Supermassive Games returns to science fiction with Directive 8020, an adventure aboard the colony ship Cassiopeia heading to Tau Ceti f. The promise is high: Unreal Engine 5 to bring alien horrors to life and a cast that sells the drama. But when you pick up the controller, the tension dissolves into mechanics that don't sustain the narrative pulse.
Unreal Engine 5: the wrapper that doesn't save the script 🎮
The graphics engine offers dynamic lighting and detailed textures that turn the corridors of the Cassiopeia into oppressive settings. However, the gameplay relies on quick time events and binary decisions we've already seen in the studio's previous titles. The enemy AI follows predictable patterns, which removes unpredictability from the alien stalking. The ambient sound is adequate, but fails to compensate for a game structure that feels rehearsed.
The alien AI: smarter than a 90s GPS 👾
The Tau Ceti f critters have an infallible strategy: show up just when you're reading a text message. If you run, they catch you; if you hide, they get bored and leave. It's like they went to the same monster school as the ones from Until Dawn. At least they don't ask you to solve a pipe puzzle to open a door. Sure, the jump scare still works, even though you know it's coming.