The fifth mainline game in the series overall,Directive 8020will also be the first game of theDark Pictures Anthology’s Season 2. Developer Supermassive Games will take its franchise to outer space for the first time, and that brings with it a new set of challenges for everyone involved. The game is set to be the series' biggest yet and should mark the beginning of a bold new future for theDark Picturesseries.
During Gamescom 2024, Game Rant sat down with Supermassive Games' executive producer Dan McDonald to discuss the upcoming sci-fi horror at length. He talked about the importance of the actors involved, the series' shared universe, and howDirective 8020’s gameplay will be an evolutionof what’s come before it.This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Directive 8020 Takes the Dark Pictures Series to Space For the First Time
Q: You’ve been the executive producer for everyDark Picturesgame so far. What are the main differences with this one?
A:There are some huge differences. 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.
We’re all happy with the features that we already have, but we’ve been building towards this new stuff. We’ve always had the exploration sections in the game, but then we’ve been quite safe. We started trying to mess with thatHouse of Ashes, and evenDevil in Meto an extent, but nothing like the scale of changes here.
Both the space setting and those new features are a huge change for us. We always knew from the early days that we had a plan of games we would release, but we have changed the order of them a little bit. We knew we were going into space at some point, and that’s a huge challenge for the team. It’s new art styles they’ve never done before, or at least they’ve not done at Supermassive, and new character designs. It’s just a lot of fun to work in space.
You can still play it like atraditionalDark 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.
Q:Directive 8020is the first game of Season 2. What’s the defining difference between this new season and the Season 1 games?
A:I think it’s really about having a chance to reboot the world, refreshing things, and leaving no stone unturned. Things like the premonitions, the clues, all of that stuff from previous games… let’s revisit it. They’ve been good things for us in the first four games, but are they still working for us? Do we need to change and evolve?
We want it to feel really fresh and new. That’s why I think, with the start of this new game and new season, there’s a real big change in terms of gameplay, and there’s a whole host of stuff that goes along with it. We’re incredibly proud of those games, but we need more options with what we can do. It feels like this is 2.0…Let’s go bigger and more expensive.
Directive 8020 Will Retain Its Interconnectivity With Other Games in the Series
Q: Even with this being a new season, will that level of interconnection between the seasons and past games still be there?
A:Regarding links to previous games, we’ve always had a lot of these things that have been planted like seeds throughout our games. Even in this game, you might even see some of the future games as well. They’re all set in one wider universe, with connections, but you don’t need to have played previous ones. I think what we are finding is that people come into this game network, and if they’re a fan of ships, they playMan of Medan—if they’re a fan of witchcraft, they come forLittle Hope.
But then they see what we’ve done with the series, and then they stick around and play the next one. I think that’s what we’ll see withDirective 8020. It’s this fantasticsci-fi settingand environment, along with that claustrophobic feel that you get within a spaceship. There is literally death waiting just on the other side of the thin metal walls. I think we’ll bring a load of new fans into that, and also keep the old fans happy as well.
Q: You mention planting seeds linking to previous games, and the concept of one shared universe. How does that affect how you approach development? Is it quite different from developing a single, standalone game?
A:Some of it is about making sure that the systems and tools you’re building are fit for purpose in the future. We did a lot of experimentation withThe Devil in Mefor the tool system. We implemented tools for the first time on that and we are super proud of it, but that was very light.
There are not a lot of opportunities to use those tools. That’s helped us learn, understand, and iterate into what we are building now. The toolset is integral to what you’re doing in this game. The utility strap that players will use, there are a lot of puzzles that are built for that specifically, and it will also help to find secrets as well. Then with other things like going from fixed cameras inMan of Medanto following cameras inLittle Hope, and other, more intricate things we’ve done with subsequent installments. Each one helps build the vision for the future, and that’s what we’re seeing right now with this new gameplay.
For example, the new stealth segment we’ve showcased. It’s not that you’re going to be using stealth the whole game long. It’s still aDark Picturesgame. You still get all the choices and the narrative and all that great stuff that players enjoy, but now you’ve got some new ways to play as well.
Q: Aside from being an astronaut and the main character, what can you tell us about Brianna Young?
A:She’s a strong woman. Her mentor is actually on the ship with her. He’s the captain of the ship, Commander Stafford, played by Danny Sipani, who was also in theHaloTV seriesand is a fantastic actor. For Brianna, this is her lifelong dream. She’s already done space missions.
They’ve been to other places, but this mission, with the Chief being part of it, is a lifelong dream—it’s her destiny. The fact that it goes wrong…with the twists that unfold, this will be quite conflicting for her, and that’s something she’s going to have to work through. One of the themes for us is, what’s the right thing to do? What takes priority, the betterment of humanity or personal stuff? Personal sacrifice or personal salvation?
That is some stuff that she is doing and working through along with the rest of the crew. With the way things can play out, she can have an even bigger role. Regarding Lashana Lynch, we were so lucky to get her. Some of themovies she’s been in, likeNo Time to Dieand even theMatildamovie that came out, show that she’s an absolutely fantastic actress. She’s also a wonderful human to be around as well. I’m lucky to be on the set with these guys, so I get to watch them.
The way we have them set up, they’re not in a sound booth on their own. They’re all together, and even when they’re not needed, they’re sitting on the side watching, and they build this level of camaraderie that fires off of each other. When they’re watching one of the characters die, you see them all getting upset, or if there are funny moments, they all want to join in and have a laugh. Lashana was fantastic on set and she really enjoyed her character.
Directive 8020 is the Dark Pictures Series' First Attempt at Cosmic Horror
Q: Regarding the cosmic horror approach, what do you think is your unique ‘Dark Picturesspin’ on cosmic horror as a whole?
A:For this showcase, we’re not showing you a bunch of the stuff that we usually do, in terms of the cinematic style that we implement where it looks and feels like a movie. We love all the othersci-fi horror games likeDead Space. We love that type of horror. We’re looking at everything that other people are doing, and we’re pleased to be part of that space and happy that they all succeeded. But we have that certain cinematic style that we bring to it, and then we’re bringing new gameplay to it.
I think that’s probably the main thing. The thing that I always talk about is, we make you laugh, but we also absolutely scare the crap out of you. We’ve got more opportunity in this one to do that.
We have those moments of levity where you can relax a bit and laugh and have fun, and the characters are acting like normal humans, but then you see your partner or your friend or whoever it is die. Then maybe a different character is beaten up, and it creates that sense of real desperation. We get such a great reception every time we release these games that people reach out with comments on social media about how it’s made them feel and how they’ve reacted to it.
Q: Sound design in horror games is crucial. What can you tell us about that sound element in this game specifically?
A:We have a fantastic sound team back in the UK. We’ve won quite a lot of awards for audio. A lot of that is down to our audio director and the team that he’s built around him. We do an amazing amount of work with the actors on the set, recording the lines and making sure it’s done correctly, making sure there are no distractions. Previously, we’ve had things like helicopters flying over your head. Now we’re basically in a bunker. We’ve got an amazing set of suites in our office. They’re effectively floating from the walls so that no sounds slip through.
If you ask any of the audio team, they would say they’re the most important team. Of course, the rest of the team will fight for their own corners, but audio believes they’re the most important element. It’s a constant challenge because they are always right at the end of the process.
They have to wait until all the animation is done, and the sequences are done, etc. We do a lot of pre-production and research and stuff to find out what the multiple effects should sound like. For example, the creaking of a ship… all of those things are layered together. Even with this demo that we’ve shown, audio was the last team to check in a couple of days before we came in. They always go to the wire, but it’s always worth it!
Q: You mentioned that we went from a game a year to slightly longer in between releases. For fans who have been patiently waiting, what would you say to them?
A:I would say thank you for your patience. We’re getting a lot of comments, and we’ve seen the frustration on Reddit and other places. Part of me wants to reach out to them and say it’s coming soon, don’t worry. We’ve had fantastic support in order to take as long as is needed, and I think the fans would respect the fact that we don’t just want to release it. We want to make sure it’s the right game and as good as it can be. I think we’re getting great support from the company on that.
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