, as always, you get to choose who lives and who dies throughout.
Turning Points
I will not spoil anything else about the plot, but I will say this: for the first hour, I thought we were treading very familiar territory. Give it time, however, because the story twists and turns in some incredibly unexpected and interesting directions. You will have many different endings to unlock as you progress, which takes you to crucial turning points.
A fantastic addition to the formula, in Directive 8020 you can change the outcome of your decisions at any point by diving into the menus. Here, you can rewind to a specific decision point or major death to alter the outcome. You can also view the different branching storylines you can unlock. This is a brilliant feature that gives you the freedom to explore new narrative paths without having to replay entire sections of the game from scratch.
Mixed Perspectives
The gameplay mixes first-person and third-person perspectives. And be sure, there is plenty of exploration to do, requiring you to find points of interest and collect items, such as batteries, to use later. At certain points, you will encounter environmental puzzles, alongside others that require you to find access codes or use your brain to mix chemicals correctly.
Action and Agony
On the action front, there are QTE (Quick Time Event) sequences where you must avoid attacks or dodge falling debris from the damaged ship. There are also intense sequences where you are running to evade the aliens, or spending a significant amount of time crawling through vents to find a safe path. Stealth is a major component, aided by a scanner that highlights objects of interest and enemies lurking in the gloom. While this stealth system is functional and works fine, it is unfortunately overused and does overstay its welcome quite a bit.
Visually, there is a very strong look going on in Directive 8020; much like its predecessors. Naturally, being set in deep space, it is dark a lot of the time, but the design elements are excellent throughout, and the ship itself is highly impressive. There are a couple of moments where you go outside the vessel and these are particularly breathtaking. The character models are brilliantly designed, utilising superb motion capture to flawlessly recreate the likenesses of the actors playing them.
The sound design is flawless, filled with terrifying effects and highly effective jump scares. It also features a superb soundtrack, with each chapter punctuated by a different track. The voice acting and performances are rock solid and consistent from start to finish.
A Significant Evolution
I have been a big fan of The Dark Pictures Anthology from the very beginning, sticking with them through the highs and the slightly rougher lows. Directive 8020 feels like a definitive step up from the rest, introducing new mechanics like the turning point system. There is also room for the pass-the-controller multiplayer mode if you want to share the scares with friends.
The story is surprising, interesting enough to keep you hooked to the various endings, but the stealth sections and QTEs do get a bit tiresome. There is no doubt though, Directive 8020 is a great playthrough.
Important Links
Directive 8020 Is On Xbox, PlayStation And PC – Supermassive’s Darkest Sci-Fi Horror Yet? – https://www.thexboxhub.com/directive-8020-is-on-xbox-playstation-and-pc-supermassives-darkest-sci-fi-horror-yet/
Directive 8020 – A Haunting Sci-Fi Survival Horror from Supermassive Games | Release Date Confirmed – https://www.thexboxhub.com/directive-8020-a-haunting-sci-fi-survival-horror-from-supermassive-games/
Best New Games For May 2026 – Xbox And Game Pass – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/directive-8020/9pf9qdh98k8l
Buy from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/directive-8020/9pf9qdh98k8l
