gamesuki (ゲーム好き)

“Directive 8020” is the fifth installment in The Dark Pictures Anthology, an interactive drama and survival horror video game developed and published by Supermassive Games. This time, the horror ventures into the unsettling abyss of space, drawing inspiration from classic sci-fi horror films like Alien, Event Horizon, and The Thing.

The story follows the crew of the colony ship Cassiopeia, which crash-lands on Tau Ceti f, a planet 12 light-years from Earth, initially meant to be humanity’s last hope as Earth is dying. However, the crew quickly discovers they are far from alone. They are hunted by a terrifying alien organism capable of perfectly mimicking its prey, leading to intense paranoia and distrust among the survivors. Players will control five protagonists, whose choices will significantly alter the trajectory of the story and determine who lives and who dies.

The game features the series’ signature cinematic storytelling, branching narratives, and quick-time events (QTEs). New to this installment are “Turning Points,” an optional feature that allows players to rewind to pivotal moments and decisions to explore different outcomes without replaying the entire game. “Directive 8020” also introduces more real-time gameplay encounters and stealth mechanics, where players must evade deadly alien threats using improvised weapons, lightning reflexes, and stealth, as direct combat with the aliens is not the focus. Hollywood actor Lashana Lynch (known for Bob Marley: One Love, The Woman King) stars as Brianna “Young” Young, the pilot of the Cassiopeia.