Directive 8020 Review

Sometimes a game comes along that exceeds your expectations. The trailers might give you a general idea of what to expect, but the moment you dive in for yourself, you realize you are in for a completely different type of ride. 

Developed by Supermassive Games and released as part of their long-running series, The Dark Pictures Anthology, Directive 8020 is a standalone title that takes their universe in a completely new direction—to the stars themselves. Set after the year 2060, the game puts players in the shoes of the crew on a ship called the Cassiopeia as they attempt to survive an unknown threat. While the game's Creative Director, Will Doyle, previously informed me that the game drew inspiration from 1982's The Thing, I did not expect the multiple layers to the narrative, which I originally thought would focus only on surviving an alien organism. 

So after a roughly eight-hour initial playthrough and countless hours revisiting scenes using the game's new Turning Point mechanic, it is finally time to dive into what Directive 8020 truly is and see if it was worth the nearly four-year wait since its initial teaser in 2022's The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me. Due to the nature of this title being a narrative-focused adventure, we will avoid major spoilers; however, it is also important to note that everyone playing will have their own unique experience. With multiple branching paths and minor alterations to scenes based on your past actions, there are many ways this title can play out, and that is truly part of the fun.

The Mission to Save Humanity

The story of Directive 8020 opens with a prologue that slowly introduces the player to the game's main setting—the spaceship Cassiopeia.

While the details are initially limited, the Cassiopeia is en route to a planet dubbed Tau Ceti f as part of a mission to colonize the world. Earth is currently in a bad state, and humanity's answer to its survival is to literally jump ship. While the Cassiopeia and its crew are not scheduled to land on the planet—as their ship only has enough fuel to observe the mysterious locale and return home—they are a vital part of the overall mission and are simply leading the charge. With the planet being roughly twelve light-years away from home, however, everyone on board knows they will not be returning for twenty-four years, which is a major commitment. For them personally, only four years will have passed due to the speed at which they are traveling, but they will not be returning to the same world they left. This difficult decision means fathers and mothers will return to children who are now grown adults, and friends or family may not even be awaiting their return. This initial setup is the cast's own "Turning Point" and is not something they can go back on. They have trained for years for this moment, and now their time to shine has arrived—though things do not go exactly as planned.

Despite most of the crew being in hibernation for the four-year journey, two crew members are left awake to monitor the ship and manage daily tasks. However, after a meteor crashes through multiple layers of the ship, the two are forced to step away from their peaceful, boring life in space to investigate. While the damage itself is severe, what neither realizes is that the giant space rock was the least of their problems, as a piece of unknown matter has come along for the ride. Shortly after repairs are complete, one of the crew members begins acting strangely and physically attacks the other, leading to a series of unforeseen events.

After a short time skip, the rest of the crew is awakened to find the Cassiopeia in a state of disarray. One crew member is found dead, leading the others to suspect the survivor of having a psychotic break during their four years of isolation, and the extent of the damage is also discovered. Now forced to look for their former friend and crewmate, the team manages their duties of observing Tau Ceti f as originally intended while attempting to locate the presumably rogue member of the team. However, things eventually take an unexpected turn.

The Mission, Survival, and the Unknown

As a horror game, Directive 8020 fully capitalizes on dramatic irony. From the very start, it is obvious to the player that something has infiltrated the ship. We are given quick glimpses of this unknown threat and know full well that whatever this "thing" is, it can apparently take on a human-like form. This story unfolds in the background while our protagonists deal with their own issues concerning the state of their mission.

Putting aside this unknown threat, everyone who signed on as part of the crew has their own story to tell, and their backgrounds often lead others to doubt their motives for being there. While some are well-known and seen as heroes thanks to their past actions, others were last-minute additions with little known about their pasts. This is where the player can choose how the crew members interact with each other, helping to either reinforce such concerns or alleviate them to ensure a smooth operation. Every character in the game has two destiny paths they can follow, and every decision will push them down one route or the other. This not only impacts the ending itself, but their stronger paths will also decide their future actions, locking out some choices before the player is even given an option. This is just one example of the many different ways the story can be changed, and the impact of these paths is not clear until such key moments arrive.

Moving past the characters themselves, there are multiple other mysteries at play. Messages from Earth can be found throughout the ship, providing further insights into what is actually happening back home and what led to the founding of the mission to Tau Ceti f. There are many secrets to discover to help uncover this story, encouraging exploration, and it does not take long for players to begin wondering about the mission itself. The doubt characters cast on each other begins to eat away at the player as well, often making you question your own decisions. Was it truly right to defend someone? Or were you just lying to yourself and trying to save the crew from a harsh reality? Again, this is something you have no way of knowing, but it is just another mystery to be discovered along the way.

In addition to the crew's drama, there is still the alien background story that works its way in through some truly surprising ways. As players, we know whatever it is can replicate itself and perfectly mimic anyone it wishes. Considering it is rare for the full crew to be in the same room together, you never truly know who is real and who is the impostor. In theory, it is possible for characters to be killed off-screen due to your choices and then be replaced—we would never know. As the crew members are completely unaware this is even going on, it leads to tense situations where you cannot help but wonder if someone's friend is truly a friend. Even after the eventual tipping point where all of the plotlines come together, you still never truly know what to expect, and this is where things become truly interesting. These characters' lives are in your hands, so you had better make the right choices if you want them to survive.

The Turning Point System and Character Deaths

Unlike previous entries in The Dark Pictures Anthology, Directive 8020 features a new mechanic called the Turning Point system. While players do have the option to turn this off, resulting in a classic playthrough experience up until the credits roll—at which point the Turning Point option does become unlocked after—leaving it on allows them to freely reverse decisions. If your action causes a character to die, or become disfigured, you can pause the game and jump back to the last major decision, or any point leading up to it. This encourages experimentation early on with your choices, and makes it easier to arrive at the "best" possible outcome in the story, but it isn't always as black and white as simply "choosing the other option."

For example, one earlier moment in the game will allow players to choose a specific action a character can take. At the time it doesn't seem too special, and the setup itself makes you question if the "smarter choice" is actually the more dangerous one. Whatever your choice is here will actually determine the fate of a character later on, meaning the only way to reverse this outcome would be to jump back to that specific point instead, and replay through everything that occurs after. This means giving up possibly hours of progress, with that time becoming longer and longer as the chapters progress. On the other hand some key decisions are as simple as "rewind the moment the character dies and do the opposite of what you've just done," so it's not like you're always going to have to go back far for a better outcome.

The only real down side to the Turning Point system is that it does in fact have the possibility of spoiling the current chapter for you. The flow-chart of a chapter unlocks the moment it begins, and players have the option of looking ahead at the criteria needed to obtain each path. While it doesn't specifically say the story events that occur leading to each point, it will mention details such as "if X character is alive" or "if players chose this option back in chapter 4." This is extremely helpful when it comes to obtaining all of the scenes in future playthroughs, but it is strongly recommended not reading ahead if you can help it. This game is best experienced mostly blind, so don't spoil yourself within the game itself.

Additionally it is important to note that main characters dying does not mean the end of the story, but rather a complete alteration of the events that follow. This is yet another way the game's story will branch off in different ways, but there's also an additional layer on top of this. As previously stated, what if your own choices lead to a character's death off screen? You have no way of knowing this, and that once again goes back to the question of "who is real?" Even if one arrives at the ending with an entire crew—assuming that is even possible—who is to say you are still human? Just another one of the many questions to consider while playing, and obviously we cannot tell you how this plays out, or if the situation even arises. This is something you will need to discover for yourself.

The Inclusion of Exploration and Stealth

Although the title is still a narrative-focused experience—meaning a lot of the game will be spent watching and reading the documents hidden throughout the world—there has been a major shift in the formula to include survival horror elements as well.

Throughout the story, there are moments where players take control of different members of the crew and can explore various sections of the ship. Along the way, the previously mentioned documents can be discovered, extra puzzles can be located and solved, and there are plenty of videos to stumble upon as well. Of course, the characters will also engage in banter while you are actively playing, and there is a message system where players can freely send messages to other members of the crew. These messages will often present choices that impact personality traits and shape your character's destiny while providing additional context to the story. Sometimes new message topics will also pop up based on the objects you choose to interact with on the ship, further encouraging players to search every nook and cranny.

Of course, these areas are not too large, but they will be returned to throughout the story, and sometimes the little details along the way can be a matter of life or death. For example, early on, broken glass can be seen on the ground, which makes loud crunching sounds when stepped on; that alone is enough to tip you off about upcoming stealth sections. When these moments arise, remembering where the glass is can help give you an advantage, but it is clearly visible even if you forget.

Speaking of stealth, Directive 8020 features many sections that require players to be sneaky, and that is where the challenge can arise. Early on, there are flash-forwards to future events where characters need to outmaneuver enemies, which serves as training for the more involved sections later in the game. Thankfully, a scanner allows players to see enemies through walls and behind objects, and devices can be activated or overloaded from a distance to create distractions. Additionally, enemy movements are often scripted, with obstacles placed perfectly to help avoid detection. If a random pile of boxes is in the middle of the room, there is a good chance all you need to do is crouch behind them to be safe, and more often than not, that will ring true. Vents can also be explored, which shifts the game to a first-person point of view while inside, and mini switch-flipping puzzles are often required for opening locked doors. Other times, a power cell is needed to restore power, but the game will help guide you to their locations. Ultimately, these sections are not too challenging and will only serve as a minor annoyance for those who are not typically fans of the genre—though sometimes getting caught can be an easy way to skip them, if you are willing to deal with the consequences.

The End is Only The Beginning

After Directive 8020 reaches its conclusion, players will be happy to know there are many reasons to return for future playthroughs. (And if you do not want to know the basic details of this, please feel free to skip this short section of the review.)

Again, due to how many branching paths are included here, there are many possible outcomes players can experience throughout the game. Each of these scenes—including the ones that put your crew in a dire state, which are honestly some of the more interesting moments in the game—will reveal more information about the story and help complete a clearer picture of what is truly going on. This isn't simply a game where one can reach the ending and know the complete story; it is a title that must be revisited time and time again until every possibility has been reached. Thankfully, players do not have to go it alone.

With the game's multiplayer mode, a group of friends can sit down and play together. This can result in some truly crazy situations, as one player may want to take the safer route while the others choose the "I'm a protagonist in a horror movie" choice. It is unpredictable how things will turn out, and even those who have played through the game once will get to see multiple new events along the way. It is a great way to enjoy the game and see it in a new light, but it's not the only major difference when it comes to replays.

As mentioned before, those who choose to play on the classic Survival Difficulty mode will unlock the Turning Point system upon reaching their first ending. Assuming specific conditions were met along the way, this "Clear Save" will allow all players to go back to the beginning of the game and re-experience the story in a new light. With new content being unlocked along the way, Directive 8020 does ultimately tie back into The Dark Pictures Anthology as a whole—it is set within the same universe, after all—but what this all entails is something players will need to discover for themselves. Either way, this is just another reason to do multiple complete playthroughs by using Turning Point to go back to the beginning, rather than simply using it to revisit specific scenes. It is unfortunate, however, that both the solo and multiplayer stories exist within their own save files—something players may want to keep in mind before beginning.

Should you play it?

Directive 8020 isn't a title that will appeal to everyone, and to be completely blunt, those who do not enjoy horror might want to think twice before considering this one. While it is surprisingly light on jump scares—not to say they do not happen from time to time—it is a title that does an amazing job of building tension and makes the most of its quieter moments to lead players into a false sense of security. Of course, there are moments with what can only be described as pure body horror as well, but that isn't the focus here, nor is it where the game truly shines. It is the characters themselves that drive this narrative, along with the underlying mystery that keeps Directive 8020 truly engaging from beginning to end.

When it comes to the gameplay, the stealth sections are what many might consider the weakest part, though this also comes down to personal preference. Those who do not enjoy stealth can take comfort in knowing the sections are short and mostly predictable, while fans of the genre might be left wanting more. These moments are great at building tension, however, and only further reinforce the game's overall horror elements. Ultimately, they are not the focus here, but rather a complement to the hours of exploration and cutscenes spaced between each section.

As for the story itself, it wastes no time hooking players from the get-go. While the introduction is a bit on the slower side, it is this initial setup that helps us become invested in these characters' lives and their mission to Tau Ceti f. When the rest of the crew is awakened from their slumber, and we as viewers already know not everything is right with the world, the game puts us on the edge of our seats constantly as we await the inevitable. With each character being exceptionally well-cast and featuring standout performances from everyone involved, the entire story is a joy to watch from beginning to end.

There's one scene in particular that stands out from all the rest. It was at this moment I found myself changing my opinion from "this is a fun time" to knowing this was a game fans of the genre should try to experience at least once. This is when I realized just how special Directive 8020 truly was, and I couldn't wait to go back and dive in to uncover all of its secrets.

Overall, Directive 8020 is simply captivating. With a story that invites players to question the very nature of the protagonists they control—and an alien that can impersonate anyone—the game is an intriguing tale about what awaits mankind beyond the comfort of our home on Earth. Even after the credits roll, there are plenty of secrets left to discover, and it is thanks to the Turning Point system that players can easily explore every branching path and outcome that awaits on the Cassiopeia.

VERDICT: Essential
Reviewed on PlayStation 5
Review Copy was Provided