The Thing: Remastered

92%
Game Brain Score Based on 499 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • graphics
The Thing: Remastered Game Cover
Nightdive Studios does what it does best in restoring this PS2-era classic, but it also fixed a long-time problem that makes the game better.
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"The Thing: Remastered" is a survival horror shooter game that serves as a sequel to the 1982 film. As Cpt J.F. Blake, you lead a team to investigate the mysterious deaths at Outpost 31 in Antarctica, where you encounter a shape-shifting alien. The game features enhanced graphics, fast-paced squad action, and a challenging blend of survival horror. Your team's survival depends on your ability to utilize all members and uncover the truth behind the alien threat.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

92%
Audience ScoreBased on 499 reviews
gameplay24 positive mentions
stability14 negative mentions
  • The remaster significantly enhances the graphics and lighting, making the game visually appealing while retaining its original charm.
  • The gameplay improvements, such as better weapon switching and a more user-friendly targeting system, make for a smoother experience.
  • The nostalgic value for fans of the original game and the movie is high, providing a fun trip down memory lane.
  • The game suffers from bugs and crashes, including issues with squad AI getting stuck and random crashes during gameplay.
  • Despite the remaster, the core gameplay feels dated, with some mechanics not being fully fleshed out, leading to a lack of tension and challenge.
  • The price point feels steep for a game that can be completed in around 5-6 hours, making it hard to justify for newcomers.
  • gameplay110 mentions

    The gameplay of the remastered title retains much of the original's dated mechanics, offering a third-person shooter experience with squad elements that can feel clunky and underutilized. While some improvements have been made, such as better aiming and refined NPC infection mechanics, many players find the core gameplay loop basic and lacking depth, with the trust and fear systems not significantly impacting the experience. Overall, the game provides a nostalgic feel for fans of the original but may disappoint those seeking a more modern and polished gameplay experience.

    • “This remaster preserves every detail of the 2002 cult classic while refining its visuals and gameplay to meet contemporary standards.”
    • “The gameplay is just as tense and engaging as you remember, leading a team through the frozen wasteland of Antarctica, battling freaky shape-shifting monsters, and never knowing who you can trust.”
    • “The squad-based mechanics are really good, especially for 2002, and I found the infection system to be a nice twist that keeps you guessing as to if your teammates are infected or not.”
    • “Gameplay remains largely unchanged.”
    • “In fact, most if not all the difficulty comes from the janky and sometimes convoluted gameplay mechanics.”
    • “The so-called 'squad mechanic' is so bare bones it might as well not even exist; it's as if they forgot they were making a 'The Thing' movie-themed video game and added a 'trust' system at the very last second.”
  • story75 mentions

    The game's story is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its connection to the 1982 film while criticizing its predictability and lack of depth. While some enjoy the nostalgic elements and easter eggs, others find the narrative to be generic and poorly executed, particularly in the latter half. Overall, it serves as a continuation of the film's plot but fails to deliver a compelling or coherent storyline, leaving many players wanting more.

    • “The story takes place right after the events of the film and is canon according to John Carpenter himself, so that's pretty cool if you're a fan.”
    • “The gameplay is still just as fun and nerve-wracking, the story still delivers that classic sense of paranoia, and the whole experience feels like a love letter to fans of both the 2002 game and Carpenter’s movie.”
    • “All the characters have a lot of personality and again the universe this game is set in is fantastic, so overall if you care about a good story I would recommend this game.”
    • “I do wish that the first half of the game was a little more prevalent instead of the tacky story the latter half follows.”
    • “The story is extremely thin, but not anything bad like 'Aliens: Colonial Marines.'”
    • “The plot is predictable and boring, the shooting is clunky, with no feedback to speak of, the level design is simplistic, and not in a good way.”
  • graphics72 mentions

    The remaster of this early 2000s game features significantly enhanced graphics while maintaining the original's distinctive art style, resulting in a visually impressive experience that captures the essence of the source material. While some players appreciate the updated lighting and textures, others feel the improvements are modest and not worth the price tag, especially when compared to modern titles. Overall, the remaster successfully revitalizes the visuals and gameplay, making it a nostalgic yet polished experience for fans of the original.

    • “This remaster preserves every detail of the 2002 cult classic while refining its visuals and gameplay to meet contemporary standards.”
    • “The graphics and especially the new lighting and shadows are phenomenal.”
    • “The developers at this company pick games that they care about and then lovingly restore them and give them impactful yet tasteful overhauls fixing graphics, frame rates, bugs, controls and bringing it into the modern age while respecting as much of its original artistic design and gameplay as they can.”
    • “The graphics have not aged well, and character models are way behind MGS2, which came out before The Thing.”
    • “Not worth $30 for a 22-year-old game with slight graphical improvements.”
    • “It's important to remember that this is a remaster and not a remake, so the graphics and gameplay are obviously not going to blow your mind.”
  • atmosphere31 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its ability to evoke the oppressive tension and paranoia reminiscent of the original 1982 film, enhanced by improved graphics, lighting, and attention to detail. Players appreciate the immersive experience created by the combination of visual effects and engaging combat, although some note that the audio could be better polished to fully complement the atmosphere. Overall, the remaster successfully captures the chilling essence of the source material, making it a compelling choice for fans of horror.

    • “The game captures that same oppressive, paranoid atmosphere that made the film so iconic.”
    • “If you're a fan of the original film, or just a fan of genuinely scary, atmospherically charged horror experiences, then you absolutely need to pick up 'The Thing Remastered.' It's a tense, thrilling, and deeply satisfying experience that lives up to its legendary inspiration.”
    • “The paranoia, the creepy atmosphere, the feeling of isolation, it’s all here, and it’s just as nerve-wracking as it was in the early 2000s.”
    • “With good audio, which is most important to create atmosphere in a game, this could be a much better experience.”
    • “Also, I would have to agree with other reviews mentioning that the audio aspect needs more polishing, as there are occasional soundtrack and SFX mixing issues which disrupt the immersion.”
    • “But there is a significant lack of proper ambient sounds to build the atmosphere, while the sounds that are there are not going to work well for a horror game either.”
  • stability19 mentions

    Overall, the stability of the game has received mixed reviews. While some players report a smooth experience with minimal bugs and improved performance on new hardware, others have encountered issues with AI behavior, minor glitches, and occasional control problems. Despite these inconsistencies, many still find the remaster enjoyable and recommend it, highlighting that the game runs well overall.

    • “Runs great and looks good.”
    • “This looks great, runs great, and the quality of life updates are most welcome.”
    • “Runs great, and sadly that is not to be expected these days, even for a remaster.”
    • “The only real complaint I have is the buggy squadmates who will regularly just stop following you at certain points or just run head first into swarms of creatures and get infected.”
    • “Game is very buggy; I'll change my review once the game gets patched a few times.”
    • “The remaster improves on the original game in almost every way, graphics look good and the difficulty is toned down a bit, but there are some sound bugs and minor glitches.”
  • music18 mentions

    The music in the game is largely criticized for its absence, with many reviewers noting a lack of memorable tracks and minimal background sound, which detracts from the overall atmosphere. While some appreciate the sound design, the sporadic and brief musical snippets fail to enhance key moments, such as boss fights, leading to a disjointed experience. Overall, players feel that the game would benefit significantly from a more robust and cohesive musical score to improve immersion and tension.

    • “The music is weirdly absent for a lot of the campaign; a handful of 10-second stingers here and there in a cutscene, but even boss fights lack music. Though I feel like it's okay if boss fights lack some music, they need to compensate with some more awful monster screams.”
    • “Sound design was good enough; the music was good.”
    • “I understand this remaster wants to retain as much of the original as possible, but I can't imagine new or old players would have been bothered with more environmental sounds and ambient/music tracks added to the levels and boss fights.”
    • “The music is weirdly absent for a lot of the campaign; a handful of 10-second stingers here and there in a cutscene, but even boss fights lack music. While it's okay if boss fights lack some music, they need to compensate with some more awful monster screams.”
    • “Besides some very short snippets of music, there’s literally no good audio in the game at all, which could have created some tension.”
    • “The sound design and lack of music really kills the overall experience.”
  • optimization15 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is highly praised, with most players reporting smooth performance at 60fps and minimal issues, aside from occasional minor shader stutter that can affect audio sync in cutscenes. The remaster is noted for its efficient use of resources, improved graphics, and seamless gameplay experience, making it well-suited for modern PCs without compromising on visual quality. Players appreciate the balance between enhanced visuals and performance, highlighting that the game runs flawlessly even on lower-end systems.

    • “It’s rare to see a remaster this well-optimized, and it made my entire playthrough feel seamless.”
    • “On the technical side, the game is well-optimized, with no performance issues apart from that one glitch.”
    • “Overall performance is great even on my current travel potato rig.”
    • “The decision to only bump the graphics up to Xbox 360/PS3 level was a genius move not just in terms of art but in performance as well.”
    • “As for performance, it looks way better than the original: very close to a PS3 era game.”
    • “Proof you don't need stupid performance-crippling ray tracing to have a gorgeous game.”
  • replayability6 mentions

    The remaster improves combat AI and introduces some randomized NPC mechanics, but overall, replayability remains limited, primarily hinging on individual enjoyment of the campaign. The absence of new game plus modes or alternative gameplay options further detracts from its replay value, especially given the game's short length and mixed quality in its latter stages.

    • “There is replay value in the new mechanics of the NPCs as they're more randomized now.”
    • “The game can be beaten in less than 10 hours, and replayability is entirely dependent upon how much you enjoyed the campaign.”
    • “The remaster helps with combat AI and makes the game a little bit more playable.”
    • “My biggest complaint regarding the original release (beyond the lapses in coherent storytelling) was the lack of replayability.”
    • “Finally, do keep in mind the game can be beaten in less than 10 hours, the last third of the game seems to negatively change in both story and quality, and replayability is entirely dependent upon how much you enjoyed the campaign.”
    • “Unfortunately, missing NG+ modes or alternate game modes to bring replayability to it, which is another detractor to the price tag.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players noting its comedic moments and entertaining cutscenes that require attention to fully appreciate. While some recommend watching playthroughs for the best experience, many find joy in the game's quirky bugs and funny scenarios, making it a fun experience overall.

    • “It can be pretty funny, as my girlfriend said more than once while I played through this game, but if you really want to understand what's going on, then you better pay attention to all the cutscenes and keep your hands away from the controller, as any input will skip them.”
    • “Not even a quarter of the way into the game, I loved playing the original even with its quality and sometimes funny bugs.”
    • “I had a blast playing it; there were some very funny moments.”
  • monetization4 mentions

    The monetization of the game is widely criticized as a cash grab, with reviewers noting that it feels like a generic tie-in shooter that merely updates the original for a higher price without offering substantial improvements. Many recommend sticking to the original version instead of investing in this remaster, which appears to prioritize profit over quality.

    • “The game is a product of its time (and by this I mean it's a generic cash grab tie-in shooter).”
    • “Mediocre cash grab.”
    • “They do it for a cash grab, simply updating specs to run on current systems and slapping on the label 'remaster' to put on a higher price tag.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by the vulnerability of squad mate NPCs, whose emotional states significantly impact gameplay, as they can become infected and transform into monsters. This mechanic adds a layer of tension and urgency, enhancing the survival horror experience.

    • “After that point, it becomes a vaguely squad-based survival horror game, which is made unique by the emotional state of the squadmate NPCs and the fact that they are liable to become infected by an alien virus that will cause them to 'burst out' into monster form.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly in the second half, where they face repetitive combat against human enemies and engage in monotonous objectives, such as destroying planes. This shift detracts from the overall experience, making it feel less engaging.

    • “The majority of the second part of the game involves fighting human enemies with guns and completing tedious objectives, like blowing up planes. Does this really fit the game's theme at this point?”
    • “Grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged with the story.”
    • “The amount of time spent grinding for resources and upgrades takes away from the enjoyment of the gameplay.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

72% average critic score

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Play time

5hMedian play time
6hAverage play time
5-8hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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