The Thing Preview

First Look - E3 2002

With the proliferation of war games at E3 2002 in Los Angeles, the last thing many proponents of the genre really want is to have a soldier wet their pants.

But it happens, and soldiers not only will soil themselves, but will throw up, curl up in a fetal position, cry for their moms, and have fatal heart attacks or commit suicide when the terror level gets too high.

The game is called The Thing, a Universal Entertainment release for the Xbox, PS2 and PC. Expect this brand of terror in September 2002.

The game takes place three-and-a-half months after the 1982 John Carpenter movie of the same name. It is a squad-based shooter game, but producer Peter Wanat prefers to think of the game more as a thriller or action-horror game.

“We wanted to set the standard for survival warfare,” Wanat said. “This is a mature game with lots of blood and lots of gore.”

For those who don’t know, the Thing in question is an alien being which can inhabit the body of a human host and eventually takes over the host (almost akin to Alien). The twist and fear begins to mount when you realize that one of the NPCs under your command may be the host. And your NPCs, because the AI is strong, may begin to suspect that you are the host, and will start to disobey your orders.

The game is non-linear, and though the environment is not fully interactive, there are enough elements in each of the areas to cause players to rely on cerebral, not just reflexive skill. There are 50 indoor and outdoor environments, but players won’t be able to stay outdoors too long. They each have an exposure meter and because the game takes place in Antarctic, staying outside too long can be hazardous to your health.

Other features include:

• New trust/fear interface adds a different dimension to the genre – How you influence non-player characters (NPCs) psychological state determines whether or not these characters will cooperate with you.

• Amazing lighting, weather and particle effects complemented by subtle sound cues and scripted events create a new level of suspense and terror.

•  Puzzle-solving can be accomplished by a multitude of scenarios – there is not just one way to accomplish an objective.

• Varied pace of gameplay throughout the game blending action, puzzles, horror and human interaction.

This is a journey through fear, and will not be suited to every taste. But if your tastes run to that level of terror, with some solid graphical elements and shooter game play, then this is the type of game you may want to take a look at.