I had about forty minutes to dive into The Dark Pictures: Directive 8020 at Gamescom, and those minutes were some of the most gripping I have spent with the anthology so far. From the moment the prologue began I was thrown into a spaceship atmosphere that felt dense, claustrophobic, and immediately threatening.
The corridors stretched on with steel walls groaning under invisible pressure, and the shadows seemed alive in the dim light. Every step carried the weight of dread, reminding me of the slow burn tension of Alien while still maintaining a distinct identity of its own. There was no doubt that Supermassive aimed for a cinematic experience, because the first seconds already felt like stepping into a high-budget sci-fi horror film where my every decision mattered.
The prologue placed me in control of two crew members, Carter and Simms, who were sent out to deal with a hull breach. Playing as both of them immediately highlighted the improved motion capture and voice direction. Carter’s urgency clashed with Simms’ slightly steadier demeanor, and together they brought a natural sense of conflict and camaraderie to the scene. Their faces conveyed worry with the tiniest twitch, their body language spoke volumes when words were scarce, and it felt like I was guiding real people rather than scripted models. Even in this short introduction they carried enough personality to make me care about what happened next. The haunting soundtrack only amplified that immersion, weaving low rumbles with sharp strings that made even a simple walk down a hallway feel like a descent into the unknown.
Gameplay followed the recognizable Dark Pictures formula of exploration, quick-time events, and dialogue choices, but here it felt smoother, sharper, and more refined. Fixing the hull breach became more than a mechanical task because the constant tension of something lurking just beyond sight made me second-guess every movement. What truly caught my attention though was the new rewind mechanic. When a decision pushed me toward a disastrous outcome, I had the option to roll back the moment and test the other path. I tried it once, letting a doomed moment replay with a different outcome, and it completely changed the scene. It is not a mandatory feature, so players who want the old permanent consequences can still play that way, but for the curious it opens up a new dimension of storytelling. I can already see myself replaying entire episodes just to compare timelines, and I suspect there will be rewards or achievements that encourage experimenting with this feature.
By the time the demo ended, I was genuinely disappointed that I could not keep going. The spaceship setting feels like the perfect playground for Supermassive’s brand of cinematic horror, and Carter and Simms left a strong first impression as characters who could easily carry a tense story forward even when they are not the lead.
Directive 8020 looks and feels like a leap forward for the series, delivering technical polish, believable performances, and a world that is equal parts fascinating and terrifying. It builds on the foundation of branching paths and tough choices, while also giving players more flexibility in how they want to experience those consequences. If the rest of the anthology maintains the quality of this opening, we are in for one of the most ambitious and atmospheric horror stories gaming has seen in years. My forty minutes aboard the doomed vessel were enough to convince me that I will be there on day one, eager to step back into the darkness.
