Directive 8020

There's an entertaining, occasionally brilliant horror story here, but Directive 8020's focus on live action stealth to determine the fates of its cast means choice and consequence feel less important here than any other Supermassive game, squandering so much of the potential of a choose-your-own-adventure take on classic sci-fi horror paranoia and isolation.

Directive 8020 is a solid sci-fi yarn let down by some early snark-filled writing. The plot is serviceable in showing you some gorgeous locations full of people you may or may not want to save, and a bevy of monsters you’ll get bored hiding from. If you’ve enjoyed the studio’s previous work, then rest assured that Directive 8020 may well be worth checking out.

This isn’t the series most standout storyline, but there’s a lot to appreciate between the traditional gameplay loop we all crave and various new features. As always, given the nature of the game, to truly appreciate it and fully unearth the plot and fine details, you’ll need to replay and delve into those other possible branches. Good luck staying alive.

Directive 8020 is a good addition to the Dark Pictures anthology and a solid start to its second season. Its story ranks among Supermassive Games’ best work, marking a much-needed step forward for a studio that has struggled to release standout titles in recent years. The decisions players have to make carry real weight, significantly shaping the outcome of the story and adding a ton of replay value for players who want to uncover every consequence of their choices. However, while the stealth sequences can be tense and are well-designed, they appear way too frequently and make it surprisingly easy to kill off characters you dislike, weakening some of the emotional impact. This is an issue mainly because there are characters that are boring and uninteresting due to mediocre voice acting, potentially leading the player to want to eliminate them. Still, even with a couple of shortcomings, Directive 8020 remains an engaging narrative-driven adventure that Dark Pictures fans should not miss.

Directive 8020 is a step in the right direction for The Dark Pictures, giving its choices more weight, its cast stronger performances, and its horror more room to breathe. While the later episodes drag and a few clichés and visual issues hold it back, the journey aboard the Cassiopeia is still worthwhile.

If you enjoy the series, if its sci-fi setting strongly appeals to you, and if you accept from the outset that you won't find a particularly polished gameplay experience here, you can certainly have a good time. This is especially true if you play it with friends, if you feel like replaying it, and if you are willing to overlook its repetitive nature. However, if you were expecting a major evolution of The Dark Pictures formula—or an installment capable of recapturing the quality of its best entries—it will likely leave you cold. Entertaining? Yes. Worth recommending (with caveats)? Also yes. But it is certainly not the leap forward we would have liked to see.

In some ways, Directive 8020 feels like a game of missed opportunities, and a bunch of almost-theres. But sometimes Supermassive's ambition pays off. It's a touch too long, it's a little too one-note, and I wish it could have pushed a little harder to find its own identity as it charted so much well-trodden ground. But its existential chills are effective, it's got an earnest spirit, and a phenomenal cast that genuinely made me care. If Supermassive keeps pushing its horror series, I suspect great things are in store.