Of all the games that I have been pining for over the last year, Directive 8020 has been near the top of the list consistently. Another horror choose your own adventure game from Supermassive Games, the masterminds behind The Dark Pictures Anthology and Until Dawn, Directive 8020 brings terror to the final frontier! After a delay and a hiccup along the development path, we are finally able to bask in the screams that emanate throughout the decks of the Cassiopeia as the final frontier pushes back. Does this game live up to the rather stellar reputation of Supermassive Games? Let’s dive in and find out!

For those who don’t know, Directive 8020 is a sci-fi horror choose-your-own-adventure game that takes place in a near future where Earth is dying. This bleak future has caused humanity to reach out across the stars in the hope of finding Goldilocks planets that can support human life and serve as new homes for those who remain. One of these Goldilocks planets, designated Tau Ceti f, is the target of the Cassiopeia. Intended to be an advanced scout ship ahead of another colony ship, everything is going smoothly until an unknown object slams into the Cassiopeia. While the damage at first is great but manageable, things soon take a turn for the worse as it was no simple asteroid that collided with the ship. Now the crew must do what they can to outwit a dangerous prey that seems intent on wiping out everyone on board. 

At first glance, the structure of this game is common to most choose-your-own-adventure games. There are a series of decisions that you make, some big and some small, but all of them lead to a climactic conclusion that results in a variety of different endings with often very bloody consequences. The developers have added two unique things that truly put a twist on Directive 8020. The first is a rewind feature, which gives me Max Caulfield vibes, where you can go back to your most recent decision and try something else if you are unsatisfied with the way things played out.

This is only available for certain playthroughs, which, for my first one, I opted out of since I wanted to live with my own decisions to start. The second thing that the developers added is a decision path map. This shows off how many decisions there are, what possible scenarios you have or haven’t encountered yet due to said decisions, and how many possible decisions there are for each chapter. This map also serves as a useful way for all the achievement hunters out there to keep track of how many collectibles and secrets they have gotten along the way in each possible scenario. 

With any good horror game or movie, there is always one looming and simple question over the project: Is it scary? The simple answer is yes. There are certainly some things that are meant to be scary that didn’t quite get to me, but perhaps that is because I have watched the trailers for this game way too much not to be too caught off guard by what to expect. Sometimes the unexpected would scare me, but the thing that truly works for this game is the sense of dread and impending doom. Every chapter brings plenty of gruesome deaths and fates for the crew, but there is also a great sense of tension that something worse is always around the corner as the alien lifeform that stalks the ship changes.

The great thing is that the art, acting, gameplay elements, and sound design all come together beautifully in order to immerse you within the world of Directive 8020. Some questionable things can happen story-wise when you are not in control of various characters, but it is my belief that these things primarily happen due to the decisions that you make for each of the characters when you are in control of them. The thing that I was sadly not able to experiment with was the Movie Night Mode since I got my key late. I feel like any form of multiplayer in these games can always be a mixed bag for the horror aspect, but also always leads to some form of comedy gold.

Is this the best horror game that Supermassive Games has ever put out? I am not qualified enough to answer that question, primarily because I have not personally played all of the games. Is this game worth the $50 price tag? Certainly, if you are a fan of all things horror or a fan of Supermassive Games. If you aren’t, then it might be prudent to wait for a sale but this is definitely one of the best choose-your-own-adventure games so you better not spoil yourself with any of the videos or articles that you see online discussing the endings of this game. If you are looking for other space-faring articles, consider checking out Edward’s coverage of the upcoming Star Fox Remake right here.

A PC review copy of Directive 8020 was provided by Supermassive Games for this review.

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Directive 8020

49.99

8

Score

8.0/10

Pros

• Great Overall Horror Design
• Impactful Decisions
• A Variety of Characters
• Wonderful Choice Map

Cons

• Not All Horror Moments Landed
• Best Played with Controller