Directive 8020 Review

Supermassive Games has returned with Directive 8020 which is now available on Xbox Series X/S. The creators of Until Dawn and The Quarry are the best in house when it comes to cinematic horror with avenues of choice. I very much enjoyed The Quarry when it launched back in 2022, so when I first saw the announcement of this sci-fi horror adventure, I just knew I had to pounce at the opportunity to cover this one with a review.

A Dive Into Space For Supermassive

Directive 8020 follows a small crew in deep space aboard the colony ship Cassiopeia. I’ll keep this spoiler free since the storyline, choices and how the game pans out is all part of the package. Tasked with a mission, it isn’t long before all isn’t what it seems on board. Systems start to fail and the hull becomes breached. Following the story relies on choice with split second decisions which can throw the outcome in different directions. I don’t want to reveal too much, but you sense the vunerability of being stuck out in space and the wrong choice could kill off some off the cast.

Gameplay is pretty simplistic and much more predictable here than some of the previous games in the Supermassive library. Exploration is there but understandably within the confines of space, it can be limited. Engaging with the dialogue and absorbing the information is key, because your upcoming decisions could have impact on what occurs next. Making a choice quickly and dealing with quick time events is what brings the intensity and tension. These moments though can be pretty predictable and readable and nothing ever feels particularly challenging. Throughout the mid-game the pacing does start to drop but then ramps up towards the end game. You’ll find stealth plays quite a part, usually when trying to dodge a threat. Whilst it does break up the the game a bit and adds some more tension, it did feel a bit reptitive and robotic over time.

Visuals & Audio

When I see titles by Supermassive then I know that its always going to be a visual treat. I often liken them to Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio who handle the Yakuza series simply down to how good both have excellent cutscene design. Facial capture technology in Directive 8020 is absolutely superb, to the point my partner asked what movie I was watching. The development team has also nailed the lighting design and the feel and atmosphere of being in deep space.

Performance on Xbox Series X is fantastic with 4k at 60 frames per second targeted throughout. I didn’t personally witness any frame drops or visual hiccups during my playthrough. The Cassiopeia feels like a fully functional environment. Audio design is equally superb with the ambient sound of being in space, sound effects of drastic events echoing through hollow corridors, it all adds to the overall tension. Supermassive have done what they do best when it comes to the presentation and polish, class A work done here.

Final Thoughts

Directive 8020 is a decent atmospheric adventure that is a welcome branch off into the sci-fi setting. It’s an extremely well polished outing with magnificent attention to detail. There is scope for replayability if you fancy following any of the opposite paths to what you chose during the game. That said, this one didn’t have me on the edge of my seat as much as The Quarry.

If you’re a fan of the Dark Pictures games then you’ll find everything familiar here. For me, I found the stealth aspects repetitive and everything seemed a bit too simple. Doesn’t make the game bad by any means and it’s still worth diving into the ten or so hours this game has to offer. Fancy playing it on Xbox Series X/S, then you can grab a copy HERE!