The Thing: Remastered is Already a Big Hit
Nightdive Studios' The Thing: Remastered has become an unexpected success, quickly claiming the title of the studio's fastest-selling launch ever. With critical acclaim and a warm reception from playe
Nightdive Studios has once again demonstrated its remastering prowess, with The Thing: Remastered quickly becoming the studio’s fastest-selling launch title ever. The remaster has not only exceeded expectations but is also being hailed as one of the standout releases of 2024, following the developer’s long-standing reputation for revitalizing classic games.
Originally launched in 2002, The Thing was a surprising and successful follow-up to the 1982 cult-classic horror film. While many video game adaptations of films are typically rushed out to capitalize on the movie's success, The Thing stood out as a direct sequel that embraced a tense, third-person survival horror experience. The original PS2 release quickly gained a reputation for being one of the scariest games of its time, with its mix of paranoia, isolation, and unpredictable horror elements, ultimately selling over a million copies.
Fast forward to December 5, 2024, when Nightdive Studios released The Thing: Remastered. As part of their consistent efforts to breathe new life into old games, Nightdive has earned acclaim for their remastering of iconic titles like System Shock: Enhanced Edition, Doom + Doom 2, and Quake. However, The Thing: Remastered has outpaced even their previous successes, as detailed in a recent end-of-year business report from Atari. Although official sales figures were not disclosed, the game’s reception from both critics and players suggests that it’s been a massive hit.
What makes this remaster stand out? While the game’s visuals have certainly been upgraded to meet modern standards, the most significant improvements were made to the gameplay. For instance, some of the original game’s scripted “burst-out” infection sequences, where characters were forced to get infected, were removed. This change alleviates some of the frustration many players experienced, allowing for a smoother, more fair gameplay experience. However, the developers didn’t completely remove the threat of infection; instead, they made NPCs more susceptible to becoming infected, maintaining the original's atmosphere of tension and fear.
The success of The Thing: Remastered is particularly exciting for fans of Nightdive Studios, signaling that the developer’s formula for remastering beloved classics is working. This also suggests that the studio may have more remastered gems in store for the future. In addition to their previous remasters, the studio has recently launched new projects like the System Shock remake and Doom 2: Legacy of Rust, a challenging new expansion for hardcore FPS fans.
As The Thing: Remastered continues to rack up praise and sales, the question on many gamers' minds is: What’s next for Nightdive Studios? With the success of their recent projects, there’s plenty of hope that more retro classics will receive the same care and polish. Fans of old-school games can rest easy, knowing that Nightdive Studios is hard at work preserving the best of gaming history for a new generation to experience.