Game Insight: The Thing
By: Nick Bijl
Date: 27-02-‘15
This week I played the game ‘The Thing’ on my PC.
The game itself is pretty horrific because there is something out there, but you don’t know what it is. All you know is that you arrived in Antarctica because you have to investigate the disappearing of a research team. Especially the beginning of this game is very thrilling because you find all kinds of clues of what is going on but you can’t figure out exactly what.
You play in third person the personage of mr. Blake. He is a researcher and tries to solve the mystery.
In this game, you have to cooperate with your team members because everybody has their own specialties. You have three classes of people which are the soldiers, the engineers and the medics. The main character possesses all kinds of skills obviously.
‘The Thing’, what you will find out, is an alien-like entity who can simulate to be human. It can absorb people and steal their identity and duplicates itself it that way in order to take over the world.
Also aliens can act natural and blend in amongst the survivors. At any given time your team-members can turn into an alien (or monster).
That’s why all the survivors are suspicious towards each other. Trusting an alien can cost you your life, so that explains the behaviour of all people. You can earn the other peoples trust by handing out weapons, ammunition and medication. In return they provide cover and they will take your orders.
Back to Blake. You determine his actions, you manage your team and you are looking for clues. The further you
What makes the game fun:
+ Great storyline.
+ Managing your team, earn/keep their trust.
+ You have to be very alert on the behaviour of your team members.
+ Looking for the clues is fun.
+ The characters in the game are very convincing and come across as real people with real feelings/doubts.
+ Very thrilling.
+ You have to play tactical at most times.
+ You have a sense of freedom in this game; You can go where-ever you want.
What isn’t that good in this game:
– When you can’t find certain objects (like keys) you can really get lost in the level. You don’t get clues in this game in the form of waypoints.
– When you die, you don’t return to the last checkpoint, but you start all over again at the beginning of the level. If this happens, you have to return to the main menu to start again at you last checkpoint which is annoying.
– If you don’t like shooting/horror games, then this is no game for you.