Unused LevelsUnfinished or unused locations that were planned but never made it into the final game.Shapeshifter Carter#
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This needs some investigation. |
In the final game, Simms is the character who is ultimately killed and replicated by the shapeshifter alien, setting the events of the story in motion. However, evidence suggests this was not always the plan. Originally, if Simms died after being launched into space, Carter would become infected instead, effectively taking Simms' place as the primary antagonist.
Aside from leftover bodygroups, marketing renders of an alien version of Carter also exist. This stands out because, in the final game, Carter dies early in the story and, unlike the other crew members, is never replicated by the shapeshifter. The existence of these renders suggests that Carter's role may have been significantly different during development. It is unknown why this concept was abandoned. But given the game's troubled development history due to massive layoffs1, multiple delays and the departure of Bandai Namco as its major publishing partner2, it is possible that the scope of the project was reduced to cut costs. However, this is merely speculation.
- Much like Simms, Carter also has the same bodygroup root folder for the same set of clothes as shapeshifter Simm.
Location |
Unused body groups |
Marketing Render of Alien Carter |
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There are also cut voice lines from other crew members accusing Carter of murdering Simms, which further supports the idea that this was once intended to be a possible outcome.
ID/File Name |
Speaker |
Transcript |
File |
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Eisele |
W-We don't have all the facts yet... |
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During our hibernation, it looks like... Carter suffered a psychotic... e-episode. He killed Simms. He may have even contributed to the crash. |
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Stafford |
He couldn't have... |
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But I spoke to Simms, not half an hour ago. |
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Eisele |
You heard her, you didn't speak to her. If Carter is inside the network he could've easily accessed her audio logs. |
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Young |
What are we going to do? |
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Eisele |
We need to find Carter! |
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Stafford |
Carter, this is Stafford. What's happened? |
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This is a major situation, I got Simms here, and she's- ... |
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Give me your status and location! |
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Eisele |
Later I went to their quarters, just before you found her, I saw Carter, but he ran away from me. |
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Young |
Where did he go? |
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Eisele |
Into the vents |
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Stafford |
Carter... wherever you are, you better hunker down. We'll talk once we hit orbit. |
The Curator#
The Curator serves as the connective tissue between every entry in the anthology. Despite this, aside from a collectible statuette and a secret unlockable ending, he is almost completely absent from the narrative. For the first time in the series, he plays very a minimal role in the story. In an interview, producer Dan McDonald stated that this decision was made because he felt the Curator's vintage aesthetic "[...] didn't mesh as well with Directive 8020's setting".3 While the interview suggests that this direction was planned from the very begging, leftover files suggest otherwise.
CuratorOne_Welcome_Curator#
File |
Transcript |
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Who am I? Today they call me "The Curator". |
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I — am the Curator, the curator of stories. Stories of souls who dared to cross the threshold into darkness. |
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When we're finished — you may know me by a different name. |
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Welcome to my repository. |
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You're about to set sail into the unknown, to brave the limitless abyss of space. |
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This particular story is yours to tell, it's only part written, and the choices you make within it will decide the fate of 5 stellar individuals. In this tale, your decisions matter, your choices determine who lives and who dies. It may be difficult, to know the correct path to follow, you see- you decide what's right and wrong according to your own moral compass, and your charges will stand or fall by your decisions, I'm merely here to record the choices you make, every soul you save, and every soul you lose along the way. |
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What defines a soul? Is it the life inside, or the lives it touches? Is it possible that we're defined only by our deeds? By the relationships we form, and those we leave behind? |
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Be careful where you thread. |
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You made dificult choices in extenuating circunstances, learn from them. |
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I promise you... all will become clearer in time, for now, I'm afraid you must remain in the dark. |
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I can garantee there's more to come... |
Unused Textures#
Unreleased Pre-Order Bonus#
Two graphics for a pre-order bonus that never came to be. The game did receive a Digital Deluxe Edition4, but no pre-order bonus was ever announced.
This bonus content was also leaked through the Microsoft Store5. According to the listing, it was scheduled for release on May 23, even though the game itself launched on May 12. It was likely cancelled after the game leaked early6 due to a security oversight involving Steam pre-orders.
The store page listed the download size as 10.113 MB and included the following description:
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Quote: Step on to Tau Ceti f in style, where terror knows no bounds. Crafted for the brave souls who dare to explore the darkest reaches of space – or perhaps, something far worse – this suit is more than just a costume. It’s your entry into the unknown. Key Features: High-gloss metallic silver fabric with a futuristic, sleek finish. Cassiopeia mission badge to mark your place among the stars Durable, padded construction perfect for long nights of cosmic exploration (or sprinting in panicked terror) WARNING: Not suitable for those with a fear of isolation, cosmic dread, or unidentified purple substances." |
Cover |
Unused background for the "Outfits Pack" Menu |
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Unused Models#
Proto WedgeTool#
A simple placeholder model for the wedge tool.
SimpleChar#
A simple humanoid character.
Unused Tracks#
Two unused tracks for the scrapped Curator encounter.
ID/File Name |
Audio File |
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Debug Menu#
Main Menu |
Debug Menu |
Debug Turning Point Menu |
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Outcome Debug Menu#
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Online Multiplayer Hosting Menu#
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Unseen details#
In the secret Curator scene, his desk has books for most of the previous titles, though they're out of sight during normal gameplay.
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- Interestingly, there's no book representing The Devil in Me; instead, there are two copies of House of Ashes.
- They are credited as being published by "Milhood Publishing."
Leftovers#
- There are numerous leftover assets, such as models, textures and collectible data, from the developer's previous titles, House of Ashes and The Devil in Me. Many of these may have been used as placeholders during development.
Oddities#
- It seems that all of the security camera footage was repurposed from an earlier draft of the story, as it contradicts details seen in the retail version of the plot.
- Carter has a lot of voice lines without his French-Canadian accent.
References#
- https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/until-dawn-developer-supermassive-games-set-to-lay-off-another-36-employees-after-a-redundancy-consultation-process-delays-directive-8020-to-2026/↩︎
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directive_8020#:~:text=Supermassive%20Games,-Director↩︎
- https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/directive-8020-dark-pictures-season-2/↩︎
- https://www.thedarkpictures.com/news/directive-8020-digital-deluxe-edition↩︎
- https://www.dekudeals.com/items/directive-8020-pre-order-bonus↩︎
- https://evrimagaci.org/gpt/forza-horizon-6-and-directive-8020-suffer-major-leaks-539669↩︎
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The Dark Pictures Anthology series | |
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PlayStation 4, Xbox One |
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PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, Windows |
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