Supermassive Games (Until Dawn, The Quarry) is back with the second season of its Dark Pictures series. The first entry in said season is Directive 8020. As you might expect, this is a survival horror game with a large emphasis on narrative decisions, with your choices ultimately determining which characters survive. This time around, Supermassive is leaning into sci-fi with a story inspired by The Thing.
After a colony ship crash lands on a planet that seemed like it could be a safe haven for a dying Earth, the crew is hunted by an alien creature that can morph into other lifeforms, including humans. There are five main characters, including pilot Brianna Young, who is portrayed by Lashana Lynch (No Time to Die). You can play solo or pass the controller between a few friends in a couch co-op mode, with each taking charge of a character or two. Online multiplayer will be added later.
One thing that makes Directive 8020 distinct from other Supermassive projects is a new feature called Turning Points. This allows you to return to previous decisions and select a different option. The idea here is to make it easier for players to experience all of the outcomes in the branching narrative.
Directive 8020 is out now on Steam, PS5 (where you can check out a free trial) and Xbox Series X/S. It’ll run you $50.
Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes is a strategy game that’s set in — surprise! — the universe of the beloved sci-fi series Battlestar Galactica. It’s said to build on developer Alt Shift’s previous game, Crying Suns, a narrative-driven, tactical roguelite that itself drew inspiration from BSG.
You’ll take charge of a fleet of ships that’s attempting to escape the destruction of the Twelve Colonies and return to the eponymous carrier ship. You’ll have to take care of disputes within your fleet, deal with bad actors in your ranks, manage resources and make upgrades and repairs.
However, the Cylons are hot on your trail and you’ll need to prepare yourself as best as possible for your next encounter with the deadly robots. The battles are more about survival and sustaining as little damage as possible than securing victory in all-out combat.
My colleague Igor Bonifacic tried an early build of the game last year and enjoyed it. Reviews I’ve seen are generally positive. You can try Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes by picking it up on GOG or Steam (a demo is available on the latter). It’ll usually cost $25, but there’s a 20 percent discount until May 18.
The Caribou Trail looks pretty interesting. It’s a first-person walking sim set in the trenches of World War I, in which you take on the role of a young soldier who hails from Newfoundland. Said to be inspired by the true stories of troops who served in the Gallipoli campaign, the game tells a tale of friendship and survival, with some “folklore and psychological tension” mixed in.
The Caribou Trail, which is from Unreliable Narrators and Gambit Digital, is out now on Steam and the Epic Games Store (usually $13, 10 percent off on Steam until May 28). The developers had planned to release a PS5 version at the same time, but were unable to resolve a critical problem with that build in time. As such, they delayed the PS5 version until July 7.
I really enjoyed my time with Minos, a roguelite in which you construct a maze that takes out raiders with traps. Mazebound — from Absam Studios — is a completely different flavor of procedurally generated maze game. It’s a first-person survival horror title in which you’ll gather materials, craft weapons, hunt for nourishment and try to fend off the terrifying creatures that lie in wait.
Thankfully, you don’t have to go alone (it’s dangerous to do that, after all). You can bring friends with you in multiplayer. I would probably have to do just that.
Mazebound is available on Steam. It’ll usually cost $10, though it’s 20 percent off until May 20.
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