Until Dawn and The Quarry developer Supermassive Games returns with another entry in their The Dark Pictures Anthology. This time around, the developer will be taking gamers into the cold, dark void of space in Directive 8020. This new title is sure to be a hit with fans as it draws inspiration from iconic sci-fi horror films like The Thing, Alien, and Event Horizon.

The game is set in a dystopian future, and Directive 8020 follows the crew of the colony ship Cassiopeia. The team was dispatched to scout a distant planet in hopes of finding a new home for humanity. Naturally, what started as a routine survey has turned into a downward spiral of horror and nightmares. Stranded in the emptiness of space, the crew discovers there is an alien organism capable of perfectly mimicking its prey, causing paranoia and distrust among the crew.

The hallmark of any Dark Pictures title, the game is led by Hollywood actress Lashana Lynch (The Woman King, No Time to Die) as Brianna Young, the pilot of the Cassiopeia. Other key characters include Commander Nolan Stafford, played by British actor Danny Sapani (Black Panther, Paramount +’s Halo).

Directive 8020 retains many of the signature elements of other The Dark Pictures games, such as narrative-driven choices and quick-time events, but it also introduces some new gameplay mechanics. This game will emphasize real-time threats, where every decision and step forward could be your last. Stealth will play a major part in Directive 8020, where you will have to quietly sneak around enemies and choose paths that may result in the untimely demise of your character. Thankfully, there will be five different protagonists you will be able to play as in the game.

The choices you make will impact the storyline, the other characters, and the overall outcome of the game. In one scenario, we saw the crew interrogating another crew member who was accused of being a mimic and not a human. Everyone was pleading their case for why the crew member was or wasn’t a mimic. Judging from the information you have been provided, you have to choose whether the character lives or dies, and if you are wrong, you will have to live with that choice.

There is one new feature that I did not like in Directive 8020, the Turning Points story tree. This new feature allows you to rewind time during your playthrough and change any of the decisions you’ve made in the game. I’ve always liked the idea of having to deal with your choices and that my playthrough could be completely different from your own. Thankfully, there is a hardcore mode that will disable Turning Points, should you choose not to use this new feature.

With its blend of cinematic storytelling, survival horror, and player choices, Directive 8020 is shaping up to be another chilling installment in The Dark Pictures series when it launches on October 2nd, just in time for the spooky season. While pre-orders are not yet available, players can wishlist the game on the Steam Store, PlayStation Store, and Xbox Store.