The Thing

The Good
The Thing is a sequel to the original 1982 movie of the same name. The guys who made this game stayed true to the movie's premise to make it feel like a true sequel.Even though it was given good reviews by the press such as Gamespy and IGN, it wasn't really a best-seller. It has great storytelling, the AI is impressive with the Trust/Fear interface, and its full of action that would make John Carpenter proud.

The Bad
Sometimes the npc's would get stuck behind doors, however it rarely occurred.

The Bottom Line
If you like 3rd person action games, the original movie, or survival-horror, you NEED to play this game. It truly is a classic. Best thing of all, its cheap now. So get out there and pick this one up.

The Good
The story is pretty good, and the intense feeling of knowing that you're really on your own throughout the adventure are probably the game's highest points. Knowing that your own comrades can turn on you at any moment added much to the excitement, and you're never really sure if they're infected or not. Not unless you put the detect-o-matic needle into their arm (note: the device used is not actually called the "detect-o-matic"). And during the game, there are times when your allies are so great that you'll actually feel something for them. You'll love'em when they're fighting by your side, and you'll feel bad when you watch in horror as they transform into a mutated beast wanting only to destroy you!

The Bad
Well, as I said, during the missions you can get a real feel for your allies in the game...but unfortunately, you can't bring them into other missions! I remember one particular set of levels in which I continuously loaded back to older saves just so I could keep my ally alive. He rocked. I didn't want him to die, and dammit, I wasn't going to let him no matter what! And then to my horror, the mission ended, and he was nowhere to be found in the next one. So sad...I guess the game really expected him to become infected.

Also, what the hell is the point of using the detect-o-matic? Sure, it can tell you when your ally is infected, but if it registers positive, your ally instantly turns on you! Even if he is infected, at least he can fight by your side for a bit longer until he mutates. It seems the detect-o-matic is useless, except for rushing the transformation.

The story is pretty vague all the way through, and the end makes no sense whatsoever. I mean, it sort of finishes up what the entire game was about, but the events that take place (not to say what they are as to not ruin the game for any potential players) at the very end are just plain stupid.

Also, I'm a big ammo hoarder. In games like Resident Evil, I'm never low on ammo because I never use it unless I have to. That's because I'm scared to death of fighting some hard sucker and not having the resources to beat him. However, in The Thing, it's just plain silly that wherever you are, there is always a stockpile of so much ammo that if you ever run out, you should seek help.

Your allies have to register trust with you if you want them to follow you...but trust is easily gained just by handing them an empty gun, or just a clip. I don't know, for me, I'd probably trust a guy less if he handed me an empty gun and said "knock yourself out" with a wink.

The Bottom Line
It's really not a bad game, but it's mediocre at best. Good for a rental, because it will take up most of your weekend ot beat, but probably not more. There are some memorable moments (like once when I really pissed off my own ally, and he took MY gun from me and SHOT ME!), but since you can't bring your allies with you into other missions, and you'll end up alone at the end no matter what (you'll realize this very soon in the game anyway), it just didn't feel very good to play through it. Not a waste, but...just not great.

The Good
The atmosphere is dense, the movie was captured very well. The graphics are outstanding with their great fire, snow, wind and illumination effects. The sound is awesome, the movie like engine-cutscenes are excellent.

The Bad
Savepoints.They are well placed, but nothing beats the standard saving system (via hotkey, at best). The team managment is okay and adds more depth and a certain paranoia factor, but the handling could have been easier.

The Bottom Line
Its a great game in the tradition of Resident Evil and the gfx look so much better. Having played this, I would say that a real 3D environment is indeed better than the static prerendered backgrounds that this "survival horror" genre offers normally. Good step ahead, and a lof of fun to play ! But maybe my vote is beeing affected by my....infection ?