Game overview
Directive 8020 is a third-person interactive drama and survival horror game developed by Supermassive Games. It is part of The Dark Pictures Anthology and is set in deep space aboard the colony ship Cassiopeia. The game follows five crew members who crash-land on Tau Ceti f, a planet 12 light years from Earth, where they are hunted by a shapeshifting alien organism capable of mimicking the people around them.
Gameplay
The game combines third-person exploration, stealth, quick-time events, and branching narrative choices. Player control shifts between the five protagonists across eight episodes.
- Stealth-focused movement through the ship and planet environment — the alien can detect light, so flashlight use carries risk.
- A scanner allows remote activation of electronics to distract enemies and solve environmental obstacles.
- A messenger device enables in-game communication with other crew members without breaking stealth.
- A wedge tool can open doors and, as a last resort, briefly stun enemies.
- Quick-time events appear throughout, alongside live combat sections intended to increase threat outside of scripted story moments.
- Player decisions alter character relationships, story trajectory, and can lead to permanent character deaths.
Branching structure
The story branches based on choices made throughout the game. A feature called Turning Points allows players to revisit pivotal decisions and explore alternative outcomes via a visible flowchart. Survivor Mode disables this rewind function for a single-path experience. Optional objectives appear based on prior decisions and can carry their own consequences.
Characters
The five playable protagonists are:
- Brianna Young — astronaut and co-pilot, portrayed by Lashana Lynch
- Nolan Stafford — ship commander, portrayed by Danny Sapani
- Laura Eisele — senior mission officer
- Samantha Cooper — medical specialist
- Josef Cernan — technical engineer