The upcoming sci-fi horror gameDirective 8020is set to continue expanding the already large interconnected world of theDark Pictures Anthology. Supermassive Games' collection of interactive, narrative-driven games gets more ambitious with each new entry, and this latest title looks like it may raise the bar again. It’s a busy time for the British developer, with the imminent release ofThe Casting of Frank Stone, andLittle Nightmares 3coming next year too, butDirective 8020deserves its own spotlight thanks to a strong cast and exciting premise.
Directive 8020is the first game in theDark Pictures Anthology’s Season 2, with the seasonal denotation related to the ever-growing mechanics of the anthology. Game Rant recently sat down with Supermassive Games' executive producer Dan McDonald to discuss the influence of previous games in the series onDirective 8020, and how this latest title improves the already well-honed formula.
Directive 8020 is a Natural Evolution of Supermassive Games' Formula
TheDark Pictures Anthologybegan withMan of Medanin 2019, and Supermassive’s plan was to release a subsequent game every year. It accomplished this with the next three entries,Little Hopein 2020,House of Ashesin 2021, andThe Devil in Mein 2022, which concluded Season One. It will be around three years later by the timeDirective 8020is released, but as McDonald explained, this extra time in between has allowed the team to really build on the formula,
“We set out on a mission to release a game every year. We succeeded with the first four games, but then the amount of change we wanted to put into this one, we knew we needed to take longer. This is mainly because of a lot of experimentation, so we’ve given ourselves that time to make sure it’s a quality release.”
Directive 8020 Will Feature New Mechanics
It’s an understandable approach, and one that fans will be hoping pays off. McDonald was also keen to emphasize that the changes seen inDirective 8020are on a much larger scale than previously seen. This was highlighted by a stealth segment that was showcased during a gameplay demo, but McDonald did specify that despite these new mechanics, it would still be aDark Picturesgame at its core:
“You can still play it like a traditionalDark Picturesgame. You still have all the choices, the conversations, the beautiful cinematics we do. We’re not showing you that stuff today because we know how you’ve seen it before, you know we can do it, but we don’t just want to tell another story. There are a bunch of new things in there too.”
It certainly feels likeDirective 8020is attempting to balance the gameplay and cinematic elements more evenly.
Directive 8020is scheduled for release in 2025.
The Dark Pictures
The Dark Pictures Anthology is a franchise crafted by Supermassive Games, the same creative team that released Until Dawn. Similar to Until Dawn, the Dark Pictures Anthology includes a series of horror-inspired adventures that feature decision-making and an interactive narrative-driven experience. So far, the Dark Pictures has seen Little Hope, the House of Ashes, and The Devil in Me.
