Summary
Directive 8020has been fairly secretive since its announcement, but Gamescom has shed new light onThe Dark Pictures Anthology’s cosmic horror chapter. Supermassive Games' ongoing horror franchise has featured some horrifying stories, butDirective 8020is taking a thrilling new turn.
Set on the colony ship of Cassiopeia, something has gone horribly wrong.The Dark Picturesgames tend to feature talented film and television actors, andDirective 8020is continuing this tradition. Although the majority of the cast is still hidden in the shadows, powerhouse actor Lashana Lynch is leading the story as astronaut and pilot Brianna Young.Directive 8020is the series' first dive into hard sci-fi, and based on the teaser trailer revealed at Gamescom, the franchise is finally pushing the boundaries of what it can do with body horror.
Directive 8020 Teases Intense Body Horror
There is Something Sinister Lurking on the Cassiopeia
Although the trailer forDirective 8020was brief, it provided a little more insight into what players can expect. Until now, all that was known aboutDirective 8020was a short teaser trailer that revealed the game’s space setting. The sneak peek was revealed as an Easter egg inits predecessor,The Devil in Me. In the new trailer, pilot Brianna Young is shown running down a dark hallway overrun with some sort of organic-looking material covering the walls. It’s unknown what is chasing her until the end of the trailer reveals that something mimicking Young’s appearance is the one on her tail.
The trailer then cuts to various shots of what are presumably crew members being transformed by an unknown substance or being that could be taking inspiration fromDead SpaceandThe Thing.Body horror in video gamescan really make a player’s stomach turn if done effectively, andDirective 8020will hopefully nail this premise. Although the flashes of crew members being transformed into monsters were brief, they appeared quite grotesque. This is an exciting turn for Supermassive Games, as the series has only dabbled with this type of horror.
Supermassive Games has touched on body horror in its two long-form releases, but not really inThe Dark Pictures Anthology. The game that inspired the series,Until Dawn, showcased a nightmare-inducing rendition of a Wendigo, whileThe Quarrybrought a unique spin to the werewolf genre. Both games featured some terrifying ways a human’s body could be mangled by a supernatural force, butThe Dark Pictures Anthologyhas yet to fully do so. Body horror lends itself to a lot of exploration that can bring truly fear-inducing scenarios to life, and it would be great ifDirective 8020opened the doors for Supermassive Games to further explore that.
Future Dark Pictures Titles Could Lean Into More Grotesque Imagery
The Dark Picturesgames have featured some compelling horror stories, but the formula is running the risk of becoming stale.Supermassive Games' growing roster of horror titlesneeds to explore a new avenue if it wants to continue feeling unique in the continuously evolving genre. SinceDirective 8020is kicking off Season 2 ofThe Dark Pictures Anthology, it needs to come out swinging. The best Supermassive Games titles have featured bold twists on common tropes, andDirective 8020’s cosmic horror tone is rife with possibilities. From theAlienfranchise toEvent Horizon, cosmic horror is one of the most creative subgenres that allows people to explore the limits of what horrors could be lying dormant in space.
Only time will tell ifDirective 8020can become one of the great cosmic horror titlesin modern gaming, but so far, it looks promising. With Lashana Lynch leading the story and a bold new setting,The Dark Picturesgames may be gearing up for a thrilling new era.
