The Thing

"A great start for Black Label Games"

It seems to me that there is a set formula to make a good action game and its nothing that involves calculus or rocket science. All it takes is simple, yet detailed, controls and a compelling storyline mixed in with decent graphics and sound. Add in a dash of innovation and BAM! You've got The Thing. Although like all recipes there is always that margin of error, or in the case of videogames: flaws.

The core of any action game is the controls. You have bad controls and nothing will save it. The Thing however, has excellent controls. They allow for detailed game play, but are simple enough to learn in a few minutes. The controls allow for strafing and manual aiming, but often the auto-aim feature will suffice. When locked onto an enemy you get a Dark Cloud feel in your combat. You always face the enemy no matter what direction you move your analog stick.

I've never seen John Carpenter's The Thing, but if I ever had any motivation to see this movie its at its peek now. This game is what Metal Gear Solid 2 should have been. Let the action tell the story. If your looking for a game that plays like a movie turn back now because The Thing is action packed with puzzles and alien busting carnage. One of the innovative features of this game is the improved team combat. Ever play Rainbow Six? If you have you probably thought that the extra teammates were useless. In The Thing your teammates are essential for survival and advancement. To add a little spice you will also have to use tactics to gain their trust and calm their nerves. It doesn't take much, but its a nice addition to keep you on your toes.

From the moment I popped this game into the PS2 I was impressed with his game graphically. The weather effects were stunning simulating the visibility factors and effects of battle and carnage. My only beef is with the character models. The main character is pretty cool, but your allies look a little dopey. However the detail on them looks great so I guess I should be grateful for that. Sound is also nothing to complain about. The sound effects and music really fit the mood of the game.

I only have two things to gripe about. One is the massive space that is required to save your game. Two and a half megs are required for every three saves. While its not as big as Smackdown: JBI, its still a hefty load of space. The other is the lack of weapons detail. Don't expect to find a whole arsenal of weapons at your disposal. Weapons are named after the type of gun they are. For example, ''Pistol'' and ''Machine Gun''. Making real world weapons available would have added a lot to game play.

Despite a couple of noticeable flaws this is definitely a game you do not want to pass up. It follows the basic formula to any good action game and you wont be disappointed.

Would Grand Admiral rent or buy? Buy.

Grade: 9/10 (A-)

+Excellent controls
+Compelling storyline
+Detailed graphics and weather effects
-Had to buy a new memory card
-Lack of weapon realism

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/27/02, Updated 08/27/02