Directive 8020: A Dark Pictures Game, the next game in The Dark Pictures Anthology, will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam on October 2, publisher and developer Supermassive Games announced.
“The team at Supermassive Games has worked tirelessly to craft a narrative experience that melds sci-fi exploration with spine-chilling horror, where every choice could lead to a disastrous death,” Supermassive Games creative director Will Doyle said in a press release. “Today we’re unveiling some new layers to our story, exploring fragile alliances, unseen threats, and the limits of human resilience when faced with our deepest fears. We’re venturing into uncharted territory: the unsettling abyss of space.”
Here is an overview of the game, via Supermassive Games:
About
Earth is dying and humanity is running out of time. Twelve light years from home, Tau Ceti f offers a small sliver of hope. When the colony ship Cassiopeia crash lands on the planet, its crew soon realize they are far from being alone.
Hunted by an alien organism capable of mimicking its prey, the crew of the Cassiopeia must outwit their pursuers to make it home alive. As they battle to survive, they are confronted with the hardest choice of all: to save themselves, they must risk the lives of everyone on Earth.
In space, death takes many forms.
Key Features
- Alien Invasion – The colony ship Cassiopeia is infected with an alien organism, capable of transforming into any member of the crew. While you may be human, others in your crew may not be, and killers can hide behind familiar eyes. New stealth mechanics have been added to help players evade these deadly foes: you must keep your wits about you as enemies can emerge from unexpected places, and you’ll need to sneak and hide to get past these deadly alien stalkers.
- Brave Recruits – Introducing the Cassiopeia’s crew. You’ll control five crew members over the course of this expedition, but as paranoia and fear builds, so does distrust. With their lives in your hands, your decisions will determine not only the crew’s fate, but all of humanity’s, too.
- New Mechanics – Directive 8020 introduces several new tools. Throughout the game, you can use these to locate secrets, solve puzzles and overcome enemies. The mission is all about survival, so every tool has its purpose in helping you think on your feet and stay alive.
- The Flashlight – As is to be expected from our games, you’ll spend a lot of time creeping around in the dark! Just be careful when using your flashlight, as aliens can spot the beam.
- The Scanner – You’ll have a scanner at your disposal for detecting electronics and remotely activating systems, helping to distract enemies and overcome obstacles.
- The Messenger – Your messenger lets you communicate and strategize with crewmates while staying under the radar.
- The Wedge Tool – Made for opening doors… but as a last resort, can also be used as a weapon to temporarily stun enemies, giving you a chance to slip away and evade death.
The Dark Pictures
Fans of Supermassive Games’ previous releases will be pleased to know that the DNA of The Dark Pictures is still present—in fact, everything you love about The Dark Pictures is still here, from branching plotlines to impossible choices and split-second quick-time events. In addition, gameplay has been redesigned, polished, and amped up to bring more of a threat when exploring the environment.
Watch a new trailer below. View a new set of screenshots at the gallery.