The Dark Pictures Anthology: Directive 8020 Reviews
Directive 8020 had some serious potential, but it fails to conjure up anything of any real substance. There are little sparks of enjoyment in there, and I liked the Cassiopeia's gradual descent into a gloopy, fleshy hell. But a dull setting, uninteresting characters, and overly simplistic gameplay segments left me fairly uninterested in seeing how else I could play out this branching narrative experience.
Directive 8020 is Supermassive Games doing what it does best: making a horror adventure out of genre fiction. In this case, it’s body-snatching, Alien-hunting sci-fi and a diminishing crew under increasing pressure. Both its setting and time-jumping narrative construction make it unique, but it never strays very far from the constraints of its inspirations. Impressive visuals, effective performances and generally polished mechanics are countered by a muted tone, some dull exploration sequences and stealth. The game’s pacing and momentum sometimes feel out of whack. Still, both fans of Supermassive’s approach to storytelling and classic sci-fi will enjoy their time on Tau Ceti f.
It's dingy and it's not without some mutations, but Directive 8020 is definitely worth exploring - just expect the mundane along the way.
A few cheap jump scares aside, nothing about Directive 8020 is surprising: In fact, if you glimpse at the game’s Turning Points menu, a shiny flowchart of events, you can see everything that’s going to happen in a given chapter.
Directive 8020 may not be the revolution some were hoping for, but it still stands out as an interesting evolution of The Dark Pictures formula. With this new title, Supermassive Games tries new things and experiments, offering us a narratively gripping adventure, though its gameplay unfortunately suffers from an approach that's far too formulaic. It's still a solid popcorn game, however, and will certainly appeal to fans of the genre and those who enjoy slightly goofy horror experiences.
Review in French | Read full review
The Dark Pictures Anthology builds on some established features—the horror feel, the focus on plot and characters, and the narrative forks—as well as significant new features, most notably a new setting and revamped gameplay. Unfortunately, this desire for innovation hasn't been fully realized, as Directive 8020's stealth mechanics are too basic to sustain the large number of sequences that utilize them, and the sci-fi setting remains anchored to banal stylistic elements that prevent the title from standing out from the crowd. The narrative fails to build the gravitas that should characterize a rescue mission for the entire human race, but it picks up slightly with a body horror ending and an interesting twist. The new Turning Point map is a godsend for completionists, who can finally explore every nook and cranny of the story without having to replay entire chapters needlessly. On the graphics and performance front, Supermassive has done a good job, despite the lackluster art design.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Directive 8020 does a lot correctly, but tends to get in its own way instead of letting the player sit in the uncomfortableness. The new Turning Point system makes exploring new outcomes a breeze.
Stop me if you've heard this one. Earth is drained to the lees, people are pissed. No amount of green-bin attentiveness and cycle-to-work scheming h...
Directive 8020 was supposed to mark a new chapter for The Dark Pictures anthology, but the gulf between this game and The Quarry is so wide it’s as if they’d been made by completely different studios. The subject matter was highly promising, but ultimately only a few plot threads made the time spent with Directive 8020 not entirely wasted. I haven't seen such a mediocre space horror film in ages – where, this time, no one could hear me yawn.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Directive 8020 imbues every interaction in trust and paranoia, delivering emotional turbulence and atmospheric dread that's only overshadowed by inconsistent mechanics.
Directive 8020 feels like Supermassive Games has finally rejuvenated after the disappointing The Devil In Me. With this being the start of season two, this is a great showing, and I can’t wait to see what horrors they bring us next
Directive 8020 is very much a Dark Pictures Anthology game through and through. This sci-fi entry isn't vastly different enough to alter Supermassive Games' formula but steps in the right direction still make it an entertaining horror to play with company.
A journey that you never knew you needed, but one that you will be glad to have taken, once the fear subsides.
Hyped as a combination of the horror of Alien and the paranoia of The Thing, Directive 8020 does neither well.
Directive 8020 represents the best that The Dark Pictures games have had to offer thus far, proving that Supermassive Games is right at home within sci-fi horror. If you’re a fan of the studio’s previous games, this is an absolute must-play.
Directive 8020 is Supermassive's most ambitious choose-your-own-adventure in both tone and gameplay to date. Disappointingly, poor voice acting, boring characters and a simple gameplay loop means that it doesn't live up to its potential.
Directive 8020 marks a noticeable technical leap for The Dark Pictures Anthology, with impressive visual fidelity and a chapter based structure that fits the experience well. The new Turning Points system also makes it much easier to track branching paths and piece together the story. Unfortunately, the same long standing issues still hold it back: the script falls apart under scrutiny, the new interactive mechanics feel shallow, and the "something among us" premise never becomes more than a surface level hook.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
The overall plot, cast and character dynamics carry the story forward, and the bug-free experience, full stealth gameplay and other new mechanics set a new standard for future Supermassive games.
Directive 8020 may not reach the stars, but it still delivers a thrilling sci-fi horror ride
At the end of the day, Directive 8020 is just the first game in the second season of the Dark Pictures games. My complaints about the ending could be resolved in future games, or it might just be a one-off issue. I would have liked to see the game have a bit more accessibility options.