After 42 years since John Carpenter’sThe Thingand 13 years since Matthijs van Heijningen’sThe Thingprequel, the science fiction horror storyThe Thingwill finally return to prominence soon with the upcoming release ofThe Thing: Remasteredvideo game. Originally developed by the now defunct British video game company Computer Artworks in 2002 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox,The Thing: Remasteredis currently being developed by American developer Nightdive Studios for modern platforms. Nightdive Studios previously developed other remasters of classic games, includingStar Wars: Dark Forces,System Shock,Turok, and more. Here, inThe Thing: Remastered, players will be able to investigate the ruined Antarctic Outpost 31 in search of inconspicuous, transformative monsters once more.
What Gamers Can Expect From The Thing: Remastered
Set shortly after the events of the 1982 film,The Thing: Remasteredhas players embody Captain J.F. Blakeof the United States Special Forces as he and his squad, Bravo Team, search for survivors of the American research station, while Alpha Team searches for survivors of the Norwegian station. Along the way, players will encounter movie-accurate recreations of the 1982 film’s sets and conflict aftermath. However, as more and more of both Bravo and Alpha Team become infected and transform into terrifying alien lifeforms, Blake will discover that there’s more to this alien invasion than anyone would have expected.
In terms of gameplay,The Thing: Remasteredwill play mostly the same as the 2002 original game. Similar to other sci-fi horror games of the time likeResident Evil – Code: VeronicaandSilent Hill 2,The Thing: Remasteredis a third-person shooterwhere Blake will have to use his ammo sparingly to defeat an unknown number of secret Thing aliens. Blake will often be paired with NPCs who at any chance can turn into Things or will become so fearful that they’ll refuse Blakes orders and eventually attack him. NPCs can be used to help solve small puzzles, fight enemies, and heal Blake and others, so it’s imperative players strive to keep NPCs' trust and keep them alive for dangerous encounters.
Improvements Made In The Thing: Remastered
WhileThe Thing: Remasteredwill play mostly the same as the 2002 original, there are still many improvements and additions fans new and old can expect from the game. Visually, the remaster will feature new dynamic lighting, specular mapping, shadows, depth of field and improved models, textures and environments. To help improve players’ interactions with NPCs, Nightdive created an advanced trust/fear interface with a new level of interaction. Additionally,The Thing: Remasteredwill feature new achievements and trophiesfor players to unlock as they play through the game on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, or Steam.
While the 2002The Thinggame isn’t an official sequel to the 1982 film, the game was endorsed by John Carpenter, who even appears later in the game in an uncredited cameo.
The Potential Impact of The Thing: Remastered
In today’s modern gaming world, games made as adaptations or sequels to popular films are few and far between. While there have been recent games based on films such asAvatar: Frontiers of PandoraandA Quiet Place: The Road Ahead, they’ve never reached the same numbers as games based on films released during the sixth and seventh console generations. Back in the 2000s and early 2010s, most films received game adaptations of some kind, whether they be expansions of films such as The Collective’sStar Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sithgame or simple 2D platformers such asThe SpongeBob SquarePants MovieGame Boy Advance game.The Thing: Remasteredcould inspire a revival of this sort of movie-based game.
Remakes and remasters of games based on movies and shows have begun to steadily appear in the 2020s, such asSpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydratedand even Nightdive’s ownBlade Runner: Enhanced Edition. However, there are still many beloved games based on films and shows that are locked on their original consoles, includingThe Simpsons: Hit & Run,The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, andPeter Jackson’s King Kong. If sales ofThe Thing: Remastereddo well enough, it could inspire movie and game companies to allow classic game adaptations to be remade or remastered for modern audiences to try out for the first time, ensuring that they aren’t lost to time.
The Thing
WHERE TO PLAY
The Thing takes place shortly after Carpenter’s 1982 film and plays off of many of the same themes of mood, distrust, fear, and monstrous baddies. It plays out as FPS as you try to determine what has happened and who in your team has become infected.
