Directive 8020 | Xbox Review
I had been itching for a good sci-fi/horror game recently. Luckily, Supermassive Games had me covered with their newest release Directive 8020. Even though it’s not directly labeled as a Dark Pictures game, it is the latest entry into this unique anthology series. If you’re a fan of their previous titles, you’ll enjoy Directive 8020. Even if you weren’t crazy about the first batch of games, this standalone experience is worth diving into. The approximately eight hour narrative kept me hooked and on the edge of my seat.
The Thing Is…
Directive 8020 follows a crew of ten astronauts onboard a spaceship named the Cassiopeia. They’re on a mission to see if the planet Tau Ceti f can be colonized. Their journey is interrupted when they’re all awakened from their hyper sleep early, though. They soon discover that a mysterious life form has taken over the ship, and they must use their wits and strength to survive. To say any more would be to spoil this wonderful story. Just know that this feels heavily inspired by the classic film The Thing, with a dash of Alien thrown in for good measure. I felt the paranoia and unease just as much as the characters did onscreen. You never know who to trust or where a threat will come from.
A Wonderfully Horrific Time
If you’ve played any of Supermassive Games’ previous games, you know what to expect with most of the gameplay. This is largely a cinematic experience, with QTEs and decision making sprinkled throughout the unfolding narrative. There are two new aspects to this game, though. The first is Turning Points, which allow you to rewind time at critical points in the story. If you end up killing a character, say, and regret this action, you can jump back and make a different choice to spare their life. This is a wonderful feature if you’re not a fan of permadeath or want to experience different branches of the narrative. I only utilized this feature a couple of times, but it’s a welcome inclusion. You do need to play on Explorer mode to have this feature available, though.
The other new addition to this entry in the Dark Pictures anthology is the implementation of stealth segments. They’re added to help break up the gameplay, but I did find myself growing tired of them. They just feel overused. I found myself groaning after multiple times of being forced to sneak past the life form just to get to my next destination. Luckily, I played on Forgiving difficulty and had infinite defensive attacks available to me when I found myself inevitably discovered by the unknown entity searching for me. Even though I wasn’t a fan of the stealth sections, I can see other players enjoying these diversions from the typical gameplay.
As with other Supermassive games, you can choose to play solo or opt for multiplayer. I have no friends to play with locally and online multiplayer wasn’t available while I was playing, so I didn’t get to experience the aforementioned multiplayer or the up-to-five player couch co-op on offer. I can imagine that it would be a blast to pass the controller around and soak in the story with others.
Acting Out
The performances are solid, with wonderful turns from Lashana Lynch (Captain Marvel, No Time to Die), Danny Sapani (Black Panther), Lotte Verbeek (Outlander), and the rest of the outstanding cast. The soundtrack of rock/pop songs was also excellent, and the audio design was wonderful. The true standout was the gorgeous graphics, though. Everything looks photorealistic and the smallest details really pop. I felt like I was truly on the Cassiopeia with the crew.
The Final Verdict
Directive 8020 is a wonderfully tense and atmospheric entry in the Dark Pictures anthology series. I adored the sci-fi/horror narrative and found myself caring for the crew members. The typical Supermassive gameplay is solid, with the addition of Turning Points and stealth segments added to freshen things up. I grew tired of the stealth aspect after a while, but it’s nice that Supermassive is trying new things in their games. The performances are great, and are bolstered by fantastic graphics and wonderful audio design. If you’re a fan of games of this nature or are looking for a great sci-fi horror experience, Directive 8020 is beckoning you forth into its orbit.
To hear me talk more about Directive 8020, be sure to listen to the May 19th, 2026 episode of The Gaming Outsider Podcast.
This review is based on an Xbox Series X/S copy of Directive 8020 provided by Sandbox Strategies for coverage purposes. It is also available on PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam.
Directive 8020
$49.99
Pros
- Interesting Narrative
- New Gameplay Mechanics Freshen Things Up
- Solid Performances
- Wonderful Audio and Visuals
Cons
- Stealth Segments Felt Overused
