Nightdive Studios has shared a gameplay trailer for their latest retro remaster, The Thing: Remastered. The remaster of the 2002 psychological action horror is coming to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch and PC later this year.
One of the more modern games that Nightdive is remastering, the team is able to bring some of the biggest visual upgrades to The Thing yet. There will be improved models, textures and environments, but there’s also new dynamic lighting and 4K resolutions at up to 144 FPS, depending on the platform.
The team has also worked with the original developers to bring some gameplay improvements. One key area is with the interface for the fear/trust system that determines whether an AI will cooperate with you or defy you, depending on their psychological state. It’s well known that Computer Artworks had to make a few… creative decisions to get things to work and fit with the game’s technical limitations in the early 2000s, and just designing an open-ended structure like this to work with the story. It will be interesting to see if any of that has been adapted as well.
While fear and suspicion are core to the experience, there’s also a lot of action, fighting against horrific monstrosities that The Thing has morphed into.
2002’s The Thing is as close as we’ll (hopefully) get to a sequel to the best film ever made – not an opinion, just a fact. Speaking of facts, John Carpenter endorsed this game as a continuation of his movie, with various story beats that remain dangling at the end. Sadly, Computer Artworks never got the opportunity for a sequel to their game, despite the largely positive reception. It’s great to see their legacy continue with this remaster.
