John Carpenter’s The Thing is a cinematic classic. Watching that film for the first time before diving into The Thing: Remastered was a religious experience, honestly. A master of practical effects, storytelling, and ensuring that I was never not on the edge of my seat during its runtime. And to be fair, I think I should have likely tried to experience The Thing: Remastered before watching the film. This pseudo-sequel has its heart in the right place, and Nightdive Studios made it the best way to play this remaster. I just don’t know if you really should, to be honest.

It Starts on a Good Foot but Eventually Shoots Itself in the Same Leg Later

The Thing: Remastered takes a 22-year-old title and makes it feel a little more modern. While it’s still got that janky charm of the sixth generation of consoles, it looks and runs fantastic on modern hardware. Playing through the remaster on my PlayStation 5, I can’t recall a single dropped frame or any major hardware issue. As it should be, Nightdive did a fantastic job of keeping the vibes alive while modernizing the visual surroundings.

But the sixth generation of consoles was notorious for a few things, and half-baked movie tie-ins were one of them. I lived through this era and enjoyed a number of these games, so The Thing: Remastered does have its charms. Sure, Captain Blake may have as much flavor as a saltine cracker, but it’s weirdly charming. If you grew up playing The Thing as a kid or young adult, you’ll be happy to know that everything you loved is still there with some good Quality of Life updates.

Even with these QoL updates, there are still some fundamental problems with The Thing: Remastered. Stuff that was ground-breaking back in the day has become commonplace now. The “hyper-advanced” AI that it touted was somewhat impressive back in 2002 but feels lackluster by today’s standards. Since your squad is replaced at the end of seemingly every level, the tension of trying to figure out who is The Thing or who has been infected feels almost non-existent. If you don’t trust someone, get rid of them; you’ll have a whole new squad in the next level.

The second half of the game is also an extreme tonal shift. Going from a somewhat intriguing, if not overly convoluted survival horror game to a semi-generic third-person shooter against a handful of grunts is incredibly frustrating.

‘The Thing: Remastered’ Is Still a Great Example of Body Horror, However

That being said, there are still some aspects of The Thing: Remastered that deserve their roses and kudos. The work that Nightdive put into this remaster is impressive, even if it doesn’t fix all of the glaring issues with the game.

One of the most important aspects of horror is… well, the horror aspect itself. While the tension that the film brought wasn’t fully on display in The Thing: Remastered, it does do a great job of turning the practical effects of the film into polygonal things that go bump in the night. Outside of the generic grunts of the second half, the Things I found myself facing off against were still creepy and oozing horror 22 years later.

If I had rented this game as a kid, I know that these creatures would have haunted my dreams for the upcoming months. But as an adult, I can take the time necessary to admire their haunting beauty. Even though their bodies are trapped in the dimensions of a PS2 frame, they still offer enough body-horror fright to give even the most seasoned veteran a scare.

Nightdive Studios did the best that they could do with what was a solid 7/10 shooter back in the day to make it more appealing for the audiences of today. Visually, the remaster looks great. Even with the PS2-era jank intact, the new lighting effects and general care put into the world are immediately apparent. It’s just an interesting choice for a game to be remastered such as this.

It’s an Impressive Remaster of a Less-than-impressive Game

Here’s the thing, though. The Thing: Remastered is crafted as a love letter to those who experienced the game before. While there are parts of The Thing: Remastered that I genuinely enjoyed, it didn’t hit all of the marks I wished it would have. But, it’s still a masterclass in preservation that I can’t help but commend at the end of the day.

The Thing: Remastered never hits the full highs of the film that inspired it. But it has enough unique elements that I would recommend a playthrough for fans of the film and the original game. Many of the rougher edges have been sanded down to a finely rounded package. But there’s still a chance for a few splinters when you run your hands over it.

there’s the thing

It’s not a game for everyone. It’s a passion project for those who love The Thing and everything that it has to offer. It doesn’t matter if it’s a goofy carrot or a tie-in video game. And I can’t fault Nightdive Studios for doing everything in their power to make it the best that it can be. At the end of the day, I would suggest giving it a try if you think it’s up your alley. You may fall in love with it more than I did, or you may have the same feelings as me.

Just like The Thing itself, it affects everybody differently. To some, this may be their favorite video game of all time. To me, it’s an exercise in polishing rose-tinted glasses. It’s a product of its time. And that shows in its story and gameplay, but it’s an extremely polished remaster by a talented team. I just wish it was for something else, personally.

Verdict: Cautiously Recommended (On Sale)

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The Thing: Remastered is available now on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. A code was sent for the sake of review. Reviewed on PlayStation 5.