Subj : Directive 8020 space is the perfect setting
To   : All
From : Blue White
Date : Tue Apr 28 2026 09:05:30

'Its not safe and its not easy, but people are drawn to it anyway': Directive 
8020's executive producer on why space was the perfect setting for their 
long-awaited new horror game

Date:
Mon, 27 Apr 2026 20:00:00 +0000

Description:
Directive 8020 is the first Dark Pictures Anthology game to be set in space, 
and I spoke to its executive producer about why they wanted to go there.

FULL STORY
Directive 8020 is almost here,
and the latest Supermassive Games brings a lot to the table. In my preview, I 
reassured fans that it was well worth the wait when it arrives on May 12, 
2026, for PS5 , Xbox Series X |S, and PC. 

I also had the opportunity to speak to the game's executive producer Dan 
McDonald ahead of the anticipated release. It's exciting that this is the 
first in the Dark Pictures Anthology to be set in space, a new location that 
presents a whole host of new challenges. McDonald told me that they had 
always wanted to have a space-focused horror game. He said, "Game 5 was 
always going to go into space. We always knew we were going to go there. We 
do something different from the other big franchises. You know, we love 
Silent Hill , we love Resident Evil and that kind of thing.

"And their games are different every time, but they sit on Earth, it's 
similar locations and stuff. We get to change it up every time. We've done a 
ghost ship, we've done witch trials and stuff, weve even done vampires in the 
desert. But when you look at horror franchises or movies or games, the sci-fi 
space is huge." 

He added, "Obviously, theres games like Alien: Isolation and Dead Space . And 
we've all been talking about the Alien: Earth TV series, and there's just so 
many different places we can go. It's really fun and also challenging for the 
team."  During our conversation, I noted
that space exploration is a weird mix of emotions. It's terrifying but also 
hopeful, especially since we've just had the Artemis II flyby of the Moon, 
something that was widely celebrated across the world. 

I was curious if balancing those feelings of joy and terror was interesting 
in a video game format, especially one as interactive as this.

McDonald replied, "Oh, yeah, definitely. I'm pretty old now, but one of my 
first core memories was the Challenger disaster. I think we watched that live 
at school. I know a lot of schools across the UK had it on. Even just 
thinking about it now, its devastating, and that's a real human thing that 
real people died in. 

"Theres human memory of these things going wrong. But like you say, theres 
hope. I hope we solve current problems and make our planet good, but it isnt 
going to be easy, and bad stuff is going to happen. Space is dangerous. The 
spaceship is essentially a tin can with death on the other side of it; its 
not safe, and its not easy, but people are drawn to it anyway." 

In Directive 8020 , you'll follow the crew of a colony ship called Cassiopeia 
after it crash-lands on a planet that is 12 light-years away from Earth. The 
crew is forced out of hypersleep early on their mission to save a dying 
Earth, where they're soon up against a terrifying new threat: a shapeshifting 
creature that can mimic others. 

There's a lot of familiarity here, but there's also enough new stuff to make 
Directive 8020 very engaging. I'm so excited for people to explore the latest 
chapter in The Dark Pictures Anthology.

Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/gaming/its-not-safe-and-its-not-easy-but-people-are-
drawn-to-it-anyway-directive-8020s-executive-producer-on-why-space-was-the-per
fect-setting-for-their-long-awaited-new-horror-game

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 * Origin: SFnet Mission Control (42:1/100)

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