Supermassive Games issues first Directive 8020 details

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Next installment in the cinematic Dark Pictures survival horror series coming to PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S in 2025

We've known it's coming for a long time now, but at long last Supermassive Games has lifted the veil from the next installment in their standalone Dark Pictures survival horror series, Directive 8020, with a premise that sounds very much like Alien meets The Thing. 

The future of humanity on Earth is doomed, and the only hope is to colonize a compatible alien world in time. The best chance, however slim, is Tau Ceti f, twelve light years away. Unfortunately, the colony ship Cassiopeia is forced to crash land on the planet's surface, where the crew soon discover that they are "far from being alone." Now they find themselves "hunted by an alien organism capable of mimicking its prey," which freely roams "the dark corridors of the ship, intent on eradicating human life." But who do you trust when the alien could be imitating anyone? Choices are crucial in outwitting this invader, including the largest dilemma of all, because the only way for the crew to save themselves is by returning home, which threatens to jeopardize the lives of everyone on Earth. 

With its branching narrative and impressive production values delivering "immersive cinematic storytelling and edge-of-your-seat horror," Directive 8020 looks and sounds very much like the previous four Dark Pictures games. It even has the requisite Hollywood talent in the lead role, in this case actress Lashana Lynch, whose recent credits include The Marvels, Bob Marley: One Love, and The Woman King. However, while those games rely mostly on player choice and mild puzzle solving to succeed, this one promises to be a much more "intense survival" experience. Choices still very much matter, but at times you'll also have to physically fight for your life from "persistent real-time threats" using "improvised weapons, lightning reflexes, and stealth." 

No release date for Directive 8020 has yet been announced, but the game is due to arrive sometime in 2025 on Steam for Windows PC, along with console versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. To follow its progress in the meantime, be sure to check out the official website for ongoing updates.