PlayStation 2

The Thing

The flat out truth is that any fan of survival horror can't justify not running out right now and buying this game. Fans of the movie should already own a copy to keep calling themselves fans. It's that amazing. I consider myself very fortunate that I was able to catch The Thing on the big screen at my local revival theater a few weeks ago as part of their Summer Movies of 1982 series. The movie was even better on the big screen and seeing it again has really brought out many of the finer points of the game that delivers with nothing short of perfection.

The Thing is survival/horror for people who like to kill things. Picking up right where the film left off, you play Blake, a soldier sent to Antarctica to find out what the hell happened to the scientific expedition seen in the film. The goal for The Thing was clearly to stay true to the movie, both in words and deeds. That means you'll hear legitimate four-letter swear words and see a lot of disturbing imagery.

Fans of the survival horror genre will find The Thing an entertaining action-adventure that is easy to get into and hard to forget. And while certain small things could have been improved upon (more boss fights, for instance, and small clipping issues), the game serves up enough chilling action that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go until the very end.

Overall, I found The Thing to be a total blast that delivered everything it promises and maybe a little extra. It¹s 11 long levels of intense action and sometimes-simplified puzzles. It¹s rated Mature from the ESRB and rightfully so as it¹s jam-packed with gore, violence and cussin¹. If you¹re a fan of the movie, or a survival horror fan, this one is a must buy.

The Thing's unique blend of action, puzzle-solving, and team management works very well. The mix of gameplay elements really helps to keep the game interesting the whole way through, since at just about every turn the game asks you to do something that you haven't done before. Most of the puzzles are logically constructed, though a few require repetitive actions, like taking out a seemingly endless horde of creatures. Those can be a drag, but the bland sequences are few and far between. The game even offers confrontations with boss creatures that force you to think and fire at the same time.

My biggest complaint with The Thing is that it was just too short, which dependant on how you look at it can be a good thing or a bad thing. And to make matters worse, once you play through it once, that's it, you've seen it all. There are no alternate endings to unlock or additional storylines to go through. But as things usually go in this industry, we can eventually look forward to a sequel to The Thing, which is definitely a good "thing."

The Thing is not designed for an innocent little kid. It's an M-rated game and to prove it, it's filled with grotesque scenes of violence, exploding bodies, and gallons of blood. Also, there's foul language, too, something that's more common these days in videogames. All of things are consistent with the movie, the theme of which has been handled with exquisite care and thought. With the exception of the blood test goofs and the rather thin storyline, The Thing warrants your time and money. It's a good action-adventure game, and yes, it's even a very good survival-horror game, something we'll all in need of.

Une curiosité en terme de gameplay avec notamment une gestion de la peur assez réussie et originale. Voici un titre tout simplement passionnant et a découvrir si on est amateur de frissons que l'on connaissent le film dont le jeu s'inspire ou non.

It's different, really different. Survival-horror mixed with a feeling of real time strategy in deploying your team, and action-packed shooter blended with puzzle solving creates a two-for-one game that sucks you in for an hour at a time, and then draws you back after a short break. The Thing is truly a gaming experience to relish...at least parts of it.

Overall, The Thing is a good action game, but it's even better if you happen to be a fan of the two-decade old Carpenter classic. The game's long enough to where it can't be beaten in one sitting, and compelling enough to play from beginning to end (again, if you're a major fan). Everything from the graphics, to the sound, to the gameplay and control, are done well enough in this title so as not to classify it as another pathetic and demeaning video game conceived only to cash in from its associated movie title. There are several flaws, such as irksome controls, questionable enemy and squad AI, and several instances of trial-and-error deaths that prevent this title from being a must-buy. Also, know that to save this game takes nearly three megs and when you die, you have to exit the game in order to resume from the last save point (the save points are abundant, though). Buy it if you're a big fan of The Thing but rent it if you need to play a good action title.

Vivendi, looks like it's been a bad month for you guys...only Warcraft III to look upon as a high note...everything else hasn't been doing so hot.