Directive 8020 [REVIEW] – Sci-fi Horror at its Bloodiest Finest 

Supermassive Games has been doing the interactive horror thing for quite a while now, and whether you’re venturing through eerie towns, haunted ghost ships, or a deathtrap-filled house, each tale offers dramatic thrills. After taking a break from The Dark Pictures Anthology over the last four years, they’re finally back with Directive 8020, taking the horror into space… you know… where no one can hear you scream. And guess what? It’s bloody brilliant, delivering a narrative journey that’s ambitious, gripping, and flat-out terrifying. 

Check out some screenshots down below: 

The setup of Directive 8020 is a classic slice of science fiction, with players finding themselves aboard the Cassiopeia, a massive colony ship travelling twelve light-years away from a dying Earth. The goal is to reach Tau Ceti f, a planet that could serve as humanity’s new home, with the majority of the ship’s passengers and leadership fast asleep in stasis. Naturally, everything goes brilliantly wrong, with a catastrophic hull breach kicking off the chaos, waking up key members of the crew and throwing everyone into a desperate fight against something horrible that has wormed its way inside. Yeah, it’s the sort of tale you might have heard before – and Directive 8020 does wear its inspirations like a big badge of honour – but if you’re a fan of sci-fi, you’re going to be hooked in from the word go. 

One of the things that instantly makes Directive 8020 stand out is the cast, with the ten crew members aboard the Cassiopeia fleshed out with intriguing personalities and nuanced backgrounds, and believe me, it’s easy to find yourself wanting to keep them all alive. In previous games, it’s been easy to see some characters as expendable, but that’s not the case here, ensuring each and every decision you make is all the more alluring. The writing is incredibly solid across the board too, ensuring that even minor dialogue choices organically shape character behaviour and how they interact with one another going forward, whilst the element of choice within the game feels as immersive as ever. 

And the vibes, oh my god, it NAILS them. If you love the intense paranoia of classic sci-fi films, you are going to feel right at home in the corridors of the Cassiopeia. And the main threat is not just a mindless alien either, but a grotesque, shape-shifting mass of flesh that can perfectly mimic your crewmates. The sheer anxiety of trying to figure out if you are talking to your friend or a monster wearing their face is bloody brilliant, and it makes every decision feel all the more stressful. Learning more about each character and trying to pick up on the little details that prove they’re human is both rewarding and daunting at the same time… my first playthrough was far from flawless, but the constant second-guessing of myself just made the horror all the more believable. I loved it. 

“Directive 8020 is phenomenal, with the engrossing storytelling, engaging gameplay, and stunning visuals making it a horror experience you simply won’t want to miss.” 

So the storytelling of Directive 8020 hits the usual high standard, but the gameplay hits some real highs too – in fact, there’s a lot more gameplay this time around. It is no longer just about watching cutscenes and sweating through quick-time events, with the environments much more open and some stealth sections adding to the tension. You will find yourself crouching behind desks, crawling through air vents, and dodging broken glass to stay silent, whilst you are given a handheld scanner to track enemy patrols as well as a gadget that lets you remotely hack doors or interact with power junctions to solve environmental puzzles. It’s clear that Directive 8020 takes a much more gamey approach than previous entries, and in my opinions, it’s all the better for it. Admittedly, it was something that I was a little unsure of prior to playing, but it makes the scares all the more immersive… it’s not always just a choice that determines who lives or dies, but also your own gaming skills. It works really well, and whilst the regular hiding won’t be for everyone, I was a big fan. 

That being said, there are a few silly moments that break the immersion, with the worst being the characters that occasionally split up and reunite without ever bothering to verify if the other person is actually human. Come on, guys, we’ve all watched horror movies… what are you thinking? For an experience where the storytelling is so immersive and believable, you can’t help but to shout at the screen when these characters that you otherwise have a lot of control of make foolish decisions outside of your control. But hey, these are minor gripes when you look at how beautifully the branching narrative comes together, with the story transitioning seamlessly regardless of the choices you make. 

One thing worth noting is that Directive 8020 now has a Rewind feature, so if you mess up and get someone killed early on, you do not have to restart the entire game: you can simply jump back to a specific story node and try a different approach, making those perfectionist runs a little easier. The game even splits its modes to cater to different playstyles: ‘Explorer’ mode lets you use the Rewind feature freely, while ‘Survivor’ mode locks in your choices permanently for a purely stressful experience.  

Check out some screenshots down below: 

Those looking to see every path, keep everyone alive, and untangle the twists are in for a much easier time, and it’s something I’ve definitely made use of in subsequent playthroughs. But honestly? The high stakes of knowing every mistake can be fatal is part of what makes these games so special, so I made sure not to neglect that the first time around. 

Visually, Directive 8020 is an absolute powerhouse. The facial animations are remarkably lifelike, the ship itself is gorgeously detailed with atmospheric lighting, and the horrific deaths are second to none. It’s bloody beautiful (and yeah, it is literally very bloody), whilst the excellent sound design brings everything to life. The Dark Pictures Anthology series has always set a high standard with its visuals, but Directive 8020 takes things even further. 

Developer: Supermassive Games 
Publisher: Supermassive Games 
Platform(s): PlayStation 5 (Reviewed), Xbox Series X|S, PC 
Website: https://www.supermassivegames.com/games/directive8020