Two decades after the film, this came out, picking up about where it left off. This can be judged as either just a stand-alone exploit, or as a sequel. It does introduce the idea, and one does not need to have seen the movie(though I would definitely suggest it). While this is less complex, and plagued by the usual type of conceptual change that are seen elsewhere when it comes to further entries in a series(and/or when changing from another medium to this interactive one), in order to facilitate more of the specific popular and easily crowd-pleasing sights and situations(if this makes no sense to you reading, then feel free to contact me and ask), it does do certain things really well. It builds atmosphere quite successfully... the eeriness is utterly spot-on. The isolation is thicker than the deep snow. And all the dangers from the silver screen version are there, continually threatening you: The icy cold, and merciless, weather, paranoia, infection(albeit not of yourself) and, last but not least, attacks from Things. If those all stayed true throughout all of this title, it would be more accurate. But it strays, and whether or not that's a positive is, I suppose, up to each individual to decide. One could of course argue that since this was made based on the chord that was struck back in 1982, it ought to stick closer to that. Yes, part of the way in, this takes a turn, and goes down a much-trodden path(which, in itself, does not have to be a negative, 'eye of the beholder' and all). The quality of the ending is up for debate, however, in at least one aspect, it's entirely in Carpenter's vein. That's not the only portion, either. Apart from quite literally, since he appears in this, you can see him, and his hand, in this. The humor and dialog come off as stuff he could have written, without seeming like it was copied from elsewhere. You get to visit locations we already know, and they crafted them well. In general, the level design is a mixed bag, they can be nice and open. It isn't always clear where you're supposed to go. You aren't even equipped with a compass. The HUD is rather discrete, perhaps excessively so(health bar, be visible!). The Fear and Trust systems are interesting, and a fantastic thought, and they add to the overall experience. Moreso, if they had a stronger impact, and were significantly important(and less infrequently so). The execution leaves a bit to be desired. Nevertheless, as they are, they are inspired features in this. Your people have to have faith in you still being human, for them to do anything you ask at all, and if you don't keep them from losing it when they are terrified, they may quite simply wind up blowing their own brains out from panic. As far as I know, these are unique to this. They can be helpful(Medics to heal, and Soldiers that are skilled at fighting along with you), and several of them, you need to keep alive and well(Engineers, to work electronics that you can't). The first-mentioned Squad-combat is also available, and you can give orders to your men. I personally, as with other releases that allow that, wanted a couple more commands, and too often found them getting in the way. The AI varies. The aforementioned teammates relatively seldom get stuck or hit you, and are fairly decent at using the weapons that you can give all three classes. The Things tend to be aggressive, and it does occur that they are slow to act. No, they do not have all the abilities that they ought to... meanwhile, I challenge anyone to, after seeing someone "turn", not be satisfied with the way they did that. The guns are well-selected, and there aren't so many, aiding in preventing this from becoming just a straight-forward, all-out shooter. The flamethrower is impossible to do without, exactly as it should be in this. This is faster paced than one might think, and there is focus put on the action in it. Don't get me wrong: It *is* mainly survival horror. It doesn't dare be as bleak. It isn't unlike AvP(either, both are better than this). One problem, I've seen other places, and may be on account of it being made (primarily?) for consoles. The view can only be moved left to right and vice versa, never up/down. Third person is the usual camera, with a handful of odd angles that are briefly forced upon you here and there, and the option of using 1st, if you stand still. As in Enter the Matrix, your precision when firing is considerably improved in the latter, for no readily apparent reason. The auto-aim is great, and only comes up short in the rarest of instances. This has freedom, yet at its core, it is linear. In fact, there are one or two bugs that keep you from proceeding if you don't do it how they planned it. Graphics are magnificent, with well-done effects. Nearly glitch-free, too. The voice acting ranges between average to pretty good. The story-telling is OK, mostly done with the plentiful cut-scenes, all done in-engine. As far as design of enemy units and attacks go, you can kinda tell that this is done by Computer Artworks... as in, they also did Evolva. It shows. That doesn't have to be bad; on the other hand, you can see that they had played Half-Life... that one's worse. The similarities, thankfully not all over the place, are obvious. The audio is fine, music and sounds can be marvelous. The boss battles are a nuisance. The items hold a few gems. The saving doesn't cover that this is a short, and not that re-playable, game. There is bloody violence/gore and a moderate amount of harsh language in this. I recommend this to fans of John's The Thing. If you're going with one or the other, I'd watch that, instead. 7/10
