In 2015, the release of *Until Dawn* marked a unique entry into interactive horror drama, gaining popularity in mainstream gaming through its campy appeal, numerous choices, and grim deaths, leading to high replayability, especially among YouTubers. It stood out in a year dominated by titles like *The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt*, *Fallout 4*, *Bloodborne*, and *Undertale*.
Supermassive’s innovative formula, inspired by adventure and FMV genres, was fresh then but is now showing its age after a decade and seven games. Their latest, *Directive 8020*, part of the Dark Pictures Anthology, is set in the future aboard the starship Cassiopeia.
In *Directive 8020*, Supermassive retains its knack for making players regret choices. Unlike previous entries like *Man of Medan* and *House of Ashes*, there’s now a rewind feature for exploring story branches without committing to one path, though it doesn’t fundamentally alter story delivery but improves quality of life by allowing exploration without restarting.
My gameplay experience indicated that *Directive 8020* delivers an engaging story but lacks compelling gameplay. In eight hours, I enjoyed the narrative despite using the rewind feature frequently for collectibles and branching choices.
*Directive 8020* draws inspiration from classics like *The Thing* and *Alien*. You’re aboard the ship Cassiopeia on a mission to explore Tau Ceti for habitability, facing an alien organism able to mimic the crew, creating a paranoia-filled nightmare.
This isn’t a significant spoiler; it’s the game’s marketing focus, adding dramatic irony to decisions. *Directive 8020* features a cast of budding actors, including Lashana Lynch as pilot Brianna Young. A history of awarding actors like Rami Malek and Jessie Buckley bodes well for Lynch’s performance.
Lynch’s character awakens to find missing crew members and others acting strangely, as they try to stabilize a mission meant for future colonization by Andromeda settlers. The story is straightforward, echoing *The Thing* and *Alien*. Alongside Young, playable characters include Commander Nolan Stafford, designer Laure Eisele, engineer Josef Cernan, and Dr. Amanda Cooper. These characters hold typical motivations, like Eisele’s rationality, Cernan’s existential struggle, and Cooper’s trauma, which may lack depth in the larger plot.
Three non-playable characters aboard serve as mimic targets, facilitating the game’s five-player co-op movie mode.
While *Directive 8020* excels with its story, gameplay falters. The QTE drama formula feels outdated, and though no one expects *God of War* levels of gameplay, *Directive 8020* borders on repetition.
The Turning Points system allows exploring story changes without resetting your playthrough, benefiting the game’s consequence-driven narrative. However, some decisions appear trivial despite heavy consequences, diminishing dramatic impact.
The game includes texting the crew during exploration for light character building and trait updates affecting endings, though it mostly guides dialogue consistency.
The stealth sections, however, detract from the horror ambiance. Excessive stealth turns tense moments into mundane tasks, undermining the environmental storytelling with repetitiveness.
Despite these drawbacks, *Directive 8020* runs smoothly, presenting a strong visual experience without a large budget. Minor bugs, like a menu scroll issue, can irritate but don’t majorly detract. Graphically, the Cassiopeia’s transformation creates an uneasy juxtaposition of technology and organic takeover, achieving unsettling visual storytelling.
Ultimately, *Directive 8020* offers enough intrigue with its paranoia-driven tale and Lynch’s standout performance. While not reinventing gameplay, it provides narrative enjoyment, especially with friends. At $49.99, it’s best suited for co-op play, though solo players might prefer awaiting a discount for a better investment.