Directive 8020 review – Cinematic space-horror at its finest

It feels like we’ve been waiting an age for Directive 8020, the latest entry in Supermassive Games’ Dark Pictures Anthology. Indeed, it’s been four years since the last mainline entry, The Devil In Me, and before that, they used to come yearly. After playing Directive 8020, however, it’s clear to see why: this is the most ambitious Dark Pictures game yet.

With Directive 8020, Supermassive Games takes the Dark Pictures Anthology on its first foray into space. It’s there you’ll become familiar with the occupants of the colony ship Cassiopeia, which is meant to travel to the planet Tau Ceti f and simply orbit it. Though of course, things don’t quite go to plan, otherwise this wouldn’t be a Dark Pictures game.

Everything you’d typically expect of a Dark Pictures game returns here, such as an abundance of quick time events and plenty of choices to make. The latter, as usual, are what make things so exciting: the lives of the whole crew of the Cassiopeia are in your hands – your choices, sometimes even ones that seem minor, have an effect. But with Directive 8020, Supermassive Games has made a sincere attempt to enrich the gameplay between all the cinematics, adding stealth sequences and more puzzles.

Of course, the introduction of stealth sequences has a major effect on the game – it slows down the pace a little at times, for one, which is perhaps why there’s no online multiplayer option this time around. It also means that Directive 8020 is a little less accessible to non-gamers than previous entries in the Dark Pictures series. There’s nothing here too challenging, though, and there are various options to make the stealth sequences more manageable, such as your wedge tool, which you can use to fight off an attacker, being instantly recharged upon use.

Other gameplay developments include having to track down and enter codes to access and activate various devices, power junctions you can interact with to divert the flow of power to various devices such as doors and control panels, and a minigame for opening doors with your wedge tool. You’re also equipped with a Utility Strap, which aside from allowing you to remotely operate various devices, useful for distracting those hunting you down, also enables you to message the various members of your team in order to learn more about them and potentially help in other ways.

All of these, as well as some bouts of exploration, with plenty of collectibles to find, make Directive 8020 the most involved Dark Pictures game yet. We’re not in full survival horror territory here, though – it’s still very cinematic on the whole.

One thing Supermassive Games has focused on a lot here is making sure that it’s easier to go back and find collectives as well as explore alternative routes. To that end, there are now two main modes: Explorer and Survivor. While Explorer allows you to rewind as you go to correct any outcomes you’re not happy with, Survivor forces you to live with your choices and actions until you reach an ending, making it the best way to play for those seeking more tension.

In any case, Directive 8020 is a hugely tense and atmospheric affair, thanks largely to the exceptional visuals on offer and the quality of the voice acting. Playing on PS5 Pro for review, Directive 8020 looks about as real as you can get, even when playing in Performance mode thank to PSSR support. While there’s plenty to be scared about in the first half of the game, things really take off when you reach the halfway mark and the danger you’re in heightens.

Ultimately, this is another strong entry in the Dark Pictures Anthology, and while those who appreciate the extra gameplay features will get the most out of it, the wealth of difficulty settings and gameplay options available still make it very accessible. So, if you love cinematic horror experiences, especially those set in space in which you’re pursued by horrifying life forms, consider this a must-play.