Nightdive Studios’ repertoire in retro releases is revolutionary. Say that five times fast. The company singlehandedly revived the Turok franchise before Saber began work on a new game. And it also gave new life to old favorites like Killing Time and Shadow Man. Now, we have The Thing Remastered, a re-tinkering of the 2002 release, based on the John Carpenter film. And even though not every aspect has aged well, it’s still worth checking out.
The game is one of the first real entries in the squad based shooter arena, as you hunt down, well, aliens. In this particular case, an alien that can shape shift like a beast and fool even the most dedicated of minds. As you venture further in, you’ll face different variations of it, along with other problems.
What makes The Thing Remastered so special is how it takes aspects from the film to work in its favor. The Fear System, for instance, is fantastic. That said, there are minor annoyances that come up with gameplay, particularly when it comes to controls.
But the fact this one got a second chance at life is welcome. You just can’t kill a good Thing.
The Thing Remastered Brings the Horror
As you start, you’ll find yourself working alongside a team. This includes an engineer, a medic and a soldier, all of which have skills that lend a hand. But you have to make sure you stay on a good page with them. Trust goes a long way here, especially since the Thing can infiltrate, well, anything.
Along with that, there’s the Fear system. I mentioned it above, but there’s a reason I appreciate it so much. Fear played a major part with the film, and continues to do so here. Squadmates could easily lose it over certain encounters, leading to unpredictable behavior. You might even find yourself having to deal with them before they become a dangerous Thing variant. It’s really something, and it hasn’t lost any of its luster from the 2002 release.
That said, the actual gunplay itself needs a little work. That’s not the fault of Nightdive, as that’s something that the original Thing had as well. Since this is an early example of squad shooter, it’s expected that it’s not entirely perfect. Still, the encounters that come within the game are excellent. And, working properly, your AI teammates can properly lend a hand. When they’re not going insane, that is.
Don’t walk into this expecting Doom. The Thing Remastered is all about nailing the atmosphere. The original developers at Computer Artworks wanted to keep Carpenter’s suspense in mind with the release. And boy, did they. But this one doesn’t have the smoothest controls or the sharpest AI.
Still, it shows a nice little staple in the field of horror. It’s true to the theme of the original movie – so much, in fact, that Carpenter endorsed it back upon original release. I suspect he’d still have glowing remarks about this re-release. Maybe Nightdive should send him over a copy.
There’s a Thing About the Presentation
Nightdive always does a good job with its remasters, and the trend continues with The Thing. It may show some aspects of its age (it is a PS2 release) here and there. But it’s nicely smoothed over, and runs without missing a beat. Plus the atmosphere is better than it’s ever been, especially with the Thing(s) popping out from anywhere.
The in-game music is okay. It’s not up to the heights of generating tension like the movie. But what’s here is definitely a decent part of the experience. I also like the sound effects throughout, and the voice acting – though minimal – isn’t bad.
On top of that, Nightdive included a few extras as well, providing some historical context. While not extremely in-depth, you get good concept art showing the creation of the game. It whisks you back to a simpler time in gaming, when more chances got taken. I’m happy to see it here, though it’d be great to see a full-on documentary down the road. Hey, we’ll take what we can get.
A Must For Fans of the Movie, and Horror Lovers
While hardly perfect, The Thing Remastered is a welcome sight to see. It’s got tension around literally every corner, and its systems are implemented beautifully. The AI and controls aren’t the best, but fans will appreciate it anyway. And, as expected, Nightdive spruces it up so it looks better than ever.
This one won’t win major awards along the lines of, say, Resident Evil 4. But The Thing Remastered still has lots of fuel in the tank. But do yourself a favor and play it with the lights off. You’ll really get more out of this Thing that way.
GAMERHUB RATING: 3.5 (out of 5) JOYSTICKS
Thanks to Nightdive Studios for providing a review code to us! You can get the game now on Xbox,PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and PC.
Want more dark game reviews? Check out our takes on Castlevania Dominus Collection and Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered!
