Unexpected PS2 Horror Revival Teased By System Shock Remake Developer (2024)

Following on from its 2023 System Shock remake, Nightdive Studios has just teased its next project, and it could be a remaster or remake of an unexpected PS2 horror title. Despite having a long and troubled development cycle and being delayed several times, the System Shock remake was extremely well-received by fans and critics alike, with most praising Nightdive for staying true to the beloved 1994 game while bringing it up to modern standards and were keen to see what the studio turned its attention to next.

On June 6, the official Nightdive Studios X account teased this upcoming project with an image of a twisted face lit up in red, which fans instantly recognized as a color-shifted version of the face found on the box art for the 2002 game based on John Carpenter’s sci-fi horror movie classic, The Thing.

The studio stated that its next game would be announced during IGN Live, an in-person, three-day fan event in Los Angeles that will serve as one component of IGN's annual Summer of Gaming event and will run alongside other game showcases such as Summer Game Fest.

The Thing Is An Often Overlooked Gem Of A Movie Tie-In

With The Paranoia Of The Film Turned Into A Gameplay Mechanic

Up until the 2010s, movie tie-in games were regularly pumped out by studios looking to capitalize on a popular blockbuster's release, with practically every major cinematic franchise being represented in some capacity, and these often varied in quality depending on just how rushed the developers were to meet the movie's release date. However, there was also a time in the PS2 era when studios turned to classic movies of decades past, such as Scarface or The Godfather, and Computer Artworks' The Thing was a by-product of this.

With The Thing, however, John Carpenter - who is also a gamer himself - gave his blessing to the game and even cameoed in it by voicing an ill-fated scientist named Doctor Faraday who ran a research team. Carpenter's approval is unsurprising, as while some movie tie-ins missed the point of the original film, turning them into mere action fests, The Thing took the themes of paranoia in the movie and turned it into a core gameplay mechanic with a unique fear/trust system where NPCs behaved differently depending on whether they believed the player was The Thing in disguise or not, and this could lead to erratic behavior in which they could potentially harm themselves and others.

It's unclear whether Nightdive Studios is looking to do a full remake of The Thing akin to what it did with System Shock, or if it will be a remaster, as the studio has done for titles such as Quake and the earlier Turok games in the past. Unfortunately, while The Thing was a commercial success and garnered generally positive reviews upon its release in 2002, it has gradually become overlooked over the years, so hopefully, this remake or remaster will give it the attention it deserves.

Source: Nightdive Studios/X

The Thing

Platform(s)

PC , PS2 , Xbox (Original)

Released

August 21, 2002

Developer

Computer Artworks

Publisher

VU Games, Konami

Genre(s)

Survival Horror

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Violence

How Long To Beat

7 Hours