The Thing is a 2002 squad-based third-person shooter survival horror video game developed by Computer Artworks and co-published by Vivendi Universal Games under the Black Label Games label and Konami. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance versions were also planned, but both were cancelled early in development. A remastered version was released on December 5, 2024.

Set as a sequel to John Carpenter’s 1982 film of the same name, the story focuses on Captain Blake, a member of a United States Army Special Forces team sent to the Antarctic outpost featured in the film to determine what has happened to the research team, only to find himself caught in an invisible fight for survival against the titular shape-shifting alien, who seemingly has regained life despite being destroyed at the end of the film. Other survivors encountered and ordered by Blake assist the battle against the creature’s different forms, all while being fully aware that they can trust nobody. The game was endorsed by Carpenter, who has a cameo appearance in the game.

The basic gameplay in The Thing is that of a traditional third-person shooter; the player character, Blake, can run and shoot, strafe, crouch, interact with the environment, interact with NPCs and use items, such as flashlights, fire extinguishers or flares. The player also has the option to enter first-person mode for more accurate targeting during combat. When in first-person mode, however, the character cannot move, except to side-step a little to the left and right. Weaponry includes pistols, grenades, sniper rifles, flamethrowers, shotguns, submachine guns, assault rifles, grenade launchers and fixed heavy machine guns. Other items featured in the game are health packs, explosives, ammunition, portable blood test-kits and adrenaline injections.

#gaming #games #ratinggames #TheThing #adventure