John Carpenter’s The Thing, a renowned sci-fi horror film from 1982, leaves viewers with an open-ended conclusion. Two decades later, Computer Artworks introduced a third-person shooter titled The Thing, which continued the story as an official sequel. Earlier this year, Nightdive Studios revealed plans for a remastered version, and a new gameplay trailer released on Thursday showcases how players will work with their teams to fend off alien threats at an Antarctic base.
According to Nightdive, The Thing Remastered will be available on PC and various consoles, including PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch, “later this year.” With October nearing its end, it suggests that the release is just weeks away.
Nightdive has built a reputation for delivering faithful and enhanced remasters of both classic and often overlooked retro games. Within the last year alone, it successfully released remasters of Star Wars: Dark Forces, Killing Time: Resurrected, and a Doom + Doom 2 bundle for PC. These remastered versions typically maintain the essence of the originals while introducing modern enhancements, such as 4K resolution, improved frame rates, refined character models, and upgraded textures using the KEX engine.
For The Thing Remastered, a similar approach has been utilized, injecting new features tailored to the gameplay. The game includes a fear and trust system where non-player characters (NPCs) can become fearful and lose trust in you based on your decisions. To prove you are not an alien, you must assist these characters in combat, heal them, and perform other supportive actions, reflecting the dynamics of the film. Nightdive confirmed collaboration with the original Computer Artworks development team to implement these enhancements.
In essence, The Thing Remastered embodies a seamless fusion of classic and contemporary elements. It refrains from overcrowding the less detailed areas with superfluous detail and avoids completely redesigning characters, opting instead to enhance the existing framework. For additional insights, make sure to check out the trailer featured above.