Remastered Fixing Most Annoying Part of the 2002 Original

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home November 30, 2024 5 Views 5 Min Read
Remastered Fixing Most Annoying Part of the 2002 Original



Key Takeaways

  • The Thing: Remastered won’t have any scripted burst-out sequences.
  • Forced infections are widely seen as one of the most frustrating parts of the 2002 original.
  • While the new infection system will be fairer, it will also be harsher, as it will make some NPCs even more prone to becoming infected and transforming into a monster.



The Thing: Remastered won’t feature any scripted “burst-out” sequences where characters are forced to get infected, Nightdive Studios has confirmed. The upcoming remaster will hence eliminate what’s widely considered to be the most annoying aspect of The Thing, but it will do so in a way that won’t make the game any easier.

Originally released in 2002, The Thing is still touted as one of the best Arctic horror games ever made. It largely owes its cult status to a unique infection system inspired by John Carpenter’s iconic movie. The basic idea behind this mechanic is that almost any NPC can get infected and transform into the titular “thing,” thus turning against their former allies. Some fans found the system pretty unforgiving, especially since the game also had multiple scripted sequences where certain NPCs would get infected and “burst out” even if the player did everything right.


The Thing remastered playable characters key art

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This annoying aspect of the game will be left in the annals of history, as recently confirmed by Mark Atkinson, the director of the 2002 original and a consultant on Nightdive Studios’ upcoming remaster. Speaking to Syfy, Atkinson revealed that the modernized version of the survival horror game features zero scripted burst-out sequences, ensuring the system no longer adds stress by essentially cheating with forced infections. “The infection system was implemented and available in the original game, but there were a few places where squadmates would become infected and burst-out for no reason, which players really disliked,” Nightdive software engineer Josh Dowell said on the subject of the reasoning behind this change.



The Thing: Remastered’s Infection System Will Be More Unforgiving

Although the removal of scripted burst-out sequences is bound to make Nightdive’s The Thing: Remastered less frustrating, the overall experience won’t be any easier. On the contrary, Dowell says that the developers decided to make some NPCs more prone to becoming infected, so while the overall system will be fairer, it will also be more unforgiving.

The infection system was implemented and available in the original game, but there were a few places where squadmates would become infected and burst-out for no reason, which players really disliked.

Seeing how direct contact with The Thing‘s monster will now be the only way to get infected, players will at least be able to optimize their runs and replay sections in order to minimize the number of tragedies that they experience. Even if they don’t transform into monsters, squadmates will still have a chance to become so traumatized that they “cower down and crack up,” Atkinson said.


Although the upcoming horror game currently lacks an official release date, its June announcement promised a 2024 launch, leaving limited time for it to meet this target. That said, Xbox seems convinced that The Thing: Remastered will debut on December 5. Aside from the latest two generations of Microsoft’s consoles, the modernized version of the game is also planned to land on the PS4, PS5, Switch, and PC.

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