| |
| |
 |
|
| Game: |
The Thing |
| Genre: |
Adventure |
| Developer: |
Rebellion |
| Publisher: |
Konami |
|
| Related Links: |
Coming Soon. |
|
|
|
|
|
John Carpenter: Genius. Could a game ever do justice to his classic remake of Howard Hawk’s 1951 original film? Well, if ever there was one, this could be it. The story goes a little like this…amidst the desolate Antarctic wilderness stands a scientific research post, populated by a smattering of scientists and a dog. Something very strange happens and you are plunged into a tense thriller of epic proportions. Who is infected? Who can you trust? Can you trust yourself? These are the feelings developer Computer Artworks hopes to convey when The Thing is released sometime later this year.
The game takes place around two months or so after the movie ends and places Blake (you) and his rescue team into the research station while a raging storm builds up outside and traps you and your team inside. You will have teammates with you to help in your quest, but these are not safe by any means. They can become infected at any time and it is up to you who to trust. You can take the drastic action of annihilating everyone ‘just in case’ but it will make the game exceedingly difficult to complete. There are three types of teammates who accompany you in the mission: Medics, Soldiers and Engineers. Medics, very simple. They heal you and bring down fear levels in the team. Soldiers are pretty much essential in battles and have high trust and low fear levels, if they turn however – watch out, they become very tough to deal with. Finally you have your engineers. They help you out by operating computers, repairing equipment, getting generators online etc. However, they have very low levels of trust and scare very easily. It’s all about getting a balance and keeping a cool head under pressure Not easy. Some NPC’s are essential to plot to ensure you won’t have to go it alone but once they have fulfilled their purpose it’s up to you as to what to do with them. Blood tests will be available and fortunately they won’t take as long as they do in real life. You can assign orders to your team, if you are close enough, you’ll be able to signal your order (give ammo etc.) but a more complex ‘Swat 3’ style interface will be available to coordinate attacks.
Three different types of enemy are on offer: Scuttlers (spider-type, head on legs.) Walkers (humanoid, grotesquely deformed.) Ruptures (complete mess of tissue, blood and tentacles.) A nice mix of freakishly scary ‘things’ who will all have their mutations to keep the variety up. The graphics are nothing short of stunning with character and beastly models looking absolutely lovely and gory in equal measures. Environmental lighting looks eerie and very moody, while the flamethrower is fantastic. Alex recommends a purchase of pants along with the game and it really must be played with the lights out…
|
|
