Directive 8020 throws an important decision at you right at the beginning. Should you save Simms or let her drift away?
With Directive 8020, Supermassive Games once again delivers decisions that directly affect how the story unfolds. One of the first major scenes revolves around Simms, who suddenly starts drifting through space during an EVA mission. We’ll show you how to save Simms, what happens if you fail, and how the choice affects later chapters.
- Warning: This article contains spoilers for both endings of Episode 1.
- You can find more about the game in our Directive 8020 hub.
The Moment Outside the Hull
In Directive 8020, the scene happens right after repairing the damaged hull. You and Simms are outside the ship and simply trying to make your way back to the airlock. At first, everything seems calm, but the situation completely changes within seconds.
Simms steps onto a loose section of the outer hull. The material breaks apart, she gets launched upward, and suddenly starts drifting through space. She manages to activate her thrusters, but she no longer has control over her movement. From this point on, everything depends on you.
The Quick Time Event Explained
Shortly afterward, a Quick Time Event begins. You need to react fast, otherwise Carter loses his grip on Simms. On controller, you repeatedly mash A or X. On keyboard, you’ll need to spam the S key. A single button press is not enough here. You have to hit the input rapidly until Carter can hold onto her. If you react too slowly or stop too early, Simms slips out of your hands and slowly drifts away.
Saving Simms: What Happens If You Succeed?
If you complete the QTE successfully, Carter pulls Simms back toward the airlock and both return safely to the ship. At first, the situation seems resolved. However, you quickly notice that something feels off about Simms.
The game then slowly builds several scenes that hint there is more behind the incident. As Carter, you move through the ship, talk to Simms, and listen to music together. Eventually, contact with Simms suddenly cuts off and you go looking for her. Sooner or later, you find her standing in a doorway, but she barely speaks. You can ask if she’s okay or even crack a joke, but the scene ultimately ends in a chase sequence.
What Happens If Simms Dies?
If you fail the Quick Time Event, Carter can no longer hold onto Simms and she helplessly drifts into space. He then has to return to the ship alone. Things do not stay quiet for long, though.
Shortly afterward, Carter hears strange noises coming from one of the corridors. When you investigate, a mysterious figure suddenly appears in the dim light. The game intentionally avoids immediately revealing who or what you are looking at. That uncertainty makes the scene feel much more unsettling compared to the rescue version.
- The following section contains spoilers showing changes in Chapters 2 and 4. Only continue if you already want to know what changes later on.
You then have to decide whether to approach the figure or keep your distance. If you run away, a hectic chase sequence immediately begins through the ship’s narrow corridors, similar to the rescue path. However, the decision does affect later scenes in Directive 8020. While Chapter 2 shows different footage, Young also discovers Simms’ decaying body inside the ventilation shafts during Chapter 4.
Can You Reverse the Decision?
Yes, at least if you have Turning Points enabled. This feature allows you to rewind important decisions or failed scenes and replay them. It’s especially useful for the Simms choice because you can easily try both versions without starting a completely new playthrough.
Which Choice Is Better?
If you want to see as much story content and as many additional scenes as possible during your first run, you should save Simms. Some later developments become much easier to understand and Chapter 4 also includes a bit of bonus material.
The other route is still worth seeing, though. Directive 8020 noticeably changes smaller scenes, encounters, and the atmosphere aboard the ship. If you plan on doing multiple playthroughs, choosing not to save Simms is definitely interesting as well.
