@Phreak Western AAA gaming does not get my money anymore. JRPGs all the way, but even then I am careful because of some companies getting influenced by the West (Looking at you Square)
Remaster specialists Nightdive Studios’ latest classic revival offering is none other than the early noughties gem, The Thing. Originally developed by Computer Artworks and released for PC, PlayStation 2, and Xbox in 2002, this enhanced re-release provides pretty much exactly what you’d expect from a traditional remaster – breathing some much-needed life and fresh air into a title beloved by many and allowing an entirely new generation of gamers to experience this delightfully cheesy (and at times, surprisingly atmospheric) descent into madness. Of course, it’s certainly not without its issues, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.
In case it wasn’t obvious, or you weren’t aware, The Thing: Remastered is set within the same universe as the excellent 1982 John Carpenter-directed cult classic film of the same name. Interestingly, it is not a direct adaptation of the movie’s events, but rather a fully-fledged sequel attempt – this time, in video game form. Players assume the role of one Captain Blake, a Special Forces member sent to investigate an Antarctic research base with the goal of figuring out what exactly happened to the on-site personnel.
Long story short: it ain’t pretty. Turns out a shapeshifting alien entity is on the loose (again), and it’s up to our protagonist and his accompanying squad to fight for their lives while rescuing any remaining survivors – with paranoia levels at an all-time high. Which is totally understandable, seeing as any one of the crew (or encountered NPCs) could turn into an ungodly mutant abomination before the rest of the team’s very eyes at any given opportunity.
Gameplay-wise, The Thing: Remastered mixes standard third-person action/survival horror elements with resource management.
And that’s all you’re getting in the way of plot summaries, both for the sake of keeping the story developments a surprise and this review as spoiler-free as possible. Gameplay-wise, The Thing: Remastered mixes standard third-person action/survival horror elements with resource management (ammunition, fuel for flamethrowers and blowtorches used to finish off larger foes), and employs a squad role system – allowing the player to send engineers off to repair busted control panels locking doors in place in order to progress, or receiving healing from a nearby medic, for example.
Keeping track of your crew’s mental wellbeing is, as you’d expect, of high importance as well. This can be done by jabbing them with a shot of adrenaline when they start displaying signs of becoming overwhelmed, or by avoiding prolonged exposure to disturbing sights – like rooms littered with chunks of body parts or covered in massive bloodstains. This goes hand in hand with managing their individual trust bars, which can easily be raised by performing a blood test on yourself to demonstrate that you’re still totally human, or by handing them a weapon, as well as additional ammo. After all, nothing says “I’m not actually an alien” like a gift-wrapped pistol and matching box of bullets.
Bearing in mind that we are indeed talking about a title that originally dropped 22 years ago (that hurt to type), The Thing: Remastered’s upgraded visuals do a decent job of emphasising the eerie ambience present throughout most of the game. From the cold, empty Antarctic landscape, to the claustrophobic hallways of a submarine, the dynamic lighting and increased texture detail likewise help bring the scenery forward in terms of making the overall look of the game somewhat more in line with modern audience accessibility. Most areas and assets look good, showing noticeable improvement, but there’s only so much a remaster can do when it comes to applying a new coat of paint – and inspecting many objects or character models up close makes that extremely apparent.
While the visuals might have received a jab in the arm, the amazingly awful voice acting, ripped straight out of the B-est of B action flicks, remains – for which I am eternally grateful. It’s definitely not going to please everybody, although it’s not like there are plenty of extended dialogue sequences, either – so I wouldn’t describe the in-game vocal performances as a flat-out negative. Shifting to a different kind of performance (this time of the more technical persuasion), frame rate and overall stability was mostly smooth and consistent for the majority of my playtime (boasting lightning-fast load times between levels, unsurprisingly), with one or two crashes occurring while roaming the map.
I guarantee there will still be at least two or three moments that’ll make you nearly jump out of your seat.
There is, of course, an ever-present sense of mild-to-medium jank – which is totally fine and acceptable for a PS2-era title, including jittery character models, stiff animations, and occasionally getting caught on some level geometry. Nothing too serious, though. In fact, I’d argue the creature designs and movements are made a hell of a lot more disturbing thanks to these slight imperfections - and despite the chunky appearance of some of these models, I guarantee there will still be at least two or three moments that’ll make you nearly jump out of your seat.
Overall, The Thing: Remastered is exactly what it says it is on the label – a decently executed updated re-release of a true classic from the sixth-generation console age. For those who’ve never played the game before, this remaster is likely your best option to go for – from both a presentation and ease-of-access perspective. If dated gameplay and a lack of modern gaming staples, like maps and objective markers, aren’t a deal-breaker for you, I highly recommend giving this one a go. The novelty of the experience alone makes this worth a play.
*PS5 Review code provided by Nightdive Studios
8
Great creepy atmosphere enhanced with updated visuals and lighting
Fantastically terrible voice acting
Shallow but fun combat
Smooth performance
Some good old-fashioned early noughties gaming jank
I consider "some good old-fashioned early noughties gaming jank" a perk so I'll settle on 9/10! Gotta get through the Soul Reaver 1+2 Remasters first but then this is definitely on the cards.