Reviews and Scores Are In for Directive 8020, the New Space Horror from the Creators of Until Dawn
Hennadiy Chemеris
The first critic scores for Directive 8020, the latest interactive sci-fi horror from Supermassive Games (the team behind Until Dawn), have landed on Metacritic. The game currently holds an average score of 71.
Review Scores:
- But Why Tho? — 95/100
- TheSixthAxis — 90/100
- Gaming Boulevard — 85/100
- XGN — 85/100
- CGMagazine — 85/100
- Gamereactor UK — 80/100
- Radio Times — 80/100
- PlayStation LifeStyle — 80/100
- SpazioGames — 80/100
- The Games Machine — 75/100
- MonsterVine — 70/100
- Retcon — 70/100
- TechRadar Gaming — 70/100
- PlayStation Universe — 70/100
- Destructoid — 65/100
- Stevivor — 60/100
- Metro GameCentral — 60/100
- Game Informer — 50/100
- Push Square — 50/100
Directive 8020 is by far the best Dark Pictures game, embracing more stealth gameplay, making the branching story feel seamless, and setting a new bar for the genre.
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 a welcome evolution of Supermassive’s The Dark Pictures Anthology survival horror series, offering a more forgiving gameplay experience, improved visuals, and new stealth elements. While the core of the gameplay remains, fans may feel divided on these new additions, as the game leans into more traditional survival horror elements than previous titles, but doesn’t quite hit the mark when weighed up against other heavyweights in the sci-fi genre.
I was too busy questioning character decisions (theirs, not mine), rolling my eyes, and grappling with an overwhelming feeling of déjà vu to ever enjoyably engage in Directive 8020.
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 a cinematic sci-fi horror game from Supermassive Games, set aboard the colony ship Cassiopeia as it journeys toward Tau Ceti in search of a new home for humanity. After disaster strikes, the crew faces an alien threat capable of taking human form, turning distrust among the survivors into a key part of the story.
The game emphasizes a branching narrative where player choices shape the outcome, along with stealth mechanics and survival under constant threat. It’s a darker, more intense project in Supermassive’s signature interactive movie style, focusing on psychological horror and a strong sci-fi atmosphere.
Directive 8020 is set to release on May 12 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Previously, the developers have also showcased how the game looks on PS5 Pro.
What do you think of the first reviews for Directive 8020 — do they live up to your expectations for the new entry in The Dark Pictures, or were you hoping Supermassive would take a bolder step forward in the sci-fi horror genre?
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Sci-Fi Horror Directive 8020 Launches, Featuring a Shape-Shifting Alien Hunting the Crew -
NVIDIA Showcases Directive 8020 Trailer Highlighting Path Tracing and DLSS 4.5 — How Important Is This? -
New Trailer for Horror Game Directive 8020 from the Creators of Until Dawn and The Quarry Highlights PS5 Pro Version -
Directive 8020 Walkthrough: All Episodes, Choices, and Secrets -
One Controller for Five Players: Supermassive Shows Co-op Trailer for Directive 8020 — Launching May 12