The Next Dark Pictures Game, Directive 8020, Gives Players What They’ve Long Awaited

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In the continuing saga of The Dark Pictures Anthology, we’ve reached our fifth spine-tingling tale. According to Supermassive Games’ creative director Will Doyle, as long as fans continue purchasing these terrifying tales, The Dark Pictures will persist. He also mentioned that the team has over 39 distinct horror subgenres they’re eager to explore in the future. However, the upcoming installment, Directive 8020, takes a unique twist by being set aboard a spaceship, and contrary to my expectations of Alien or Event Horizon-like gameplay, it bears a stronger resemblance to The Thing.

Ever since we created Until Dawn in 2015, there has been a constant demand from fans for us to develop ‘The Thing.’ The mechanics of our games align perfectly with this concept. We have multiple characters that players can control, multiplayer aspects where you play as different characters, and choices that impact the game. This ‘Who do you trust?’ dynamic fits seamlessly into the type of games we produce.

Doyle is correct; it’s an excellent match. In the multiplayer version of this game, each player gets to control one or several characters. Essentially, these characters become your responsibility, in a way. It’s challenging when you lose your character, but your companions continue with theirs. Usually, all the playable characters can either survive or perish, so there’s always been a thrilling social aspect to The Dark Pictures: Who can keep their people alive?

Introducing a trust system infuses an engaging dimension into this setup. During my presentation at Summer Game Fest Play Days, I was faced with a dilemma: whether to fire upon a character who could potentially be a crewmate disguised as an alien. Although my demo was solo, it became evident that the tension surrounding such decisions would escalate significantly in multiplayer scenarios.

In a different scenario, the individual managing the suspected entity might endorse them, yet unlike the game ‘Among Us’, where each participant is aware of their role and could choose to conceal or mislead others, here, participants are kept in the dark. You might fervently uphold your character’s innocence, potentially saving their life by persuading another player to spare them from danger. However, this alien entity could later unveil its true form, revealing itself as a creature that bites heads off, even of those who had given it mercy.

In a unique turn for this series, which typically offers interactive, horror-movie-like experiences, this fresh twist could revitalize it for many future installments. As a devoted horror fan, I’ve always looked forward to new Dark Pictures releases, even if some entries are better than others. Just like a Final Destination sequel, the less successful ones still manage to be enjoyable. Directive 8020 will need to impress with more than just its enigmatic monster, but this unexpected twist in a formula I thought I’d mastered is a refreshing change.

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2025-06-09 20:39