Directive 8020

Directive 8020 feels like Supermassive Games has finally rejuvenated after the disappointing The Devil In Me. With this being the start of season two, this is a great showing, and I can’t wait to see what horrors they bring us next

Directive 8020 imbues every interaction in trust and paranoia, delivering emotional turbulence and atmospheric dread that’s only overshadowed by inconsistent mechanics.

Supermassive Games leaves haunted houses and slashers behind to embrace cosmic horror in Directive 8020, a deep-space adventure heavily inspired by Alien and The Thing. The result is the studio's smartest branching narrative to date and its most beautiful production, held back only by repetitive stealth sequences and a few rough technical edges.

The second season of The Dark Pictures Anthology begins with a strong premise, sending players into space with clear inspirations from The Thing and Alien. Directive 8020 is yet another example of Supermassive Games reaching the limits of what this anthology format can offer, with the production’s budget constraints becoming increasingly apparent. Despite that, it delivers an effective horror story with well-written characters and impressive lighting effects. However, it stays a little too close to its inspirations and struggles to establish a truly unique identity. The stealth segments also feel overused and would have benefited from being shortened or replaced with interactive cutscenes.

Directive 8020 is a generally fun romp through a sci-fi horror flick with predictable jump scares and familiar plot beats, though it's often bogged down by utterly torturous gameplay segments that can ruin the pacing of the story. Sometimes, less gameplay really is better.