The Thing

 PlayStation 2
  • Publisher: VU Games
  • Release Date: Aug 20, 2002
  • Also On: PC
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 52 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 35 out of 52
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 52
  3. Negative: 8 out of 52
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  1. JoRDAnBARBER100
    Jun 27, 2015
    10
    Okay so i remember when this game came out back in 2002 , my dad bought it for me and i was like 7 lol , i had also seen the movie around that time but being a young boy i didn't know what to expect from this game , i remember always getting stuck on a certain level and i got so upset about it my mum sold the game lol , oh well , 13 years later and i have the game again , and what can iOkay so i remember when this game came out back in 2002 , my dad bought it for me and i was like 7 lol , i had also seen the movie around that time but being a young boy i didn't know what to expect from this game , i remember always getting stuck on a certain level and i got so upset about it my mum sold the game lol , oh well , 13 years later and i have the game again , and what can i say ? its a real beauty , this game captivates both fear and trust . You fear the monsters , big and small , the fear of running low on ammo , health , the fear of being alone , the fear of running into someone you cant trust . The trust aspect of the game is even greater , you meet a large multitude of different characters / survivors on the way , most come with a small backstory so you know a bit about them , this tends to be the case for the useful characters that wont be the thing , others you meet with little backstory will usually be infected. Teaming up with people is risky but rewarding , you first have to gain their trust ( if you want to ) although sometimes it isn't optional , the survivors become useful as they differ into 3 classes , Medic , Engineer and Soldier . The Medic is useful as he can heal you and others around you but unfortunately not himself , the engineer can fix faulty control panels which can progress the game or just to unlock rooms with goodies inside , and finally the soldier , who , just provides additional fire power. The character AI is actually quite good , I found little error with the AI at all. Overall this game is great , it may be old but its still gold !… Expand
  2. GarrettT.
    Apr 1, 2003
    6
    It was ok.
  3. TarikT.
    Sep 25, 2002
    2
    This game really sucks, terrible story good puzzels, but probobaly one of the worst combat systems i have ever come across. Yea the combat system really brings the game down 8 points, basically all you do is shoot the aliens and then use your flame thrower, it may seem cool at first but it actually gets exteremly lame. This is a good rental if you were a fan of the movie the thing, which This game really sucks, terrible story good puzzels, but probobaly one of the worst combat systems i have ever come across. Yea the combat system really brings the game down 8 points, basically all you do is shoot the aliens and then use your flame thrower, it may seem cool at first but it actually gets exteremly lame. This is a good rental if you were a fan of the movie the thing, which i must say was sooo dope, i loved the movie. If not you should not waste your money on junk like this.… Expand
  4. AlishaH.
    Oct 19, 2003
    9
    My brother rented this, i didnt want him to. i thought it would suck cause i hate games like this. it was actually very good.
  5. JakeH.
    Oct 4, 2003
    10
    I got this game right now.The date is SUNDAY 05 OCT 2003.T hata today when im writing this or wrote it.Anyway this game rocks.Im not even halfway and its all perfect so far.I have heard people talk about the ending is easy or it does not have a good story but they're wrong.This was the first game i wanted when i got my ps2 and it came out to be the 3rd.Well have a fun time finishing I got this game right now.The date is SUNDAY 05 OCT 2003.T hata today when im writing this or wrote it.Anyway this game rocks.Im not even halfway and its all perfect so far.I have heard people talk about the ending is easy or it does not have a good story but they're wrong.This was the first game i wanted when i got my ps2 and it came out to be the 3rd.Well have a fun time finishing it and good luck.… Expand
  6. MikeK.
    Sep 1, 2004
    10
    i give this game mad props..... very scary!!
  7. JakedeF.
    Aug 27, 2002
    9
    I really enjoyed this game... highly recommended.
  8. AndrewG.
    Oct 19, 2003
    10
    Games like this are usualy awesome so i was not surprised when this was.
  9. jimtrashash
    Mar 20, 2003
    1
    i would rather have cancer then play this game ever again,i mean this game is so terrible the only reason i gave it a 1 was the satisfaction i got from taking it out of my ps2 dropping it in the toilet pulling down my pants and stooling all over it then letting it set there for 3 months..i mean dont even rent the f****** thing you stupid motherf******
  10. JohnK.
    Mar 4, 2003
    10
    Graphics are amazing, story is good, and the gore is good. Any one who dosen't like this game is retarded.
  11. StevenS.
    May 9, 2003
    10
    The graphics of this game is really good but they should make more cheats instead of stratigie/walkthrough.make invincibility or unlimted ammo.
  12. JeremyW.
    Jan 31, 2004
    10
    Damn good game... scary game!!!
  13. AnonymousAnonymous
    Oct 1, 2002
    0
    Absolute trash. The game wasn't scary. In fact I was more afraid of the lint in my pocket. Your men are all infected so when you get one its better to waste two shots then a weapon. You are kill in a couple hits, you always need a egineer or you need to open a door, the guns are crap your men (if you are dumb enough to keep them) will NEVER follow orders and usually kill them selves
  14. RickyH.
    Aug 23, 2002
    8
    A game with great atmosphere!
  15. [Anonymous]
    Sep 12, 2002
    0
    This game is horrible. The atmosphere is really bad. Not to much to explore and action takes forever to take place. Playstations Shame!!!
  16. KyleK.
    Nov 17, 2003
    8
    A pretty damn scary game throughout some points. In some ways better than the horrifying resident evil. An entertaining game.
  17. BenN.
    Oct 15, 2003
    8
    Ok, whoeva says this game is rubbish is a knob ! This game hasn't got ANY MAJOR problems at all, it's well good actually !
  18. NickG.
    Oct 19, 2003
    9
    how can people hate this game, really? all you people who give super low scores because of one little flaw have to stop expecting games to be perfect. this was almost perfect anyway. well, in my opinion.
  19. Jessek
    Oct 19, 2003
    9
    really very good, perfect gameplay makes it even scarier. i always thought resident evil was the best survival horror game. right now i am kind of questioning that theory.
  20. ScottN
    Oct 19, 2003
    8
    about as good as i predicted. could have been a little better but still a buy overall (for fans of survival horror). if not rent it anyway, you might deside to buy it.
  21. AndrewJ.
    May 14, 2003
    7
    Quite enjoyable but don't expect it to be as good as Resident Evil!
  22. GamesBitch
    Aug 18, 2003
    9
    Takes a while to get into but then very addictive game play insues. Great graphics and Sound. Was sad when it finished,( ending too easy). I think overall one of the most underrated games i have ever played!
  23. Ryan
    May 5, 2004
    8
    Boss 3 too difficult, lost interest!
  24. KevinD.
    Dec 2, 2002
    7
    It can be pretty difficult and frustrating at some points, especially when it comes to the specifically strong enemies, but overall its a great game. If your a fan of survival horror games or if you liked the moive then I highly recommend the game. If your a newcommer to the genre or dont know anything about "The Thing" in general, rent it first.
  25. BobM.
    Oct 19, 2003
    10
    This game was scary and awesome, i loved it. graphics were good and the team managment style is great.
  26. Daniel
    Feb 18, 2003
    9
    Recommend seeing the movie first. The game has a good scary touch to it. To be honest though it is a little difficult. So be ready for a challenge. Many people become frustrated at the games difficulty and give it a bad rate without even bothering too try. This is not a simple point and shoot game. It is, however, fun.
  27. DanM.
    Oct 18, 2004
    10
    This game is crazy! but im stuck on my 2nd boss.
  28. PS2Junkie
    Jun 21, 2004
    10
    This game is hot. anyone who says other wise has a fu..ing twing in their brain i liked this game alotthe only downside is that some of the bosses like boss three are extremely hard to kill.
  29. Steyraus
    Mar 14, 2023
    9
    Great old school Horror game. Game looks grear on consoles even today although Xbox version is clearly the better version.
  30. Decrata
    Mar 17, 2014
    4
    I went into this game with very low hopes, and a small desire to enjoy a game from years past. I love playing older games, and as you can see, most of these reviews are from around the time the game was released. I try to keep things like this in mind (just finished beating Beyond Oasis for Sega, which I loved...for example). However, once I started playing this game, I knew there wouldI went into this game with very low hopes, and a small desire to enjoy a game from years past. I love playing older games, and as you can see, most of these reviews are from around the time the game was released. I try to keep things like this in mind (just finished beating Beyond Oasis for Sega, which I loved...for example). However, once I started playing this game, I knew there would be difficulty really enjoying it. I saw that it was somewhat of a short game, and I never shy away from a challenge.

    This game has some really good ideas...squad-based strategy...emotion...trust...diversified approach to combat, but it doesn't do any of them well. A great example is the fact that your teammates can be infected, and figuring out who is a THING is a big part of the movie, as it could have been here. Come to find out, it is completely arbitrary. This was one of the parts of the games that I was looking forward to, and there is no way you can actually figure out who is going to turn.

    This may also seem like a minor complaint...but after 8-10 hours of hearing "We've got company" (what your teammates scream when enemies show up, which is all of the time) it gets REALLLLY old.

    The targeting is pretty good, but the problem with enemies is the approach is fairly similar, even though they tried to set up situations differently. Beat them down...burn them. Punctuate that with sometimes unforgiving check points and you have a problem.

    The bosses can be a bit tough, praying on the fact that your character can't move a certain way, but I always found a way to stand in a spot that was relatively safe. Just like any boss, after time, you can beat them without getting hit.

    All in all, I would say to pass on this game. I purchased it for 4.99 with shipping on eBay, and the frustration that it caused was not worth the nostalgia of playing an older game.    … Expand
  31. The_D4RknesS
    May 26, 2023
    5
    it had a lot of potential but to be fun but it's not since your friends die easily and if they die the game is over! they are smart but sometimes they are idiots which makes the game frustrating. The atmosphere and gore of the game is perfect!
  32. Yojimbo2015
    Jul 12, 2023
    7
    Atmospheric hybrid of a third person shooter and survival horror game, The Thing does a decent job of translating the classic film into a video game. Unfortunately it is marred by slightly unintuitive controls and aiming is a little erratic which can cause frustration to creep in thanks to some unfair deaths/accidental suicides, but otherwise a good effort.
  33. VLG
    Aug 22, 2023
    8
    I loved the game because of the many interesting ideas that it introduced: checking your team to make sure they were not monsters was one of them, and it made me actually paranoid lol But the game was also extremely confusing, i never knew where to go or what to do, and at some point i dropped it. Still, only good memories about it.

Awards & Rankings

60
#60 Best PS2 Game of 2002
21
#21 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2002
24
#24 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2002

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 27
  3. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. GameCritics
    65
    Another barrier to immersion was that the level of realism is inconsistent, and conveniently tossed aside when necessary.
    Read full review
  2. Armchair Empire
    86
    There’s almost a complete absence of soundtrack and it really works in creating a sense of dread (coupled with the sporadic nature of the thing attacks, at least in the early going).
    Read full review
  3. Entertainment Weekly
    75
    This contrived implementation of a great concept is disappointing, but at least the surrounding game delivers some taught cinematic moments that would make Carpenter proud. [6 Sept 2002]
See all critic reviews »