Directive 8020 is the latest chapter of The Dark Pictures Anthology and the first game in the series to take inspiration from sci-fi horror like Alien and The Thing. Carter and Simms are two characters in Directive 8020 who can suffer grisly fates very early on in the game.
But as Dark Pictures games often let players take control of character fates, is it possible to save Carter and Simms? Be warned – spoilers lurk below for Directive 8020.
Opening Scares
When the story opens, players will be put in control of Carter and his colleague, Simms, as the two astronauts maintain the ship and look after the rest of the crew while they’re in hyper-sleep. When a meteorite strikes the hull and creates a breach, the two go out in space suits to repair the damage.
This is when the first fateful decision of the game occurs, as Sim’s can lose their footing and accidentally get blasted off into space, unless the player completes a QTE segment and manages to save their ally.
If Carter fails, then that’s the end of Simms, and the story plays out without their involvement as Carter fixes the breach, but then must contend with a dangerous foe who entered the ship when the meteorite struck.
Can you save Simms in Directive 8020?
Ultimately, no – Simms either dies in space or meets an even worse fate.
Even if you save Simms from being blasted off into space, the character will still meet their end off-screen when an alien entity kills them and mimics their body, causing all sorts of carnage for the rest of the crew.
If Simms returns to this ship after being saved by Carter, they will still be killed, with their body being found by the characters later. The only difference is if they get blasted out into space, that scene doesn’t happen.
Can you save Carter in Directive 8020?
Sadly, no – Carter also always dies, regardless of what the player does.
Regardless of whether Carter saves Simms or not, he’ll eventually be stalked and killed by the creature that mimics his former friend.
Carter will either be mauled to death if the player fails a QTE section, or they’ll escape long enough to send a message to the rest of the crew, which will prove helpful later. But sadly, even if Carter makes it back to his cabin and locks the door, his reprieve will only be a temporary one.
Essentially, both Carter and Simms are fake protagonists who the game kills to set the scene, rather than main cast members who can be kept alive like the rest of the crew.
Characters often die in Dark Pictures games, but each entry usually lets you save the main core characters. However, Carter and Simms are essentially just introduction characters – like the couple at the start of The Devil In Me who are murdered in the hotel, and therefore, sadly don’t count.
But the good news is you can still earn the best ending by saving all the main characters, just be sure to pour two out for Carter and Simms.
If you’re looking for help finding all the key codes in Directive 8020, we’ve compiled a full list.
