Score: 87
Overall User Average: 8.73 / 10 (86.9%)
Gameplay User Average: 8.20 / 10
Graphics User Average: 8.44 / 10
Sound User Average: 9.00 / 10
xdragon
Date reviewed: December 21, 2003.
Overall: The closest thing to playing the movie, this game creeps me out big time. Story has some twists and turns and the moral/confidence aspect when dealing with other troops is a great and fitting touch.
Gameplay: The controls take a lot of time to get used to. Switching between weapons and items is somewhat time consuming and a death sentence in tense close combat. The trust system is very unique and keeps the replay strong, but can also lead to alot of frustrations and dead ends.
Graphics: The game, while having nice grisly details, i.e. vomit, blood, charred corpses, weather, does have clipping and lacks some power that could have been utilized from the Xbox.
Sound: Creepy John Carpenteresqe music and creature sounds that you hear just on the edge of your hearing keep you on edge. Good use of environment sounds, but not alot of variation due to setting.
Overall: 80 %
Gameplay: 60 %
Graphics: 80 %
Sound: 70 %
Conchord
Date reviewed: December 9, 2003.
Overall: This is a good game, but not a great game. I am a huge fan of the movie, and I feal somewhat disappointed with this game. There are some MAJOR flaws here-for instance, about ten seconds after testing my medic, he started thinging out. What the heck? If they were going to make these scripted events, then why the hell do they even have tests??? Another big flaw was the saving system-this is way to Resident Evil-how about some !&%$@#* in-game saves whereever I want? I always get to a save point at a hard part of the game with little or no health/ammo/backup/supplies and I have to either save and die 100 times or go all the way back to my last save and redo everything. Crap.
Gameplay: Well, the controls were kinda freaky at first, took some time to be able to balance the joystick movcement, but all in all, very confusing. More guns next time, and how about better explanations for my objectives? WHY am I searching the warehouse? WHY do I have to plant C4 on the infirmary? WHY WHY WHY?
Graphics: The graphics are ok I guess...not at par with Splinter Cell, thats for !&%$@#* sure...gun models are blocky, damn enemies come in four varieties-head things, medium-size things, walker-things, and boss-things...wheres some aliens, huh? This thing has been to multiple planets before earth and could transfrom to any of them at any time...so why does it always hunt me as a big flesh-booger?
Sound: I love to hear my teammates cuss and talk to each other(and vomit!!!). The characters mouthes move like japanese anime. Crap.
Suggestions: dont make any more games please...at least TRY harder if you do. And more variety.
Overall: 80 %
Gameplay: 60 %
Graphics: 50 %
Sound: 80 %
Bgizzle
Date reviewed: November 4, 2003.
Overall: I Liked This Game Alot And I am Still Playing It But Iam Stuck I need To Go Buy The Buck So I can Beat it But Its Kool As Hell And is really a 5
Gameplay: It kool I like the control over the other teammates of mine and i like the fact that you can interact with things.
Graphics: Graphics are kool and i love the gore and the other things in the games make it great i really was impressed with this game.
Sound: I was just great man i love this games so much.
Suggestions: Dude make me another games please because this was the best yet.
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 80 %
Graphics: 100 %
Sound: 100 %
Wilddude234
Date reviewed: November 4, 2003.
Overall: Bad game, horrible story, very very boring. Somewhat hard, and very frustrating. This game had a lot of potential and thats what angered me.
Gameplay: Very slow game. The story isn't very good either. The actual playing isn't a lot of fun. You are better off playing something like Panzer Dragoon or Halo.
Graphics: Graphics are the only thing done right in this game. I noticed some slowdown. The enviroments were overly dark also.
Sound: Horrible music. If the music was good I might've given this a higher score. I don't know how you can mess up this category but they somehow did it.
Suggestions: Work harder next time.
Overall: 40 %
Gameplay: 40 %
Graphics: 40 %
Sound: 40 %
c_a_i_l_l_o_u
Date reviewed: October 30, 2003.
Overall: I'm a fan of the movie, and this game is a continuation of the movie, so it was fun and interesting to play it and see what happens. Everyone should watch the movie "The Thing" It's sweet. There is also an interesting element in the game, where you can test your teamates to see if they're infected.
Gameplay: The controls are easy, but could have been fine tuned some more, to be more resonsive and accurate. The levels are pretty easy to figure out, and flow toghether nicely.
Graphics: The graphics create an erie atmoshphere, but are always crisp and clear. The monsters may look kinda crappy, or stupid but thats how they're supposed to look, as the movie was made in the 80's or so, and the game is continuing the story
Sound: Crisp footsteps are made when you walk, and the monsters make scary noises, and guns sound how they should as well.
Suggestions: Make a prequal to the thing, but spend more time making the gameplay a bit better.
Overall: 90 %
Gameplay: 80 %
Graphics: 90 %
Sound: 90 %
Galen
Date reviewed: April 10, 2003.
Overall: Its a fun combat/horror game. Its not as creepy as horror genre buffs might wish for... but its really quite fun. At first I thought it would be a lame spin on the movie...but it is its own story. Just an all around fun game. Not absolute top of the line. But. Just a great game.
Gameplay: Good use of camera. Controls are easy and intuitive. Level designs are nice...it doesnt get repetive. Controlling the squad was intimidating to me at first (I dont really like Rainbow 6 type games) but it was a lot easier than I thought it would be.
Graphics: Graphics are good. not top of the line, but definitely get the job done. There are a few points where it really shines: great movement of character ...and great facial detail.
Sound: Good voice acting. Decent mumsic and sound all around. Not as creepy as say Silent Hill 2...but....its mixing the whole team combat thing with the horror thing....so you cant expect it to be totally scary.
Suggestions: If I had to make one suggestion it would be to have a larger variety of aliens in it. The same few get old kinda quick.
Overall: 90 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 100 %
Sound: 80 %
xj74
Date reviewed: April 5, 2003.
Overall: I love the movie and I love this game. The developers did an awesome job of making the atmosphere just right. I get sucked in everytime and have physically jumped in my seat a few times. The music sets the eerie mood along with sounds of awful moans from some creature waiting to make a meal out of you in the distance. This is must have for any horror genre fan especially if your a fan of the movie.
Gameplay: The game plays very well and the first few missions are basically for training and ease you into the game before throwing you into some hairy situations.
The team members have some really good AI and I haven't had any of them get hung up on corners or doors. They act like a people and get scared when they see a grim scene (there are a lot of them in game with lots and lots of blood) which will somtimes cause them to puke. The games get you aquainted enough with the AI characters that I've actually felt bad when some of my team members turned into creatures.
What I don't like is at some points your teammates who passed a blood test previously will turn into monsters for no apparent reason other than to remove them from the storyline.
The only other major gripe is it can be hard to impossible to see things that are right at your feet like fires and little monsters. This can be very frustrating at times but doesn't ruin the overall experience.
Graphics: Great graphics, good character animation with the lips syncing up well with the voice acting most of the time. The enviroments looks good and the creatures are what you would expect. The animation of the creatures is a little jerky but good for the most part. The framerate is solid even with a large number of little creatures trying to take a piece out of you and your comrades.
Sound: The sound is fanatastic. The AI characters voices, the creepy screeches and roars of the aliens, the foot steps of something walking up behind you all adds up to engulfing atmosphere.
Overall: 80 %
Gameplay: 80 %
Graphics: 80 %
Sound: 90 %
Gemini-X
Date reviewed: December 20, 2002.
Overall: Man, I LOVE THIS GAME! Rent the movie first and then play the game, it's awesome. The save points are sometimes far apart and cause for some multi do over moments, but that keeps the game from being too easy. I COMPLETELY LOVE the people you can fight side by side with, they are the most realistic "Buddies" I've ever had in a videogame. Great levels, great monsters, so much of this game is so cool.
Gameplay: Nothing like flaming a few things! The multi weapons are great, the controls are fun. Awsome levels, story, things to do and everything. The ; are cool, the limit you can spend in the snow is cool, instead of slow scare like Resident Evil, the creatures are fast. Very nice change.
Graphics: The graphics are sweet. Fire looks awesome, snow looks awesome, levels look awsome, lots of blood and gore. Very nice.
Sound: Perfect soundtrack fits the game. Every one of your "Buddies" has different things to say, that neat. Explosions are awsome and so is gun fire and hearing the distant sound of a creature in the other room.
Suggestions: Pleeease do another. I want more THING!
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 100 %
Sound: 100 %
mavrick1_98
Date reviewed: December 19, 2002.
Overall: Usually I am very wary of games based on movies, but The Thing is slightly better than most. It has an original story from the movie (but, does incorporate the movie into the story here and there), and original characters. The game has original elements that you don't see in many games and the graphics are adequate. However, it is not without it's flaws. Mainly, some frustrating levels.
Gameplay: The original story is nice, and the trust/fear element is a nice inclusion. I liked the varied characters and baddies. I really did not like having to battle "bosses". It just didn't feel like a game that should have boss levels. It should have been more linear like Halo or Max Payne, where you battle your way to the end without coming up against a "boss". Also some of the boss AI was a joke. There is one where you can stand right under it and it won't hit you. Also some of the game gets way too hard. I consider myself to be a good gamer, but had a few spots where I had to play it over and over again to the point I got really upset with the game. Lastly, I could have done without a few of the "puzzle" solving moments.
Graphics: The graphics are good, and the environments do a good job at giving you a creepy or uneasy feel to it.
Sound: The voice acting is also good. The creepy noises and the occassional music is all very good.
Suggestions: If it weren't for the couple times that the game got unbearably hard, I would have really liked this one.
Overall: 70 %
Gameplay: 70 %
Graphics: 80 %
Sound: 90 %
wweomaniac
Date reviewed: November 20, 2002.
Overall: Beautiful concept, but a disappointment to the horror genre. The ideas were there but they couldn't put them together right. This game is pretty fun if you're bored and don't mind slightly bad controls. Lots of strategy required in this game.
Gameplay: This game was like Survivor in Antarctica. You and your team are stuck in Antarctica. You're looking for what happened to the previous crew. Appearantly... there's this "thing" that ate them all up and can mutate into humans. So all your teammates are paranoid. You have to keep their trust by giving them a weapon... The spin in this game is taht you don't know if you're partner is a "thing" or not. keeps you on your toes sorta. I didn't like the controls... and it wasn't too scary of a game. More of just an action/adventure.
Graphics: Not the best graphics... and definitely not the type of graphics a horror game should have. Whenever I think horror game, I think of a very well drawn out game. Ie. Resident evil, DOOM III, and silent hill. The blood should feels ticky and the corpses should seem realistic. They did to a certain extent... but naa...nice bathroom tiles :)
Sound: yeah... anyway... i guess the music went well with the game and so did the voices. The music chaned according to the mood of the game. Could have worked a bit on the speech though.
Suggestions: fix controls... fix the whole giving/receivnig weapons thing, change the graphics, and have better movies.
Overall: 80 %
Gameplay: 80 %
Graphics: 80 %
Sound: 90 %
Legend1
Date reviewed: November 9, 2002.
Overall: I have got to say that I got stuck a few times to work out what I had to do next. However once that was over I loved this game. It was great when there were heaps of "thing"s coming from everywhere and it was me and my teammates fighting hard to survive. Fantastic. I would recommend it. At least to rent!
Gameplay: As I have said, getting stuck annoyed me and almost made me give up a few times. Whether that is because I am not as seasoned a gameplayer as others I don't know. However I found the controls easy to pick up and the trust thing was a doddle. Which is a pity because it amounted to giving someone a gun to get them to trust you. Thats ok but I was hoping for something more engaging. Also the whole game felt more like an interactive story than something that you have control over. An example would be the blood test situation. While these should tell you whether a team mate is the thing or not, they are totally useless. Even if you know that the player is going to transform into the thing they don't show it even when tested seconds before! Apart from that I found it very immersing and satisfying.
Graphics: I thought the graphics were pretty amazing. Not as good as they might have been if it were not a multi console release, yet still very nice and high quality. I do think that it had a little more quality and clarity than it's PS2 counterpart. The running in the snow was sweet and the general attention to detail was good.
Sound: Minimal but used to good effect. What you want to add atmosphere and create the immersive effect that draws you in and keeps you absorbed.
Suggestions: Improve trust-fear set up. Make the blood tests work!!
Overall: 80 %
Gameplay: 60 %
Graphics: 80 %
Sound: 80 %
Megaherz *RAGE*
Date reviewed: November 4, 2002.
Overall: In the thing, you assume the role of Blake, an infantry soldier that need to investigate with his teammate in a mysterious disappearance of scientist in the white desert of Antarctica. But thing did not happen has they would, because some kind of strange alien has come to the rendez-vous and they are here to kill you. Before i rent this game, i heard a lot of good comment about it and it sound like this : the thing was freaking awesome, one of the best game on x-box, better than Resident Evil itself. Personnally, i though that all this comment was false and i know what i am saying because i played so many game on this console that in my mind, i am able to recognize which game is good or bad. Also, before i begin my review i must say that this game is a sequel of the excellent movie which got the same name.
Gameplay: Usually, when you are in charge of a team, there is always something that goes wrong. In Halo, they were charging the covenant without any fear and the result was always catastrophic or your own team were shooting at you. But this time, they have done a great work with the team system. In fact, your team can't shot at you when you are in front of them, they must spread out around if they want to shot. Also the trust/fear system is something new that i particularly like, because sometimes the NPC didn't want to follow you, so it's give the feeling that you must convince them to gain help and if you want to arrive at your main goal you can give them a gun or heal them, after that they will trust you. But if they saw too many murder or violence they will be scared and they will never trust in you again. An another good idea was the kind of soldier that you can have : a healer, an enginer and a mercenary. There also a bad side of the medal in this game, like when i was stuck in a level because i was unable to find a sniper and i was obligated to have a sniper because my objective was to snipe some c4 at a sniper spot before they secured the hangar and you can't do it if you walk through each hangar. Also, sometimes you need an enginer but the last one you got has died in the previous level. Some kind of advertissement could have been great for the player because when you are near the end and you didn't save on multiple spot you are in big trouble. It should have been like your mission is failed because your engineer is dead or you can't pass the level if you didn't find the sniper. Finally, this game was a pale copy of half life because the story, the monster and the army that came through the story near the end is the same has half life. I know that the movie was there before half life but this game is a sequel of the movie so for me it's a pure copy. I forgot to say that the lasting appeal is quite short, ten hour on normal and it's done and there no real skill system ( if you put it on easy you got a better view with your flashlight, that all ). I will finish this part of my review with this sentence : If you saw the trailer, you saw all the best moment of the game.
Graphics: This is pretty hard to say that this game got the best graphic ever seen. First of all, it's look like Silent Hill because with the fog, they reduce the graphic at his minimum and it was the same in The Thing but they replace the fog with the snow storm. Also in most of the game you are in a dark place, so you can see the texture. The model of the alien were quite bad, i mean they are scary but they look so weird for alien. The video was the only exception, they were good has i would.
Sound: The sound in most of the game that i played was perfect because usually their nothing really special to take care but i find a big mistake in this one. The producer of the game has done their copy with the possibility of playing in a different language but when i first begin to play i was able to read the instruction in french but there was no voices. Probably that for you it's nothing but for me it's unforgiven.
Suggestions: I didn't want a sequel because there is too many thing that need work !
Overall: 70 %
Gameplay: 60 %
Graphics: 80 %
Sound: 70 %
DaGameBoy
Date reviewed: October 21, 2002.
Overall: The overall appeal of the game varies. I was somewhat disappointed with the game overall, but what it lacked in some areas, it made up for in others. My basic suggestion? Rent it. There is no replay value once the game is beaten. So unless you got alot of extra $$$ to blow, just rent it for the weekend. It won't take a second rental to beat it.
Gameplay: The gameplay was different. I recognize the interactivity of Half-Life in the game, however they could have done more with it. Like previous reviewers, it would have been better to have the characters interact with each other more instead of complaining how stupid this mission is, etc.
One thing that I really hated is the save feature. You can only save at certain points in the game and there a some levels that there is no save point.
Something else that really got me is the first 8 levels are really fairly easy. But then the last 2 levels get insanely hard. It's like they tried to make up for the entire difficulty of the game in 2 levels. Not cool.
The 3 bosses (excluding the final guy/thing) are way too easy, imo. There are sweet spots for these bosses where you don't even get hit one time.
The length of the game was lacking alot. I personally do not care for the idea of paying $50 U.S. or $80 CAD for a game that is done within a matter of hours (like Bruce Lee). That is why I am glad that I read the reviews and rented the game first. Saved myself alot of hard earned cash.
Graphics: The graphics on this game were very well done, I must admit. Now, obviously, it could have been better if it was designed for Xbox first, then ported out to PS2. But alas, that's not the way that ports are done :(
Sound: Sound was good in this game as well. The music helped to create a good atmosphere to play in. Even if it does get old hearing the guys complain about the mission :)
Suggestions: It's an Xbox for crying out loud. Use the hard drive. Make saves available whenever you need them, instead of whenever you choose to place them.
More interaction between characters and allow the characters to stay with you longer.
Make the game longer. Short games vs $$$ = just renting it instead of purchasing it, which in turn ='s less $$$ for you.
Overall: 60 %
Gameplay: 50 %
Graphics: 80 %
Sound: 80 %
JimX
Date reviewed: October 21, 2002.
Overall: This game is really amazing. Everything comes together well and if a sequal or two can keep it there this maybe a competition for the Resident Evil series.
Gameplay: This game adds quite a bit to the survival horror gener. The trust and fear elements factor into the game good. The atmosphere is spooky and the level are well designed. I only wish there was some reason to replay this game after it was all over but the replay value is very low.
Graphics: This game looks great just like most xbox games do. The things look especially good. The fire effects could have used some work to make them look more natural.
Sound: Sound plays a big part in all survival horror games. It set the atmosphere for the whole experience. Some of the guns could have used a little more kicked but most were fine.
Suggestions: Make the sequal longer and have your team mates interact more with each other.
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 90 %
Sound: 90 %
evil xbox king
Date reviewed: October 19, 2002.
Overall: This is an excellent game, to say the least. By now you should know that it is based just after the 1982 movie of the same name. You play Blake, commander of a team sent to find out what happened at Outpost #31. Unfortunately, things go wrong. The trust and fear aspect is a refreshing change, and fairly well implemented. The thing looks horrible and grotesque, and that's what makes the game so enjoyable. This is obviously a survival/horror game, and once you get into the game it shows.
Gameplay: The trust and fear aspect comes into it's own in The Thing. If an NPC gets too scared- wether it be from seeing the thing, or seeing a corpse- They'll eitehr blow their brains out, or blow your brains out. The same goes for the trust aspect- If an NPC doesn't trust you they won't follow orders, or they will tell you to do something to gain their trust. If the NPC's trust goes to low, he'll think you're a thing, and proceed to kill you. With that in mind, if you think one of your 'team mates' is acting suspicious, and you decide to wipe him off the map, you'll either gain trust from other NPC's for exposing the Thing, or lose trust for killing an innocent human. It is possible to 'persuade' NPC's to do something even if they don't trust you, by pointing a gun to their head.
The controls are okay, but they can become fiddly. There is an auto-aim feature which makes the Thing just a bit to easy, but that loss is suplemented by a gain in difficulty, because to the thing's bigger than a scuttler, you'll need a flame thrower.
The Thing beats Resident Evil in nearly every aspect of the game.
Graphics: Despite The Thing being a ported game, the visuals are fantastic. They aren't on the level of Halo, but they do the job. The Thing looks horrible, and you'll jump out of your seat when you're playing at 1am, with surround sound, and a walker burst out behind you. Your NPC's all look lovely, as they look around, scratch, get bored. The lighting in The Thing is done to a great effect. Lights flicker on and off, and flares light up the room. You'll need extra pants for The Thing, as I found out when two of my NPC's deformed into The Thing after I performed a blood test on them.
Sound: There is no back ground music to be heard in this game, but the sound effects are implemented to a suitably scary fashion. Your NPC's talk, and the creepy sounds coming from The Thing will make you jump. You really need to play this game to get a good feeling of the scary sounds in this game.
Suggestions: If you're going to make a sequel than make it Xbox Exclusive, just so Xbox owners can laugh in the face of GC and PS2 fanboys!
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 90 %
Graphics: 100 %
Sound: 100 %
flatbread
Date reviewed: October 10, 2002.
Overall: The Thing is based on the sci-fi horror movie of the early 80's and does a great job of capturing the spirit of the story. The thing is a hideous creature who takes over a living host and imitates it exactly. The movie had several memorable moments, and surprisingly so does the game. The game takes place right after the events of the movie, and captures that dreadful, whats around the corner feeling with excellent game events, foreboding sounds, and grotesque creatures and enviroments. The movie was scary cause you didnt know who to trust, and the game tries to incorporate that aspect also, although its a little straight forward and becomes a minor point of gameplay. The developers did a better job with the fear element, although it was still straight forward and simplistic, I witnessed my teamates going nuts just like the movie, shooting at anything and everything, coccooning into a small shell, and even killing themselves. I really enjoyed this game, it has a few knocks against it that bring it down, but overall it was an entertaining expierence.
Gameplay: The controls had 4 variations, I played with the trigger buttons being the strafe buttons. The controls were easy enough, but i wish i had a better free look option. It also has automatic aiming, coupled with the lack of a true free look makes the game easy for veteran shooters. My biggest gripe is the lack of jumping, so it reminds me of an old style 1st person shooter without the mouse. The enemies are great(especially the bosses), they successfully capture the horror from the movie monsters. Grotesque bloody creatures, the sounds the creatures make made me tense and uneasy. I really liked the aspect of fire in the game, some enemies require you to finish them off with fire. You could also use fire strategically to wall them away from u. The only enemies that were disappointing were the marines, they were slow in the brain and trigger. The levels had many memorable moments, i loved the seige, the bosses, and cinematic in game events( seeing your buddy get blown away by the tunnel bomb was a nice touch). Your team ai is generally good, they follow you well(dont get stuck or fall hopelessly behind), help you in battles, and communicate there needs to u. Still, they dont really feel like teamates, and this part of the game could be improved. Your men often times were more like tools u needed to get to the next level then somebody i really cared or took notice in. One last thing that irked me was the physics, maybe it was a good thing there was no jump, cause there seemed to be a lack of any real physic model here. When i fell off the side of a building it felt like a huge gust of wind was pushing me forward. The grenades bounce seemed unrealistic too, a minor gripe, but its related to the overall control that i wish would be more like halo.
Graphics: The monsters were great visually, especially the bosses. It reminded me of the movie, which i am a big fan of. The rest of the visuals were adequate, they successfully created a horrific, dark, bloody enviroment just like the movie.
Sound: The sounds were great and added to the atmosphere. They took the sounds right from the movie i think, smart idea in the end.
Suggestions: Fix the controls, make it 1st person with jumping, real physics AND keep the same theme, with teamates with fear and trust attributes. Have teamates that stay with u longer, and have character traits, personal knowledge and/or skills that make the player care about them more. In this game one engineer is just like all the others. Have them chattering about the events that have just unfolded or are generally happening. You could make the game a bit longer too, especially since once you reach the end there little reason to play it again. It would also allow you to develope game events that were character driven as well as action driven. Overall though, this was the best movie adaptation game ive ever played, BY FAR. Great effort and i hope to see a sequel!
Overall: 80 %
Gameplay: 90 %
Graphics: 80 %
Sound: 90 %
BillyDKid
Date reviewed: October 10, 2002.
Overall: The Thing is one of my favorite Sci-Fi (action/horror/thriller) movies and getting to play a game based on the movie is pretty cool. Especially considering how many years have passed. Sadly the game is not so deep and with little story and lots of repetition, it fails to immerse the player as much as I hoped for.
Gameplay: There are some very cool elements here. It is great how they incorporated the issue of trust with NPCs, but it's not handled perfectly. There are a good variety of weapons, although you will use your flame thrower the most. Maybe there wasn't a lot you can do in a setting in Antarctica, but overall the story was bland, fighting repetitious and the environments got boring. It's also a pretty short & easy game, except the handful of bosses. It will frustrate the heck out of you trying to figure out how to beat them.
Graphics: Nothing to write home about, definitely not pushing the Xbox at all.
Sound: Nothing special.
Suggestions: This was a great effort and well appreciated.
Overall: 80 %
Gameplay: 70 %
Graphics: 70 %
Sound: 70 %
Chimneysweep
Date reviewed: October 4, 2002.
Overall: What this game tries to do it does well. Engrossing story and the trust/fear factors add a nice dynamic to the game. Overall a fun game.
Gameplay: It plays more like a ps2 game, has more of a ps2 feel to it than an xbox only game would have, but the gameplay is interesting and enjoyable. I'd be playing this one more if it wasn't for Enclave and Rallisport Challenge.
Graphics: Nice looking graphics, not bad to look at, but not up to the level they could be at if it was xbox only.. but still nice.
Sound: The sounds are well done.. the sound of your footsteps crunching in the snow combined with the graphics and gameplay elements make you feel like you're really out in the middle of the antarctic. Nicely put together atmosphere.
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 90 %
Graphics: 80 %
Sound: 90 %
TheThing16
Date reviewed: September 28, 2002.
Overall: I loved this game, overall, it is probably the best game i have played in a long while. Just about everything worked for me. Ranging from the unique Trust/Fear aspect, to the halt what goes there attitude. Sooner or later, you will tire of the game, but that happens to all (most) games. And this would make a solid addition to almost any xbox library. If you are not going to buy it, at least do yourself SOME justice and rent it. RIGHT NOW!!!! PS; Watch the movie too. Its a very good horror flick (especially considering the time period)
Gameplay: A lot of fun. a little short, so i docked it by point five. But like i said, almost everything in this game worked (for me)especially the unique trust factor. It made it realistic, or at least MORE realistic (it is sci-fi) The control layout is great too. And, there is always more than one way to go about solving a problem/puzzle. Which i feel is great!
Graphics: Now the only reason it got -.5 here is because the constant blizzards. There is no escape unless your inside. The entire reason for the blizzards is to make it harder to see i know thats why they did it, but it is just relentless. I wish it was more like real weather, entirely random. Ranging from nothing, to extremely cold and raging blizzards. But its a constant thing. Like gravity.
Sound: The sound/music only places great emphisis on the games surroundings or basic all around genre. the effects are ok. But the only thing i DIDNT like was when you kill a "Thing," its dying sounds as if there are more in the area. Like one last death whelp, that sounds like maybe its pissed off brother. Otherwise, it's good
Suggestions: Make a sequel...Please? Otherwise, the only thing i want to fix is maybe the surroundings (contrasting surroundings) One "The Thing" game in antarctica and one in maybe California in daytime Like "The thing has made its way to california and has wiped away the now quarentined state, you and your large elite team must make a few sweeps cleaning the state of the parasitic infection." but thats just my opinion.
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 90 %
Graphics: 90 %
Sound: 100 %
BlackFlamingo
Date reviewed: September 26, 2002.
Overall: First off, I'd just like to say that The Scientist is a !&%$@#* in moron, do not listen to him. This game is worth all of the great reviews. The game is not a shoot-em-up type of game. It's third person, and even thought you do get to kill some aliens, A LOT OF ALIENS, the game is a
Resident Evil type game. Although the challenges are not the most difficult things in the world, if you put the difficulty on hard, then they will be harder, this is because of the lack of ammo, and more Things. Overall, a good buy, well worth it.
Gameplay: The gameplay can take a little getting used to. Left joystick moves, right joystick strafes. Right trigger shoots. You move in third person, but u can look around and shoot in first as well. With the directional pad you can pick your items and weapons, right trigger fires, left trigger uses item. Sometimes its frustrating because I use my last medkit on my teammate rather than myself.
Graphics: Graphics are good. Not Halo good, but good. Flames look good, really gory game. If you're into massive blood and gore, this is your game. Flamethrower really looks nice when u torch some thing.
Sound: Sound is good, music is good, music goes along well in the game, hard to notice, but when you do, it really makes it that much better. Saliva is the band, theyre good.
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 80 %
Graphics: 100 %
Sound: 90 %
Cfield
Date reviewed: September 16, 2002.
Overall: Great game...Not the greatest title on the box but it doesn't really matter. Graphics look outstanding not resident evil but close..Game captures the movie to extreme measures...A must buy if your a fan or not.
Gameplay: The game consists of some hick up's that are at times annoying but you can look past it. Control is better than PS2 and looks as good as the PC version so you got the best of both worlds.
Graphics: Visually it is great, it aspects capture the emotion that you are going through and it really seems that you are there. Not the best but not bad at all.
Sound: Sound appeal is the greatest part of the game. Ive never heard Dolby Digital sound so good in a game before..If you dont got the stuff go spend 600.00 at best buy and get it.
Suggestions: Just use all that power and stuff under the hood and make the next one, one to remember..A+ game none the less.
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 90 %
Graphics: 90 %
Sound: 100 %
symposiumx
Date reviewed: September 16, 2002.
Overall: Overall, the game is well done. The transition from movie to game was surprisingly well done. I expected a horror/action game, and I got it in THE THING! This is a definite game to play for those of you who are fans of good action/horror games, or for fans of the movie. I say, at least rent it...you'll end up getting addicted to its play.
Gameplay: Overall, the gameplay is rather solid. Controls are easy to learn. I like the use of R trigger (fire) and L trigger (item) along with the D-pad for item/weapon select. The auto aim is a must for this game, as enemys have a way of popping up from any/everywhere and skirt about faster thank you can say "Holy Donkey F'er!" Trust/fear idea was well done, albeit sometimes a little frustrating (until you learn to leave the guys out of rooms that make them panic/lose it).
that said, sometimes the mission objectives are a tad obscure. making it frustrating to overlook something simple before you move onto the next 'level'.
Graphics: Visually, this is the only real area taht I think could really use work. At times, the graphics look nice (i.e. faces, weather). Overall grpahics remind me of some suped up Playstation. The nice sprucing of gore (read: severed head in the comode) was a nice touch, but in all honesty, I could have used more!
Sound: Not Halo Calibre by any means, but very well done. I like the fact that they characters actually SWEAR. I mean come on! In that situation, I wouldn't be saying "funk this!" I'd be pooping my pants, screaming for my mommy, and blowing my brains out with a shotgun.
The voice acting is well done, sometimes a little overdone, but all in line with the movie.
Suggestions: I would have really enjoyed this game as a First person horror/action game. I understand this presents problems tracking enemies, etc. Still, it would have made it even creepier. Improve the graphics a little and tighten up the gameplay in certain spots and you have a total gem. Well done.
Overall: 90 %
Gameplay: 90 %
Graphics: 70 %
Sound: 90 %
RedRooster
Date reviewed: September 14, 2002.
Overall: How in the world is this game getting such good reviews?! Maybe I was expecting too much, coming from a PC gaming background, but this game is so painfully linear in the plot that it hurt to play. It was frustrating as all get out. But, the plot/storyline was pretty decent, so I can't rag on it too much. It's the gameplay that stunk. This game does not deserve to be the second highest rated game on XBox, that's for sure. A one week rental, at best.
Gameplay: This is by far the worst part of the game. Have you ever played Deus Ex for PC? At any one point there were about a dozen or more different paths you could take in the game, with a TON of NPCs to keep you occupied. In The Thing, throughout the first few levels, I found that there were only one or two possible things you could do before being able to move on to the next twist in the story. I felt trapped in the gameworld, because once you get stuck, you are really stuck! Maybe I suck at the game, but surely I'm not the only one?
The controls on the otherhand, are really good. The layout for the screens are simple to understand and operate, and I was very pleased to be able to control a game like this with a console controller so easily.
Graphics: The graphics were quite nice, the cut scenes were not bad, although there was a little framerate stuttering and clipping. And the snow, oh my, the snow. Those uot; seem to be the perfect excuse for short draw distances, all too convenient.
Sound: Sound was quite good. First console game I've played(outside of PC games) with any sort of cursing. Not that I care, just thought it was kind of funny to hear, for once. Nice atmosphere with the various environmental sounds.
Suggestions: I don't know if it would've been possible to fit, but it would've been nice to have at least a half dozen directions to take, at any time in the game/plot.
Is it me, or is this a " attempt to copy an X-Files episode?
Overall: 60 %
Gameplay: 30 %
Graphics: 60 %
Sound: 80 %
happygilmore897
Date reviewed: September 14, 2002.
Overall: Unbelievable game!!This is one of the best games i have played..there are no flaws and it holds you in the seat:)EVERYBODY SHOULD BUY THIS GAME
Gameplay: terrific gameplay..took me about 5 minutes to get comfortable with the controls..one of my favorite things is how you have to keep your team together and keep them trusting you..and also make sure none of them get infected:)
Graphics: the graphics were outstanding..i played the one on ps2..and the xbox version blows that away by far..everything was done to perfection
Sound: the sound was one of the best parts of the game..it kept me in my seat the whole game...i was in a building...and heard a big groan then all of a sudden a huge alien busted through the wall and my team and i had to fight it off..its things like that, that i love about games
Suggestions: You did a terrific job on making this game!! nice work
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 100 %
Sound: 100 %
Halo Evolved
Date reviewed: September 11, 2002.
Overall: This game is beautiful. Maybe it seems more appealing to the fans of the John Carpenter version of THE THING which became a big cult movie.But the game is very faithful to what was depicted in the movie. It picks up basically where the movie left off and it's up to you to finish off the story. Great gameplay and the Fear/Trust aspect of the title makes it even more enjoyable for the gamer.
Gameplay: Gameplay is solid, everything is where it should be and I have not had any problems as of yet. I know that many great titles have some things about the gameplay that people gripe about but I have yet to find any. Quality gameplay in this title keeps the stopry rolling along and the surprises pop up on and on.
Graphics: Not harnessing the full capabilities of the Xbox hardware isn't a real big issue with this title but in some aspects the hardware was utilized to give the game a better appearance than the version appearing on the Playstation 2. The graphics are good, not bad but also not top of the line. The atmosphere the game fringes on is enough to make gamers overlook the average graphics applied to this game.
Sound: Sound really varies depending on the gamer themselves. If you have the Xbox connected to a regular television it is ok to say the best but like many of us (myself included) we partake in the enjoyment of a surround system that really makes games sound their best. The game has noises coming from all directions so I think it best to enjoy this title with the use of a sound system....they range in price and can be afforded by pretty much anyone to say the least. Sound is great, the sound is another aspect of the game that that really adds to the overall appearance of the title.
Suggestions: well, the Blood Testing kits were not ustilized to their full extent. I mean to say in one instance you test a member of the group and they are Negative while within the following minute or so they change into the THING. You needed to resolve this problem slightly but other than that the game was great.
Overall: 90 %
Gameplay: 90 %
Graphics: 90 %
Sound: 90 %
Swerve
Date reviewed: September 10, 2002.
Overall: The Overall Appeal of this game really keeps you in to it. Theres nonthing u can say bad about this game its all there. Graphics,Sound,and Good Control.
Gameplay: GAmeplay is very smooth. Especialy the controls the camera never puts you in some akward postion.And it has a something new with fact u can trust no one.And they get scared and giving them ammo and all that to calm them down.
Graphics: Graphics are maybe the only thing that can be tweeked up a little.But only the backgrounds cause as for the faces that on the money. Blake and his troops look realistict.
Sound: Sound is nice 2 with the things jumping out making crazy nosies.And in certain moments the scary music jumps out at you.
Suggestions: This is a great game. The Only thing you can do for this is a sequal and tweek the background grrphics a little more.
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 90 %
Sound: 100 %
Maverickman
Date reviewed: September 9, 2002.
Overall: For those of you who where as heartbroke as I was when Capcom pissed away the Resident Evil Franchinse to that crappy little Gamecube.....It is time to Rejoice! Who need's RE when you have....THE THING! Scary, Pulse racing, Paranoia, Mucho Action! It's all here and then some.
Gameplay: The first thing that caught my eye was the ability you have to interact with the world around you. From punching up passwords on a computer to using a closed circuit TV system, it's all in here. The weaponary provided to fight the nasty beasties is quite impressive not to mention some of the cool equipment you can pick up. Remember in RE when you came across a fire you had to find another way around(Most of the time)? Not in this game, Pick up a fire extinguisher and put that bad boy out. Paranoid one of your teammates might be infected....Give them a blood test and feel the tension as you wait for the results. You're teammates freaking out? You got stuff to cure that too! Finally, Are you the type of person who always wanted to kill your own teammates for no real reason? You can do that in this game!!(expect for the 1st two levels.) One last thing, Roasting A Beastie with your flamethrower is SO MUCH FUN! Bring plenty of marshmellows.
Graphics: Character's are nicely detailed to include 5 O'clock shadow on some of the poor souls you meet. The buildings and faculities you go to are done very nicely. The Things are.....well....Creepy! From the small little cute things to the really large nasty, repulsive, FUGLY monster. Now others may say Graphically this game could do a tad bit better....But it looks !&%$@#* fine to me.
Sound: Why I give sound such a high score? I'm in a building with many corridors(I won't say where as not to spoil it for other people)...when I hear this clicking noise and a gutteral roar. Now....I don't know about you...But my heart was up in my throat as I wandered around looking for whatever was making that noise.
The creature sounds are great..(watch the Movie and you'll see what I mean). The Voiceovers are very well done and lack the corny sometimes cheesy dialogue of the RE series which is good.
The only reason I didn't score this a 5? Weapon sounds. Flamethrowers sound awesome as does the Shotgun, Everything else could use a tune up.
Suggestions: 2 suggestions.
1. Tweak the sound
2. Make The Thing 2 Quickly!
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 100 %
Sound: 90 %
No Fear 23
Date reviewed: September 8, 2002.
Overall: what can i say?, this game is awesome. it jsut keeps u hooked for a long time. The trust-fear thing is awesome bc it keeps the game more interesting.
Gameplay: The gameplay is great. But the controls takes a while to get a hang of becasue its no halo controls. the left thumbstick controls the moving and the right thumbstick is for strafting sideways. it took me almost an hour to get a hang of it. This game also has puzzel solving, which i like. at some place, it leaves off clues for u and u have to use them to solve a puzzel, which is pretty cool. the 1st 2 levels are tutorial, and u wont shoot any Thing yet till later. trust me, later in the game, theres a lot of action and u'll use ne guns u want.
Graphics: The visual is ok, above par. everything is just dark, bc of the blizzard storm. and there is alot of snow outside. ur pretty much inside most of the time. The graphics are just right
Sound: the sound is awesome. just play it on surrond sound system, and u'll go crazy. Things popin out behind u, god, u'll hope that they wont jump out of ur tv screen and attack u.
Suggestions: Maybe some more outdoor environments, but so far, everything is good
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 100 %
Sound: 100 %
Anthony4sho
Date reviewed: September 7, 2002.
Overall: If you haven't heard about this game, then you don't know what your missing. Everything in this game truly seperates it from any other survival horror/action game out right now.
Gameplay: The gameplay is very good in my opinion. I like how you have to watch your teammates carefully and gain there trust before they will start taking orders from you. It makes you really feel like your there in charge of a real squad marines. If only more games were like this.......
Graphics: The visual is good, but in some places it looks like if I was playing the ps2 version. I think they could have done a little bit better with the graphics, but the gameplay made up for it.
Sound: The sound was superb. For example, one time I could hear the footsteps of a walker, letting me know just not to go barging in. The sound really was well done.
Suggestions: Just keep up the good work!
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 80 %
Sound: 100 %
drink800
Date reviewed: September 7, 2002.
Overall: Overall this is a game that sould be bought by anyone who is a action/horror game fan. The unique gameplay with your teamates turns this gane into an instant buy. Very good and unique game. Go buy!!
Gameplay: Gameplay wise it is truely unique. The fact that you need to watch you other teamates to make sure they trust you and watch them to make sure they are not flipping out from fear is truely interesting. Not only do you have to worry about "the thing", but you have to worry about everyone else to survive. A nice change of pace to the ussual gameplay of action games. A must buy. Of course, this is just my opinion.
Graphics: Visually, the game graphics are very good. At times they could be a little more detailed, but overall very good.
Sound: Overall the sound is extremely well done. The sound can really get you into the whole experience of the game. The sound makes you feel like you are in a movie. Character voice overs are superb.
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 90 %
Sound: 100 %
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