The Thing

RETRO NEWS

Today's retro news brings us a new handheld, some classic arcade action, and a reason to revisit Hyrule.

AYN has revealed pricing for its upcoming Odin 3 Portal, with preorders opening yesterday, October 22, starting at $399 and shipping expected in early November.

Meanwhile, The Raiden Project, the 1995 PlayStation compilation featuring Raiden and Raiden II, is returning on PS5 and Switch 2 for $11.99, complete with modern conveniences like save points and customizable controls.

And finally, a fan project called OoT unJPEG is rebuilding the pre-rendered backgrounds of Ocarina of Time in full 3D, allowing players to freely move the camera and explore parts of Hyrule that were previously hidden from view. The project is still in development, but it's already looking like an impressive new way to experience the N64 classic.

PRESS START

An Introduction To Today’s Game

Your squad is cold, tired, and maybe not entirely human. That is the mood of The Thing on PS2, a 2002 sequel to John Carpenter’s 1982 film. The film is my top 10 ten of all time, so when I game was announced all those years ago, this was an instant buy from me.

You play Captain Blake, a Special Forces leader sent to an Antarctic outpost to find out what happened to the research team in the film.

Teamwork is the whole point here, but trust is hard to come by. The game asks you to hand out guns, calm nerves, and run blood tests on suspicious pals. Grab a parka and a flamethrower, and let’s see who makes it back to base.

BEHIND THE PIXELS

Let’s Dive Into The Game

The Thing is a third person shooter with a healthy dose of survival horror, set after the events of John Carpenter’s 1982 film.

You play as Captain J.F. Blake, an American soldier sent to an Antarctic research station to investigate what happened to its missing crew.

Naturally, things go horribly wrong. You are not alone, though. Up to three teammates can accompany you, including soldiers who handle themselves in a fight, engineers who repair electrical equipment and unlock doors, and medics who keep everyone alive.

The problem is that any one of them might secretly be a shape-shifting alien. Nothing builds team morale quite like wondering whether your medic is about to sprout tentacles.

That paranoia is where The Thing gets interesting. Every teammate has trust and fear levels that influence their behavior.

Give someone a weapon, patch up their injuries, or protect them during a fight, and they will start trusting you. Accidentally shoot them or spend too long pointing a gun at their face, and that trust disappears.

Fear is another problem entirely. Dark rooms, mangled bodies, and encounters with monsters can push your squadmates toward a complete breakdown. You also have blood test kits to check whether someone is infected, but there is a catch. Many transformations are scripted, meaning a teammate who tests clean might still turn into a monster five minutes later. So much for scientific certainty.

Combat is fairly straightforward, although some enemies require a little extra attention. Smaller creatures called scuttlers can be killed with conventional weapons, while larger monsters known as walkers must first be weakened with gunfire and then finished off with fire.

Flamethrowers quickly become your best friends, which seems appropriate for a game based on The Thing. You can also switch to a first person view for more precise aiming, although Blake can barely move while using it.

The atmosphere does a lot of the heavy lifting. Between the dimly lit corridors, isolated Antarctic buildings, and some wonderfully disgusting creature designs, the game does a respectable job of capturing the film's unsettling mood. There’s tons of references and easter eggs to the film as well. There’s so many, I made a video about it last year, which you can find here: The Thing Remastered Film References

Squad chatter, distant noises, and the constant suspicion that someone is about to turn into a pile of angry spaghetti help keep the tension going. Critics at the time generally praised the presentation, even if the gameplay had its rough edges.

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GAME INFORMATION

WHERE TO PLAY

• The Thing Remastered

• Original Copies of the Game (All prices in USD)

  • Loose: $20

  • Complete: $30

  • New/Sealed: $160

COVER ART

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GAME OVER

Why You Should Play This

So, why play it today? The simplest answer is that The Thing builds its signature systems around the film’s central worry, not knowing who to trust. It does not always pull that off, but the attempt is still interesting more than twenty years later.

You can still play the original on PS2 if you have the disc and the console. Most people will find it easier to pick up The Thing: Remastered from Nightdive Studios, which arrived on December 5, 2024. It is available on Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X and S, and PC.

The remaster keeps the game faithful while updating the visuals and adding quality of life changes. The controls are friendlier, and the core mechanics stay as they were. Expect a game that still shows its age, with some stiff combat and teammates who do not always behave.

Play it for the paranoia and the creature designs. Keep a flamethrower close and your expectations reasonable. If a teammate stands a little too near, maybe step back.

SUPPORT

This is a passion project made with love, and every open or read means the world.
If you’d like to show extra support, you can use the button below.

RETRO HARDWARE

The Miyoo Flip V2 is a tiny clamshell retro handheld that lets you carry a whole library of classic games in your pocket. With a bright screen, solid controls, and the nostalgic flip design we all remember, it’s perfect for quick gaming sessions anywhere. Click the picture to check it out. My readers can use the following code for a 12% discount: NY12