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Hinted at a few days ago, retro-centric developer Nightdive Studios’ The Thing: Remastered is indeed on the way.
The terror returns
Remember The Thing? No, not the original movie, or the iconic 1982 remake with Kurt Russel, we’re talking about the video game that launched in the Xbox/PS2 era. The game picked up right after that ’82 movie, and cast players as Captain J.F. Blake, the leader of a US army special forces unit sent to investigate what happened at Outpost #31.
Playing out across 11 different levels, the title was more than just an action game. The Thing gave Blake a team of four otherwise unplayable characters to command, with classes like Soldier, Medic, and Engineer. And if you guessed that you had to keep watch on those teammates, to see who might not be 100% human, you’d be correct.
Not only did the game throw monster at player to fight, including huge bosses, but a Thing from Another World might have infected a human and be on the hunt too. Paranoia? You bet, and that’s one of the things (pardon the pun) that players have to manage in the game, because if their squad looses it, that’s not going to be good for survival.
Sound cool? Well, if it did, then you’re going to love today’s confirmation that the original is back thanks to a collaboration with Universal Products & Experiences. And from the looks of it, it’s back in fine form, which probably goes without saying since the retro-masters at Nightdive Studios are behind it.
In the frozen arctic tundra, a mysterious shape-shifting alien has wiped out the crew of the U.S. Outpost #31 research facility. In The Thing: Remastered, players step into the boots of Captain J.F. Blake, the leader of a United States Army Special Forces rescue team sent to investigate the blood-curdling events that transpired in the original The Thing film. Trapped by the elements and at risk of infection by a horrific entity, Blake must keep his squad together to survive by gaining their trust and ensuring that their fear and paranoia don’t get the best of them … or himself.
Nightdive Studios press release
Along with re-presenting the original, the remaster will feature enhanced lighting and atmospheric effects, plus upgraded “models, textures, and animations hand-crafted by Nightdive”. Naturally you can also expect to see 4K and 120fps performance on the PC, as well as the Xbox Series X|S and PS5, and full trophy/achievement support.
As of right now, The Thing: Remastered doesn’t have a release date, but fans will be able to look for it to arrive some time before the end of the year. And when it does land, those fans can expect to see it do so for both Xbox and PlayStation platforms, plus the PC and Nintendo Switch.
