Directive 8020 launches October 2 on PS5

Welcome to the mission! 

Hi, I’m Will Doyle, the director of Directive 8020 at Supermassive Games. We’ve just revealed our action-packed story trailer during State of Play and announced the game will launch October 2 on PS5. I’m thrilled to take you deeper into the dangers that you’ll face onboard the Cassiopeia. The team at Supermassive Games has worked tirelessly to craft a narrative experience that melds sci-fi exploration with spine-chilling horror, where every choice could lead to a disastrous death.  Today we’re unveiling some new layers to our story, exploring fragile alliances, unseen threats, and the limits of human resilience when faced with our deepest fears. We’re venturing into uncharted territory: the unsettling abyss of space.  

A deadly mission

Earth is dying, and humankind is seeking a new home in the stars. The Cassiopeia is the initial survey ship sent to scout our chosen planet.Think of it as a test run: the Cassiopeia is fully outfitted as a colony craft but is flying with a vastly reduced crew. Their mission is to test every procedure onboard without ever touching down on the planet they’ve been sent to orbit. However, people familiar with our games will know that our characters never have it easy and in Directive 8020 it will all start to go wrong very quickly and with very deadly consequences.   

The crew awakens from their four-year hyper sleep to a hull breach, a murder, and some extremely suspicious crew activity – all of which culminates in the ship crash landing on the planet. Across the game, you’ll explore the claustrophobic, stranded wreck of the Cassiopeia. It is a dark, terrifying location that is slowly being consumed by something entirely alien. You’ll navigate broken rooms, desolate corridors and vents, and even negotiate the inhospitable terrain of the planet itself, never knowing what lurks round the next corner. 

Alien invasion

In the trailer we reveal that the ship is infected with an alien organism. Unfortunately for our crew, this organism can transform into any one of them. While you may be human, others in your crew may not be, and killers can hide behind familiar eyes. We’ve added new stealth mechanics to evade these deadly foes: enemies can emerge from anywhere onboard the ship, and you’ll need to sneak and hide to get past the alien stalkers.  

Brave recruits

In this trailer we also reveal some of the Cassiopeia’s crew – in the coming months, we’ll tell you more about them and why they decided to join the mission. However, as paranoia and fear builds, so does distrust among the crew – who will YOU trust? You’ll control five members of this crew over the course of this expedition. With their lives in your hands, your decisions will determine not only their fates, but all of humanities too. 

New mechanics

To improve your chances of your survival, we’ve introduced several new tools. Throughout the game, you can use these to locate secrets, solve puzzles, and overcome enemies.  

Most of your tools are linked to a multifunctional utility strap your character wears on their wrist. The strap also controls a shoulder-mounted flashlight – but you’ll need to be careful using this, as the aliens can spot the beam. As is to be expected in one of our games, you’ll spend a lot of time creeping around in the dark! 

You’ll also have a scanner at your disposal for detecting electronics and remotely activating systems. If you’re trying to stay under the radar, your messenger lets you communicate and strategize with your crewmates from afar. Lastly, we’ve added a “wedge tool”, it’s really made for opening doors but as a last resort can also be used a weapon to temporarily stun the aliens, giving you a chance to slip away and evade death. Directive 8020 is all about survival, so every tool has its purpose in helping you think on your feet.  

The Dark Pictures

Fans of our previous games will be pleased to know that the DNA of the Dark Pictures is still present – in fact, everything you love about the Dark Pictures is still here, from branching plotlines through to impossible choices and split second QTEs. But as you’ll see, we’ve redesigned, polished, and amped up our gameplay to bring more of a threat when exploring the environment. We know fans who are old and new will love this new vision for the series. 

Join us this October, but beware, for in space, death takes many forms!   

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