Directive 8020

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Directive 8020
Directive 8020 cover art.jpg
Box art featuring Brianna Young, one of the game's five protagonists
Developer(s) Supermassive Games
Publisher(s) Supermassive Games
Director(s) Will Doyle
Composer(s) Jason Graves
Series The Dark Pictures Anthology
Engine Unreal Engine 5 [1]
Platform(s)
Release2 October 2025
Genre(s) Interactive drama, survival horror
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Directive 8020 is an upcoming interactive drama and survival horror video game developed and published by Supermassive Games. It is the first game of the second season, and the fifth game overall in The Dark Pictures Anthology . Continuing the series' premise, the game features a cast of five playable protagonists and a multilinear narrative influenced by player choices. Its decision-making scenes can significantly alter the trajectory of the plot and change the relationships between the main characters; some can lead to the permanent death of the protagonists. In Directive 8020, a colony ship called Cassiopeia crash lands on Tau Ceti f, a planet that is 12 light-years from Earth. Lashana Lynch, who plays astronaut and pilot of the Cassiopeia, Brianna Young, is being marketed as the game's leading actress. Directive 8020 will be released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on 2 October 2025.

Contents

Gameplay

Directive 8020 is an interactive drama and survival horror game presented from a third-person perspective. Player control switches between the protagonists, crew of a colony ship called Cassiopeia, which crash lands on Tau Ceti f, a planet that is 12 light-years from Earth. The surviving crew members are scattered after being brought out of hypersleep early. [2] [3] Like previous games in the series, narrative choices and quick time events (QTEs) return, but Directive 8020 includes stealth sections mixed in, as well as a variety of tools that can be used, including a scanner. The scanner is used to spot an alien that is capable of mimicking the appearances of the crew. A Sonic Screwdriver-like remote is also included to activate nearby electronics that can be used to distract enemies. Character movement has been reworked to feel "smoother on the sticks" accodrding to creative director Will Doyle. Doyle also added that the game features "stronger survival horror action adventure elements to the gameplay". [3] [4]

Development

Directive 8020 is the fifth game in a series of eight planned for The Dark Pictures Anthology . [5] It will be the first game in the anthology's second season. [6] By mid-October 2022, the game was entering production with a lot of data already shot. [7]

Story and design

The game stars Lashana Lynch as Brianna Young, an astronaut and pilot of a colony ship called Cassiopeia that crash lands on Tau Ceti f, a planet that is 12 light-years away after setting out to look for a new home to save humanity due to Earth being in the process of dying. [1] [2] Doyle described Directive 8020 as " The Thing in deep space". [8] [9] Doyle stated that the game also takes inspiration from other sci-fi horror films including Solaris (1972), Alien (1979), Event Horizon (1997), Pandorum (2009), Prometheus (2012), Life (2017), and Sputnik (2020). Other influences include H. P. Lovecraft's cosmic horrors. [8] [10] There was a NASA directive 8020.7G that was about biological contamination control for outbound and inbound planetary spacecraft. However, the directive expired in June 2022. [11]

Casting

Lashana Lynch (pictured in 2019), who plays Brianna Young, is being marketed as the game's leading actress. Lashana Lynch interview 2019.jpg
Lashana Lynch (pictured in 2019), who plays Brianna Young, is being marketed as the game's leading actress.

Directive 8020 continues the trend of the anthology by casting a recognizable face as the lead character. Doyle said they were lucky to have Lynch and that she brought "incredible power and depth" to the role of Brianna Young. [8] Danny Sapani plays the captain of the Cassiopeia, Commander Stafford. [12]

Music

Jason Graves (pictured in 2016) reprises his role as composer for The Dark Pictures Anthology. Jason Graves -- Game Developers Conference 2016 -- 18 March 2016 (cropped).jpg
Jason Graves (pictured in 2016) reprises his role as composer for The Dark Pictures Anthology.

The soundtrack will be composed by Supermassive Games' long-time collaborator Jason Graves, who previously worked on music for the previous games in The Dark Pictures Anthology. [13] [ better source needed ]

Release

Directive 8020 was first revealed in a post-credits teaser trailer at the end of The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me , [14] [15] which was released on 18 November 2022. [16] However, the trailer leaked online the day before The Devil in Me's release, revealing a sci-fi setting. [15] [17] On 31 December 2023, a short video teaser for the game was posted to celebrate New Year's Eve. [18] At Gamescom in August 2024, the game was officially announced. [2] [19] Directive 8020 will be released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on 2 October 2025. [20]

References

  1. 1 2 Romano, Sal (20 August 2024). "Directive 8020: A Dark Pictures Game Launches in 2025 for PS5, Xbox Series, and PC". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 20 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 McDonald, Dan (20 August 2024). "Directive 8020 Launches on PS5 in 2025". PlayStation Blog . Sony Interactive Entertainment. Archived from the original on 20 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  3. 1 2 Phillips, Tom (23 August 2024). "Directive 8020 Is a Notable Upgrade to the Dark Pictures Anthology's Formula". Eurogamer . Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 23 August 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  4. ↑ Ruiz, Fran (3 December 2024). "Directive 8020: Everything We Know About Supermassive's Sci-Fi Horror Game". Space.com . Future plc. Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  5. ↑ Skrebels, Joe (11 July 2019). "Until Dawn Developer's Dark Pictures Anthology Is Planned for 8 Games". IGN . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 11 July 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  6. ↑ Romano, Sal (17 November 2022). "The Dark Pictures Anthology: Directive 8020 Announced". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 17 November 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  7. ↑ Jones, Rebecca (25 November 2022). "Urban Legends and Modern Myths: Supermassive on How The Dark Pictures Anthology Ties Together". Rock, Paper, Shotgun . Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 17 March 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 Addison, Luke (15 October 2024). "Directive 8020's Will Doyle on Lashana Lynch's Casting, the Departure to Some New Unreal Engine 5 Powered Mechanics, and a "Backlog of Ideas" for the Future (Interview)". Fandom Wire. Archived from the original on 27 November 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  9. ↑ Gould-Wilson, Jasmine (4 September 2024). "Supermassive Describes Directive 8020 as "The Thing in Space," but Even With the Survival Horror Elements, it's a Dark Pictures Game Through and Through". GamesRadar+ . Archived from the original on 4 September 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  10. ↑ Doyle, Will (7 October 2024). "The Dark Pictures: Directive 8020 Boss Talks Revamped Gameplay and Real-Life Inspirations" (Interview). Interviewed by Leane, Rob. Radio Times Gaming . Retrieved 14 January 2025– via YouTube.
  11. ↑ "NASA Policy Directive 8020.7G". NASA . 25 November 2008. Archived from the original on 21 May 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  12. ↑ Amoroso, Dan; Duckworth, Joshua (30 August 2024). "Directive 8020 Dev Talks Taking Dark Pictures Series into Space". Game Rant . Valnet. Archived from the original on 21 November 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  13. ↑ "Jason Graves Credits". JasonGraves.com . Archived from the original on 27 January 2025. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  14. ↑ Sinha, Ravi (17 November 2022). "The Dark Pictures Anthology: Directive 8020 Unveiled in Post-Credits Scene for The Devil in Me". GamingBolt. Archived from the original on 17 November 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  15. 1 2 Raynor, Kelsey (17 November 2022). "A Teaser Trailer for The Dark Pictures Anthology's Next Game, Directive 8020, Has Leaked". VG247 . Gamer Network Limited. Archived from the original on 17 November 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  16. ↑ Dinsdale, Ryan (24 August 2022). "The Dark Pictures: The Devil In Me Arrives this November". IGN . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 24 August 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  17. ↑ Moyse, Chris (17 November 2022). "The Dark Pictures Teases Season 2 Premiere Directive 8020". Destructoid . Gamurs. Archived from the original on 17 November 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  18. ↑ The Dark Pictures [@TheDarkPictures] (31 December 2023). "As Earth makes another rotation around the Sun, and we look to the stars on #NewYearsEve, you have to wonder what else is out there...🪐 #TheDarkPictures" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 22 January 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2024– via Twitter.
  19. ↑ Wales, Matt (20 August 2024). "Supermassive's Dark Pictures Series Returns in 2025 With Sci-Fi Horror Directive 8020". Eurogamer . Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 20 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  20. ↑ Phillips, Tom (12 February 2025). "Until Dawn Developer Announces Release Date for Sci-Fi Horror Directive 8020". Eurogamer . Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 12 February 2025. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
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