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The Directive 8020 Release Date arrives soon, and fans can try out the next entry in the Dark Pictures series soon. Supermassive Games, the creators of Until Dawn, have returned once again to give fans of another spine-chilling horror game. Directive 8020 won't take place on Terra Firma, but the series' core gameplay mechanics will keep it true to the franchises' roots. But when exactly can gamers get their hands on it?
Directive 8020 Release Date – October 2nd, 2025
The Directive 8020 Release Date is Thursday, October 2nd 2025. The game will be available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. Supermassive Games returns as developer and publisher.
Directive 8020 Gameplay
Directive 8020 is an interactive horror game that can be played solo or with friends.
Like previous Dark Pictures Games, the player (or players) control five playable characters throughout an interactive, narrative-driven story. Throughout the story, you'll make decisions that impact several things, like:
- Potential Endings
- Relationships with other characters
- Whether or not your character will survive
- & More!
Therefore, the game encourages replay-ability, so you can try it out to see multiple outcomes. Whether you want to see certain characters be friends or enemies, or if you want to just see everybody die, Directive 8020 lets you control their destinies.
To progress through the game, players need to navigate through areas, collect and use items, and correctly perform QTEs. And mixed in with all these elements comes character dialogue, which you can choose throughout the game. While each character has their own pre-determined personality, your choices impact how they become later on.
But Directive 8020 also adds some new gameplay mechanics that will really shake the experience for players.
Firstly, the developers added a new Rewind system. This enables you to go back to important choices and change your decision, which will impact the outcome of certain events. So if you really want to see the Perfect, or “Happy” ending, you may need to use this feature.
But the developers also plan on adding a feature that disables rewind. Therefore, you can play the game and experience something similar to the previous entries.
Perhaps the biggest change in terms of gameplay includes the new real time threats. In previous Supermassive Games, you could only die if you:
- Failed certain QTEs
- Made specific decisions that led to your death
- or Failed to complete something in a certain amount of time
But now, it appears that the enemies of Directive 8020's can kill you even as you actively control your character. Speaking of the enemy, Directive 8020's foes include alien organisms “capable of mimicking its prey”. This can create a lot of interesting situations in which player relationships make a big impact on the story.
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Each character comes with a wrist-strap that can perform multiple things. From basic mechanics like a flashlight, this tool can also help you identify any mimicking aliens. Additionally, it contains a weapon, but you'll still need to use stealth tactics to survive. Overall, this tool will prove detrimental in your efforts to survive.
That includes some of the main gameplay elements of Directive 8020, but what about its story?
Directive 8020 Story
Directive 8020 is the first new entry in the Dark Pictures Season 2.
In Directive 8020, you control five playable characters aboard the colony ship Cassiopeia. Unfortunately, when the ship crash-lands on Tau Ceti f. When an alien life form starts mimicking passengers on board, trust-levels reach an all-time low.
The five playable characters include:
- Brianna Young – Pilot of the Cassiopeia colony ship
- Nolan Stafford – Commander of the Cassiopeia
- Lauren Eisele – Cassiopeia's senior mission officer
- Josef Cernan – Ship's technical engineer
- Samantha Cooper – Medical Specialist aboard the Cassiopeia
Young is the game's leading character, and the one piloting the Cassiopeia. But each character plays an important role that will be necessary in reaching the perfect ending.
In solo play, you control all characters throughout the campaign. But you can also play co-op online or locally, allowing you to enjoy the game with friends. Regardless, each character can die throughout the campaign, making every choice and decision matter.
Furthermore, players can expect to see a Director's Cut post-launch, which adds more cutscenes and sequences to the game. Overall, these additions add even more replay value to the game.
Overall, that includes everything you need to know about the Directive 8020 Release Date, Gameplay, Trailer, and more. We look forward to playing the next epic adventure in Supermassive's Dark Picture series. We'll see you aboard the Cassiopeia this October!
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