PlayStation 5 Critic Reviews

Directive 8020 is a love letter to the space horror that looks beyond just going bump in the night. The distrust sown across the small team, the dialogue choices, and the interactions all craft a game that feels like it belongs on the shelf alongside titles like Dead Space, Sunshine, Event Horizon, and even The Thing.

Directive 8020 is by far one of the best games Supermassive has made, with an engaging story and characters and choices that carry a lot of weight.

Directive 8020 is that perfect short experience that can break up your gaming rut, with its eight episodes of intense storytelling, each around 1-2 hours in length. You can stop there or go back for more, exploring alternate pathways in a way I’m rarely drawn to, but I immediately felt compelled to do after reaching one of Directive 8020’s conclusions. You can play the game multiplayer if you wish, either in couch co-op or online, although the former is obviously the way to go for the ultimate communal horror experience. However you choose to play, please do, as you don’t want to be the one left behind on this doomed planet once the Cassiopea starts its voyage.

Directive 8020 is by far the best Dark Pictures game, embracing more stealth gameplay, making the branching story feel seamless, and setting a new bar for the genre.

Directive 8020 kicks off this new season of The Dark Pictures Anthology in style with a well-executed sci-fi horror journey, featuring revamped gameplay that pulls the player out of the role of spectator and turns them into a full-fledged participant. Can we talk about a Supermassive 2.0 formula? In any case, Directive 8020 is clearly heading in that direction.

Supermassive Games takes the Dark Pictures series into space with Directive 8020, and with the introduction of new gameplay elements such as stealth, you're more immersed in the action than ever before. Add in its brilliant presentation and gripping story and you have one of the best Dark Pictures games yet, and a must play for fans of space-horror.

Directive 8020 is a near-perfect advancement of Supermassive Games’ tried and tested formula, with added stealth, puzzling, and adventure elements really boosting player agency. Outside of a couple of jump scares, the game’s narrative relies on tension and dread compared to The Dark Pictures franchise’s typical brand of horror, but the game is all the richer for this, rooting itself in tangibility and fears that plague us all. Decisions are difficult to make with thrilling consequences that are both a joy and devastating to watch play out. Add in great performances from the cast and impressive visuals, and it’s hard to see Directive 8020 as anything other than a hit.

To sum up, Directive 8020 is a brilliant new step in the Dark Pictures Anthology. It is a chilling, haunting sci fi horror mystery, with great twist and turns. Refined and polished gameplay and awe inspiring visuals help make this title the best in the series to date. Supermassive are the kings of the interactive horror genre and despite the short length and lack of shared story, this is my favourite entry in the series.

Directive 8020 is a major step forward for The Dark Pictures Anthology. The story is engaging, the production values are excellent, and the added gameplay mechanics make this the most interactive entry in the series so far. The stealth sections can become a bit repetitive, but they never get in the way of what is still a tense and highly entertaining sci-fi horror survival adventure.

Directive 8020 represents a significant leap forward not only for Supermassive Games and the Dark Pictures Anthology, but for horror adventure games in general. The story follows the terrifying events of a catastrophic mission to colonize a new planet. The player has complete freedom to shape the characters' personalities and destinies: the "Turning Points" mechanic allows you to change your choices and rewind the plot at any time, exploring its many twists and turns. The gameplay is more varied and engaging, with a focus on direction and a cinematic experience. The story isn't particularly original, and the stealth sections disrupt the idyll, but overall it's a solid adventure that didn't disappoint.