Last Updated on Jun 9, 2026 @ 11:41:25 AM.
It’s been a long time since we were able to say we were booting up a new game that’s in The Dark Pictures Anthology series. Well, thanks to Supermassive Games, that wait is now over, and we can all get stuck into Directive 8020. It’s been out for a few weeks now, and, while this review is later than intended, I was lucky enough to play it pre-release, and really get to grips with the survival horror that the developers had thrust upon us.
For the first time, The Dark Pictures Anthology heads into space, and Directive 8020 wastes little time in showing just how high the stakes are, and how bad things really get when you’re faced with your own mortality, and yourself. Set upon the Cassiopeia, the ship is on a cliched mission to save humanity. Headed to Tau Ceti F to ascertain whether it’ll be a suitable planet to house the remnants of humanity. With most of the crew in hypersleep, thanks to the four year trip, the game opens with the two remaining crew, Simms and Carter, as they attempt to fix a hole in the ship caused by a passing meteor.
Except that isn’t just any meteor. It’s a meteor carrying an alien species. An alien species that can spread like a fungi, and mimic whatever it sees or feels. Of course, this includes the human crew. Chaos ensues as the crew quickly realise something is wrong, the mission may be doomed, and those they’re talking to, trying to save, and escape with, may not even be those same people they knew anymore.
This tension is at the center of what Supermassive Games is attempting to do with Directive 8020, with mixed success. As we, the player, know more than what the characters do, a lot of the time we know that the character in front of us, or the one we’re instant messaging, is, or isn’t the Mimic. That does detract from the shock and awe at times. The times when it really works is when both we, the player, and the characters equally know nothing. There’s a scene that’s reminiscent of the famous Spider-Man meme with multiple versions of the same person, and you have to try and figure out who the real one is. Get it wrong? You’ll kill the actual crew mate. There’s genuine stakes there. It’s just rare for the majority of the time.
That does highlight though, that decisions return. A staple of the series, and genre as a whole, you have the opportunity to make decisions for your character, of which there are many in the crew, which directly affects the story, relationships and survival rates of the individuals. Again, if you choose wrong, normally the grisly and dark death quickly follows. Get it right, they live another day.
A new addition to the franchise is the Turning Point System, which completely flips those decisions on its head. Using the Turning Point System, you can revert back to before you made the choice, and choose separately. This makes it SO much easier to see all outcomes in the story, and is a wonderful addition for those, like me, that hunt for trophies/achievements, but it also meant that any time I wasn’t happy with a choice, I’d revert it and choose the opposite, thus removing any real stakes. Previous entries in The Dark Pictures Anthology series made your choices feel final. There was no save-scumming, and, in effect, that’s what the Turning Point System is. There is a mode where it’s limited, but I doubt many would play that. I assume the developers knew it’d be a double-edged sword, and kudos to them for taking such a massive swing.
Directive 8020 is a Treat for the Eyes
If you’re like me, you were either attracted to Directive 8020 because of the previous entries in the franchise, OR because you’re a sci-fi nerd that loves space, body horror and aliens. Not only is Directive 8020 a genuine feast for the eyes, with some incredible character models and environments, it pushes the envelope of what’s acceptable in body horror. Seeing a fungi come to life and morph into a human-like copy of a crewmate, or run at you and grab you as it screams a distorted, guttural scream in your face before ripping you apart… well, that never gets old. Directive 8020‘s biggest character isn’t the crewmates, or even the Mimic itself, it’s the spaceship as it progresses, and the Mimic takes over, transforming the previously clean and clinical environment into a pustule-filled, slick, bloody living hellscape that ultimately makes you consider whether you even want to go into any room you see it infecting.
Despite the Turning Point System removing some of the stakes of the characters, the atmosphere is still nailed, and I can say the easiest way to imagine what it’s like playing is if Alien, The Thing and Sunshine (2007) had a child, and then asked you to experience it on your own. Playing co-op (a returning feature) doesn’t dampen this too much, and in some cases with my other half regularly jumping and screaming, actually enhanced the feeling.
Without spoiling it too much, the story of Directive 8020 is a mixed bag, in the sense that it tries to avoid tropes, and manages to for the majority, but some story beats are telegraphed early on if you pay any attention, so the somewhat twist isn’t as shocking as you’d expect. There were a few characters I grew attached to, so when they bit the bullet (I didn’t use the Turning Point System, my characters stayed dead if I failed), I was annoyed I’d let them down, although there were some characters that I was glad to see the back of, too. With multiple endings and story paths though, there’s a fair chance that everyone will have a unique experience, and that’s the real strength of any Dark Pictures Anthology entry, including Directive 8020.
From graphically beautiful to new features, Directive 8020 should be considered a success for Supermassive Games. It’s some of the most fun I’ve had with any of them, and as a staunch defender of the genre, I’m interested to see where they go next, and what they do with it. There’s certainly some tweaks needed for the Turning Point System, but the pullback on QTEs being so prevalent, and the agency being given to the player in exploration is a big plus, as is the attempt to give us something we’ve never seen before.
Directive 8020
Earth is dying and humanity is running out of time. 12 light years from home, Tau Ceti f offers a small sliver of hope. When the colony ship Cassiopeia crash lands on the planet, its crew soon realize they are far from being alone. In space, death takes many forms.
Summary
Directive 8020 is a love letter to iconic sci-fi horrors that terrified us in years gone passed. While certain aspects could be improved for example the efficacy of the Turning Point System, the real meat and bones of the game, the environments, the audio, the graphics, are outstanding and easily the best that SuperMassive Games has ever brought us. I enjoyed nearly every minute of my time with the game, and it succeeded several times over in scaring me. It’s the best that SuperMassive Games has ever given us.
HOURS PLAYED: 15
PLAYED ON: PS5
- Graphically the best of the anthology.
- Incredible environments that change and morph as the story progresses.
- Genuinely horrifying body horror.
- Story isn't the best, albeit it does try to avoid tropes.
- Stakes are removed thanks to the Turning Point System, removing some of the tension.
- Knowing more than the characters the majority of the time is a detractor to the experience.
If you’re more of a visual person and want to see our video review of Directive 8020, you can see it below.
For more from us, check out our review of Pragmata, our review of 007 First Light, or take a look at the Collector’s Editions of Fable, Gears of War: E-Day and Halo: Campaign Evolved.
Luke Addison is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Thumb Wars. Having previously been a part of multiple outlets over the years, including building an entire gaming team from nothing to something, he thought it best to forge his own path and answer only to himself. As likely to be found playing the latest game as he is in the kitchen relaxing (by cooking), he always brings the same bold and brash attitude to everything he does, with a heavy leaning on sarcasm and dry wit!
