The Thing
Score: 65% ESRB: Mature Publisher: Universal/Black Label Games Developer: Computer Artworks Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 Genre: Survival Horror
Graphics & Sound: I wanted to love this game as soon as it had been announced. Really, I did. The fact that a seemingly faithful multi-platform adaptation of one of the greatest sci-fi horror movies in existence had been set in motion - well, it made me quite pleased to know that someone wanted to give the license a chance. So naturally, I was overjoyed to finally check out The Thing on my Xbox, hoping it could meet the huge expectations I'd built up after reading all about the game's features from day one. Unfortunately, this wasn't really what I expected at all. Well, I did expect it to look fantastic at the very least, which it certainly pulls off. For a title set in the relatively bleak wastelands of Antarctica, The Thing comes chock full of grotesque imagery, fear-inspiring settings and some seriously twisted enemies. Not a single one of these monsters would look out of place in the 1982 film, and that's exactly what the game needed. I was hoping to see 12-foot tall creatures with mutated dog heads and gnarled human torsos sticking out of a mass of bloody tentacles, and this game delivered. Score one for the guys at Computer Artworks! All of the NPC models are crisp and unique as well, each with defining clothes and facial features -- but everyone has the exact same mannerisms. While the voice actors did a fine job, there simply isn't enough diversity in the soldiers' speech to convince the player of the game's environment. When over 20 fellow soldiers utter the same 'We've got company!' every time they spot an enemy, the entire experience suddenly changes from chillingly authentic to, well, humdrum and repetitive. A game based heavily on interactivity with teammates who essentially sound like robots can't achieve much in my book. The main character also has an overly macho, Max Payne-ish voice that garnered more than a few eye rolls from myself (and my roommate), but I guess that comes with the territory.
Gameplay: Even though the premise seems extremely refreshing -- player must survive in a frozen wilderness only by gaining the trust of a fully interactive cast of squad members -- the action falls a bit flat due to confusing controls and slightly dim-witted NPCs. There's a learning curve of 1-2 hours just to get comfortable with switching items and weapons with the D-pad (by default) and circle strafing with both thumbsticks. With the NPCs, it's fairly simple to command them around (supplying ammo, administering items, etc.) but sometimes they just don't act sensibly, even when they have one hundred percent of your trust. I've seen them get stuck on corners, crawl under stairs without being able to get out, stand perfectly still after being told to follow, and so forth. Sometimes it's not so bad, but when you absolutely need that electrician to fix a broken terminal in order to clear the level, it's pure hell to have to reload your game because of a glitch in the game. Still, it's cool having to convince your teammates that you're not infected before they'll trust you. Much like in the movie, players will have access to blood test equipment with which to prove their human state to the not-so-sane characters they'll meet throughout the game. Unfortunately, this doesn't really work too logically on the NPCs themselves. For example, soldiers will occasionally turn into Things out of nowhere, prompting a quick flamethrower to the face. If you load your game again and use a blood test on the same soldier mere seconds before he turns into a Thing, however, it will almost always show them as having human blood in their veins. This couldn't possibly be, since you know they aren't human, and they soon turn into monsters either way. I confirmed this a few times, thus forcing me out of a potentially engrossing experience once again. Why give players the ability to check NPCs for possible infection if there's no way to tell until they've turned? It's little things like these that slowly bring the game down. Just as John Carpenter's directing career headed down the spiral of suckage only four years after making The Thing, the video game incarnation lacks further enthusiasm after nearly four hours of gameplay. After six, I was no longer interested in playing through to the end. I already knew how each squad member would act once I had gained their trust, and after killing a few hundred of the small spider-like Things, I'd gotten tired of my opposition. Ugh.
Difficulty: At least there's some mild challenge to be had here. Since you'll be juggling your squad's sanity while torching an endless supply of resilient alien beings, things can get a bit heady in the heat of battle. Of course, when you're mistakenly switching to flashlights instead of flamethrowers because the control scheme blows, your situation only gets worse. The toughest parts of the game are those where medkits are nowhere to be found (and your only medic just transformed inexplicably into a Thing). Boss battles can prove frustratingly tricky on occasion, but only if you don't take the time to explore for the big guns.
Game Mechanics: So, the controls need serious improvement. Teammates don't always do what they're supposed to. The movie connection is there, yet too many factors drive a distance away from an original, frightening sensation. Most players just won't be scared by this game, and that's never good for a survival horror title based on such a chilling film. The Thing isn't a terrible game by any means, but it simply can't live up to the movie's standards, even 20 years after its release. Multi-console owners may want to wait until Resident Evil Zero hits the GameCube, or perhaps give this one a rent before making any purchase decisions. This reviewer personally has no interest in playing again, but hey, you don't have to trust me. I'm probably infected anyway.
-Ben Monkey, GameVortex Communications AKA Ben Lewis
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