The Thing is a third person survival horror game set as a direct sequel to John Carpenter’s 1982 film. Taking place shortly after the events at Outpost 31 in Antarctica, players step into the role of Captain J.F. Blake, a member of a U.S. Special Forces rescue team sent to investigate what happened at the facility. The game builds on the paranoia and isolation central to the film’s lore, with the constant threat that anyone around you could be infected by the alien organism. The story expands the mythos of Carpenter’s classic, exploring themes of mistrust, survival, and the fragility of human bonds under extreme conditions.
Developed by Computer Artworks and published by Universal Interactive, The Thing was released in 2002 for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Windows PC. The game’s release marked one of the earliest attempts to extend a cult horror film into a full-length survival horror experience. By combining combat, resource management, and a unique trust and fear system, it distinguished itself from other horror games of its era.
Gameplay
At its core, The Thing blends squad based mechanics with survival horror tension. Players lead a small team of NPCs, each with their own skills, including engineers, medics, and soldiers. Trust is the most important system: team members can lose faith in Blake if he fails to provide evidence that he is human, sometimes even turning hostile. The infection mechanic adds unpredictability, as allies may secretly be taken over by the alien. Combat involves firearms and flamethrowers, while resource management forces careful use of ammo, health kits, and weapons. Puzzles and exploration add layers to the tense encounters with both human survivors and monstrous alien forms.
Visuals and Style
The frozen Antarctic setting provides a bleak and hostile environment. Snowstorms, flickering lights, and desolate outposts create an atmosphere of dread and helplessness. The creature designs borrow from Rob Bottin’s grotesque special effects in the film, delivering mutated and disturbing alien forms. Despite technical limitations of the early 2000s, the combination of eerie sound design, voice acting, and environmental detail effectively captures the paranoia of the source material.
Importance in Survival Horror History
The Thing stands as an ambitious experiment in blending survival horror with squad based mechanics and psychological systems. Its trust and infection features were groundbreaking at the time, influencing later horror games that experimented with paranoia and player relationships. It bridged the gap between horror cinema and gaming, demonstrating how a film’s atmosphere could be successfully adapted into interactive media while expanding the story universe.
Reception and Historical Value
Upon release, the game was praised for its atmosphere, ties to the film, and innovative trust system, though some criticized clunky controls and technical limitations. Despite mixed reviews, it developed a cult following and remains remembered as one of the more ambitious licensed horror games of its era. Historically, it represents both the challenges and potential of adapting horror cinema into gaming and is still regarded as a bold survival horror experiment that captured the essence of paranoia.
Availability and Collectibility
The Thing was released physically for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC in 2002. Original physical copies are considered collectible, especially for fans of the film and survival horror enthusiasts. Its rarity on the secondary market and status as a cult classic add to its value for collectors. A remaster came out in 2024! and it’s available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC.
See The Archive for the Remaster:
The Thing: Remastered (2024) – THESURVIVALHORROR.COM
Trailer: