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Any horror fan worth their salt will know ofThe Dark Pictures Anthology,a series of games more immersive than your average video game. Various settings and theme are present throughout the series, but one thing doesn’t change; the utter horror and terror present.
After a long break since the end of season one withThe Devil in Me,Supermassive Games are returning withDirective 8020,a sci-fi epic horror tale featuring the Hollywood talents of Lashana Lynch, all slapped with aJohn Carpenter’s The Thing(in space) veil of terror, guaranteed to break your brain and terrify in equal measure. We spoke to the game (and series) Creative Director Will Doyle about all thingsDirective 8020.
[This was a written interview, so some answers have been edited for brevity/clarity.]
Lashana Lynch is the Latest in Hollywood Castings to Hit the Interactive Screen
For the readers of FandomWire who may not be aware of who you are and what Directive 8020 is, would you mind explaining?
I’m Will Doyle, the game’s Creative Director.Directive 8020is a narrative sci-fi survival horror with meaningful choices, set in deep space. At its heart, it’s a ‘choices matter’ game, with our trademark cinematic branching storyline, impossible choices, and deep character dynamics.
However, inDirective 8020, we’ve introduced deadly real-time threats to exploration, so your characters have much more jeopardy leveled against them than before. To survive, you’ll need to sneak past and overcome aliens that can spot you, hunt you down, and kill you if they catch you.
What’s the story behind the game?
Think of it asJohn Carpenter’s The Thingin deep space. Hunted by an alien capable of mimicking its prey, the crew of the Cassiopeia must outwit their pursuers to survive. Players need to evade real-time threats and decide who to trust when anyone could be a deadly extraterrestrial impostor.
Why is there a ship full of astronauts at this time?
In our story, Earth is dying, and the planet Tau Ceti f has become humanity’s last hope. This new world is going to be terraformed and colonized, but first, your crew needs to survey it from space in their reconnaissance ship, the Cassiopeia.
Games with meaningful choices often tackle thought-provoking themes, and sci-fi is such a creative genre to do this in. So, you’ll face deep choices such as “Would you return to Earth and risk carrying back a deadly lifeform, or die in space to prevent it from spreading to Earth?” It’s also a genre that is filled with high-tech disasters, which make for good dilemmas.
You’re trying to gather data for a colony ship following six months behind – under no circumstances can you land the Cassiopeia on the planet. Of course, as this is a Supermassive Games story, things don’t go to plan, and your crew ends up crash landing. This is where their expertise, relationships, and trust are truly tested.
How did the Lashana Lynch casting come to be? While notable castings are nothing new for The Dark Pictures Anthology, this may be the biggest coup so far.
We’re delighted that Lashana Lynch agreed to star inDirective 8020. She’s been exceptional in her many roles thus far, includingBob Marley: One Love, No Time To Die, Captain Marvel,andThe Woman King.
Her star is very much on the rise and we’re very lucky to have her onboard! InDirective 8020, she brought incredible power and depth to the role of pioneering astronaut, Brianna Young, and we’re immensely proud of her performance.
Gruesome and gory deaths are the order of the franchise, but is there a number of unique deaths that you’d know in Directive 8020?
There are a variety of horrific deaths planned – we’re still pinning the numbers down, but there are probably more deaths here than in our previousDark Picturesgames.
There are so many exciting sub-genres of horror to explore – trust us, we have a long backlog of ideas.
Within the game’s intricate branching narrative and multiple potential outcomes, there’s a range of disturbing deaths for the characters, including having their heads crushed by the alien hunter, or falling into the limitless abyss of the cosmos.
How many endings are there?
All the characters on the ship can live or die. If you lose a character, the story moves on without them: this means that in the final chapters of the game, you can have any combination of characters still alive – so there are dozens of permutations in just that factor alone. On top of this, we also have multiple outcomes for the mission itself.
The game features a massive departure of sorts, with real time reactions and events being front and center, compared to purely QTE sequences, allowing for some fresh gameplay ideas and features. What prompted this?
Primarily, we want our games to scare our players. We know that there’s nothing more terrifying than being in direct ‘on the sticks’ control of your character, with a monster lurking out there. It’s an evolution we’ve been working towards across the first four games, but this is a real giant leap forward for us.
That said, it is still very much a narrative game! Everything you love aboutDark Picturesis still present: cinematic sequences and pacing, QTEs, meaningful choices, secrets to find, and narrative branching. We’ve just threaded moments of direct control through this where you confront the alien threat in person.
How do you expect players to respond to the changes? The stealth section shown during the Gamescom demo was tension-filled and atmospheric. Other than stealth, what other mechanics are involved?
Our fans will love it! It’s still a Dark Pictures game, but now you’re able to never feel truly safe. And for those who prefer a more relaxed game, there are plenty of accessibility options – including a ‘safe’ mode that ensures you always survive the stealth sections (don’t worry, there are plenty of other ways to die!).
As for other features, we’ve also introduced a number of tools, including a text messenger, a remote control that lets you hack computers from a distance, and a scanner that detects electronics. Throughout the game, you can use these to locate secrets, solve puzzles, and overcome enemies. Most of your tools are linked to a multifunctional utility strap your character wears on their wrist. The strap also controls a shoulder-mounted flashlight – but you’ll need to be careful using this, as the aliens can spot the beam.
The Mimic is Only the Beginning of the Nightmare
The Mimic was explained and shown briefly in the demo. One thing that wasn’t clear though, is whether there is only one hunting the team, or is it a force of them?
Obviously, I don’t want to spoil things too much, but I can reveal that you’ll face multiple threats. This creature can assume human form and pose as any one of your crew, so in the more narrative sections of the game, it’s sometimes up to you to figure out who is a mimic and who is real.
Space has allowed us to create a whole new environment for the series, push boundaries, and immerse players in totally different ways – from the excitement and apprehension of taking your first steps on a new planet to facing off with alien hunters in the dark, vast corridors of the Cassiopeia.
It can also shed that human appearance to become something far more horrific – across the story, we’ve really leaned into body horror to conjure up some truly horrible forms for this thing.
The Mimic can travel through the spores invading the environment, resulting in some seriously scary moments. How can players combat that?
Evasion is key inDirective 8020, as you have limited resources to fight back against the alien hunters. We want to keep players on their toes, so the alien can move through the growth invading the ship from appearing from anywhere. When you face it, you often have choices – such as sneak around it, distract it with your tools, or use your stun baton!
Are there any nods to the previous games?
All the games in the Dark Pictures exist in the same world.Directive 8020is no different, and there are plenty of easter eggs linking this game to the others. Over time, we’re building a deep mythology around the series – and this game really pushes that mythology into new spaces!
What inspirations were there behind the game?
Sci-Fi horror has a unique following and there are many iconic movies that we can pull inspiration from. Our main inspiration isJohn Carpenter’s The Thing, but there are nods to many others, includingEvent Horizon, Alien,andPrometheus(even some lesser-known titles, such asPandorumandSputnik!). I’m a big fan of the written works of H.P. Lovecraft, so you’ll find some of his cosmic horror influences there too.
During the demo, you mentioned optional missions. What examples are there of these, and how do they affect the story?
Throughout the game, there are a handful of optional objectives, mainly based on the game’s branching. You may discover these based on your previous actions, or they may trigger new consequences if you undertake them.
With other games in the franchise pretty much everyone can die for good at any point. Is this the case again?
Yes, anyone can live or die – it’s up to you! And this time around, even the key non-playable characters on your crew can live or die too, based on your actions.
How does couch co-op play here? Are we able to take control of one or more characters?
Horror is a social genre, and we want to make sure players can experience it together. So, yes, you’re able to play with your friends, each controlling a different character. The playable crew is shared between the available players, and you pass the controller whenever a new character becomes playable.
Will The Curator be returning once again?
The Curator was a mysterious presence throughout season one, and for now, we’re going to have to remain mysterious about his presence in this game. All I can say is“Watch this space”.
Directive 8020 is a departure in a lot of ways, but perhaps the biggest is the genre. What prompted the jump to sci-fi?
Games with meaningful choices often tackle thought-provoking themes, and sci-fi is such a creative genre to do this in. So, you’ll face deep choices such as“Would you return to Earth and risk carrying back a deadly lifeform, or die in space to prevent it from spreading to Earth?”It’s also a genre that is filled with high-tech disasters, which make for good dilemmas.
Her star is very much on the rise and we’re very lucky to have her onboard! In Directive 8020, she brought incredible power and depth to the role of pioneering astronaut, Brianna Young, and we’re immensely proud of her performance.
The Future, The Curator and More
What other genres might you look to explore in the future?
There are so many exciting sub-genres of horror to explore – trust us, we have a long backlog of ideas. Of course, we’re focusing fully onDirective 8020at the moment!
You’d previously released a game a year since the first in the franchise back in 2019. What was the reasoning behind the wait?
We’ve been hard at work and wanted to iterate more and add new features at high quality. We’re really looking forward to fans getting their hands on these new features, and we think they’ll be well worth the wait.
Will you now be returning to the game a year plan?
We don’t want to be tied down to any hard release schedule like that. Quality is what we’re focused on: great stories, polished gameplay, and beautiful cinematic visuals. We know our fans appreciate that more than anything.
As I’m sure the extra development time helped with the changes you made to the gameplay of the franchise, how did the extra time impact the acting, recording, and motion capture of the game?
We had more time to get the story right and work on the game’s many branches. Technically, we’ve also made the move to Unreal 5, which has really helped with the cinematic visual of the game.
What’s next for the studio?
Supermassive recently releasedThe Casting of Frank Stoneand is working onLittle Nightmares III!
Lastly, is there anything you’d like to share that you normally never get the opportunity to, or never get asked?
As a horror developer, I’m always interested in finding out what makes people scared. For me, working on a sci-fi horror really taps into a primal fear of the immensity of space. As a child, I remember going to see the Apollo 10 command module at the Science Museum, here in London.
I broke the rules and hopped over the barrier to touch it – it had been in space! – but when I did, I remember feeling really scared. It was this tiny tin can, with people crammed inside it, with only a thin barrier between them and billions of miles of empty, airless death. That was my first taste of cosmic horror. And I hope to make you feel some of that when you playDirective 8020!
Luke Addison
Former Head of Gaming
Articles Published :462
Luke Addison is a Former Video Game Critic and Gaming Editor. As likely to be caught listening to noughties rock as he is watching the latest blockbuster cinema release, Luke is the quintessential millennial wistfully wishing after a forgotten era of entertainment. Also a diehard Chelsea fan, for his sins.
