Game's lead designer from Directive 8020 explains two significant elements that alter the Dark Pictures gameplay format: immediate dangers and the capacity to rewind pivotal narrative decisions.

Game developer Supermassive Games implements significant alterations to Directive 8020, impacting player engagement with the game's multi-branching storyline.

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2025 June 14 . 7:35 PM

2 min read

Game developer Supermassive Games implement significant adjustments to Directive 8020, altering... — Game developer Supermassive Games implement significant adjustments to Directive 8020, altering player engagement with the game's variable storyline.

Game's lead designer from Directive 8020 explains two significant elements that alter the Dark Pictures gameplay format: immediate dangers and the capacity to rewind pivotal narrative decisions.

Get ready to experience fear like never before as Supermassive Games shakes up the formula for Directive 8020, the upcoming entry in the Dark Pictures series. Creative director, Will Doyle, has revealed two major changes that will drastically alter how you engage with the game's narrative.

During an interview at this year's Summer Game Fest, Doyle underscored the impact of these alterations on the Dark Pictures formula, calling them "critical."

Real-Time Danger Like Never Before

The first seismic shift lies in the addition of "real-time threats." This innovation ratchets up the tension by introducing an ever-evolving danger that affects the control system, putting your heart in your throat as you play.

Explore the Narrative Like Never Before With the Turning Point System

The second groundbreaking change is the introduction of the Turning Point system. This mechanism lets players rewind at critical moments in the story, allowing them to experiment with different outcomes—a game first!

According to Doyle, this system enables players to fully embrace the game's narrative aspect while adding a new layer of interactivity that surpasses any previous Dark Pictures title.

Directive 8020 is the fifth installment in the eight-part Dark Pictures series, scheduled for release on October 2 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC.

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A Thrilling Sci-Fi Horror Adventure

In Directive 8020, the crew of a colonized spaceship named the Cassiopeia crash-lands on Tau Ceti f in the midst of an expedition to save Earth. Stranded, they must evade an alien organism capable of mimicking its prey.