Directive 8020: PS5 Review

Developed by Supermassive Games
Published by Bandai Namco
Platform: PS5

The Dark Pictures franchise was in need of a change.

Its patented mix of cinematic storytelling and jump scares, as well as its increasingly tangled mythology, meant that the series needed to do something different.

And by setting their latest in space, Supermassive Games has shown that it's got no bounds when it comes to the kind of spooky storytelling it wants to achieve.

When the crew of the spaceship Cassiopeia crash lands on TauCeti (A new gaming obsession with this planet that's been echoed in Project Hail Mary), they have to survive a shapeshifting threat. Playing out across eight episodes, you get to once again be the puppetmaster, discerning this crew's future and fate - but some decisions this time can lead to permanent deaths.

In many ways, this survival horror plays its traditional tropes of the genre with ease - mistrust, twists, turns and treachery all combine to make an occasionally gripping adventure. But it's one that's sadly crippled by stealth mechanics which stymy proceedings and slow things down.

Collectibles scattered through the game feel like afterthoughts, providing some depth, but not really pushing a need for essential gathering - they're more a nice to have than narrative necessities.

IT's worth mentioning how immersive the game is and how it pulls you into the space-set world - characters like Lashanna Lynch's explorer bring the star power to the genre again and gives the game a heft that's worthy of previous Dark Pictures outings.

Again, Movie Night Mode returns giving you the option to spin the characters fates into other hands, but new this time is Turning Points, a chance to rewind to a key moment in the game. They're occasionally useful and other times, prove the game is trying to find ways to evolve.

Ultimately, Directive 8020 is a solid step in the right direction for the franchise - with the solidifying of some of the game's minor weak elements, the second chapter of the series could turn into something essential.