The Thing: Remastered resurrects the previously out of print The Thing game, transplanting it to modern platforms and giving it a tweak or six. But how does it fit into the events of the two movies? Is The Thing: Remastered a sequel or prequel? Here’s the answer.
The Thing: Remastered is a sequel to the events of John Carpenter’s The Thing movie. It takes place shortly after the events of the first movie and has you, as part of a specialized military team, investigating Outpost 31, an all-but-destroyed Antarctic research station.
So you turn up to find the base itself in a poor state, whole chunks of it having burnt down. However, it’s clear that The Thing itself has survived, and its various forms serve as the game’s enemies. The base’s damaged state means that only certain areas are enclosed, so it’s easy to freeze to death.
The game also sees you visiting the Norwegian base, which was featured in both the original movie and the prequel movie, though 2011’s The Thing was released nine years after this game. But despite being a sequel, The Thing: Remastered’s technology does feel more contemporary.
So is The Thing: Remastered canon? Basically, yes. John Carpenter has had positive things to say about the game (via Sci-Fy) and actually has a cameo in the game. One issue I do take with it being canon is that it resolves the mystery of who survived the original movie, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying the game. The creature’s behaviour seems off, but there’s a potential in-game explanation for that.
I’m going to get into spoiler territory here, but if you’re wondering if you need to have watched The Thing to play The Thing: Remastered, the answer is no. But you’ll get much, much more out of it if you have watched the movie. I’d seriously recommend you watch the film since it’s fantastic; the special effects are amazing, yes, but what really makes it a joy to watch is the growing paranoia between the station’s occupants.
So if you’re not planning on watching the original film first, and are ready for some spoilers, I’ll bring you up to speed on what you need to know about The Thing.
The Thing is an organism that crashes to Earth in a flying saucer, and crawls out and freezes, where it’s found by a Norwegian dig team. The Thing can absorb, imitate and infect other lifeforms, turning them into more Things. Even a single cell from the organism can turn a creature, humans included, into Things. It can also mutate into horrifying forms when discovered, but in the movies it tries to remain hidden.
However, while Things can impersonate people perfectly, apparently absorbing their memories, they can’t recognise other Things. The Thing infects and/or kills everyone from the Norwegian base and in John Carpenter’s film, an infected dog reaches Outpost 31.
It eventually takes over or kills most of the researchers. They come up with a blood test to determine who is human; the blood of a Thing will react violently if heat is applied. Despite this, only two survive, Childs and MacReady. The base is in flames (fire is the only sure way of killing it) and as the movie closes, they prepare to freeze to death, unsure if the other is human.
So the answer to is The Thing: Remastered a sequel or prequel is that it’s a sequel and, while not compulsory, you’ll get more out of the game if you’ve watched John Carpenter’s The Thing.
