John Carpenter’s iconic 1982 horror classic “The Thing” has inspired countless creators over the years, including Computer Artworks, the studio behind 2002’s The Thing, a video game adaptation that takes place after the events of the film.

In the game, Captain J.F. Blake leads a team of U.S. Special Forces in an investigation of Outpost 31. There, Blake and his crew must defend themselves from hostile alien life, and each other, as infections arise.

Despite being released 20 years after the 1982 film, The Thing has become more of a challenge to revisit than its original source of inspiration. While you can easily purchase or stream the film, 2002’s The Thing often requires nostalgic gamers to track down a physical copy along with the necessary hardware to play it on.

This is where Nightdive comes in with The Thing: Remastered, available on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One today. It’s a revitalization of the almost-lost game that stays true to the creators’ original vision.

Understanding The Source Material

Nightdive’s goal is to bring lost and forgotten games like The Thing back from the depths. Not only so people can revisit their favorites on modern platforms like Xbox Series X|S, but also to preserve these games for future generations.

Game preservation is something I recently stressed the importance of while writing about Killing Time: Resurrected, and the same remains true for The Thing: Remastered. All games deserve to be preserved, but preservation isn’t as simple as applying a fresh coat of paint. One of the challenges in using remasters as a form of preservation is keeping the remaster as faithful to the original as possible.

With this in mind, Nightdive worked closely with members of the original Computer Artworks staff, including art director Ron Ashtiani and technical director Mark Atkinson, both of whom are well-versed in the game they helped create and the 1982 film.

“I‘d seen the film before the project, but re-watched it multiple times when we started the game,” explains Computer Artworks technical director, Mark Atkinson. “We wanted to preserve the feel of the movie and what made it scary in terms of a survival horror.”

For Ron Ashtiani, the movie “scared the hell out of me, but also sparked my interest in sci-fi horror.” He went on to reflect how ahead of its time the film was. “It was made before the days of studios relying on an abundance of CG effects to wow the viewer.”

In addition to being ahead of its time visually, “The Thing” benefited from the captivating performance of actors like Kurt Russel and Keith David, and well-written screenplay courtesy of Bill Lancaster.

“I think one of the reasons ‘The Thing’ still holds up is due to the lingering mystery at the end — who was the Thing? It’s a smart movie, a masterclass in cinema,” remarks Joel Welsh, art lead on The Thing: Remastered at Nightdive Studios.

While it’s not required to watch “The Thing” before playing The Thing: Remastered, it does help broaden your knowledge of the peril Captain J.F. Blake and his team face as they explore Outpost 31. Both from alien creatures, and each other.

“Every scene was carefully detailed to make you wonder and be suspicious about everyone the whole time,” says Grover Wimberly IV, Nightdive’s project manager and producer on The Thing: Remastered. “For fans of Nightdive games who haven’t had a chance to watch ‘The Thing,’ I’d suggest watching before diving into the game.”

Remastering With The Masters

Mark Atkinson oversaw many technical aspects with 2002’s The Thing in addition to contributing to the game’s original design and coding alongside Computer Artworks’ talented team of engineers. Working on The Thing: Remastered with Nightdive, Atkinson took on a similar role.

“On the remaster, Ron and I were involved from the start, resurrecting the old code and master quality art assets, and helping guide the Nightdive team, e.g. what was intentional vs. where we just ran out of time to polish,” notes Atkinson.

“The remaster adds many significant upgrades in terms of gameplay, level design, UI, HUD etc., which go beyond a simple 4K reskin. Ron and I gave the green light to all of that, as well as consulting Andrew Curtis, the original game designer. In practical terms, I did a significant amount of C++ work as we wanted to really take the opportunity to make the remaster as good as possible.”

When asked about his experience working on 2002’s The Thing, Ashtiani recalls, “I joined the art team at Computer Artworks just after the game was fully signed after a successful prototype. Back then, art teams weren’t siloed into specific fields, but I mainly worked on the environments and built around half of the levels in the game.”

Again, Ashtiani reprised this hands-on role with The Thing: Remastered: “My role with Nightdive has been to co-lead the art team as the vision holder for the look of the game. I worked on setting the art direction for the remaster and ensuring that while we remaster the graphics and art assets, we don’t lose the essence of the original game.”

And this is important, because the essence of the original is inherently special. For the entire team, not just the artists, 2002’s The Thing needed to align with the 1982 film, and that took making the most of the technology and tools that were available at the time.

“We did the best we could with what we had,” Ashtiani explains. “We put a lot of work into capturing the isolation of the Antarctic and created a host of new and interesting creatures. However, lighting was an area we couldn’t match until the remaster.”

As well as the technical limitations, time constraints also contributed to some of the quirks players encountered in 2002’s The Thing, which Atkinson says has been addressed in the remaster.

”People loved the original game, but had some legitimate complaints, e.g. the scripted burst-outs, the difficulty is uneven, the combat was a little janky, the boss fights weren’t great,” admits Atkinson. “We went hard on fixing all that.”

The Thing: Remastered also benefits from the addition of modern gameplay elements such as third-person aiming, quick select wheels, the ability to use a controller on PC, and more. In terms of difficulty, Atkinson notes, “the game is still fairly hard, but not in such an uneven and sometimes frustrating way as the original.” There’s also the option now for players to select an easier difficulty setting, further expanding the game’s approachability.

Seconding this, Ashtiani says the remaster is true to 2002’s The Thing, but with improved gameplay balancing, control systems, UI improvements, among other quality-of-life adjustments.

“Graphically, it’s a big leap forward,” Ashiani adds. “We’ve been able to use all the lighting technology of today, plus higher resolution models and textures. We even managed to add some assets that were cut from the original game, creature variations in particular.”

A Team Effort

Having a team you can trust is important, not only when attempting to survive in the world of The Thing, but also in developing a quality remaster. Trust, communication, and teamwork between the original developers and the developers at Nightdive Studios were integral in resurrecting 2002’s The Thing.

“We made it a point to make sure Ron and Mark’s input were taken throughout the development process by consulting and having them at our team meetings when discussing adjustments, enhancements, and fixes to make sure it fit the spirit of the original 2002 release,” explains Wimblerly IV.

“Ron and Mark certainly left their mark, along with the rest of the team,” praises Welsh. “This is Nightdive/Atari’s most ambitious remaster to date, and we hope Xbox players have a blast with it. Just remember: No One Survives Alone!”

You don’t have to take our word for it, though. Whether you’re a fan of 2002’s The Thing, or simply want to check out a classic game you previously missed out on, you’ll be able to pay an eventful visit to Outpost 31 when The Thing: Remastered releases on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S today.

The Thing: Remastered

Nightdive Studios

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

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No One Survives Alone.

The 2002 third-person survival horror shooter that serves as a sequel to the genre-defining 1982 film is back, remastered by Nightdive Studios to bring this innovative blend of fast paced squad action meets survival horror to the modern era. Including Antialiasing, Per Pixel Lighting, 4K Resolution and up to 120 FPS.

Where the movie ended, the true terror begins.

You are Cpt J.F. Blake, leader of a U.S. Special Forces rescue team sent to investigate the blood-curdling events and enigmatic deaths of the American scientific team that transpired at the Outpost 31 research facility located in the frozen wastelands of Antarctica. Within these inhospitable surroundings your team encounters a strange shape-shifting alien life-form that assumes the appearance of people that it kills. Trapped by the elements and infected by this horrific entity, using all your team members is critical if you hope to accomplish your objectives, let alone survive. If you only knew which ones were still human…

As we approach the highly anticipated launch of Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered, we’re diving deep into the series’ legendary roots, the artistry behind its remaster, and the exciting enhancements Xbox players can look forward to.

The Legacy of the Legacy of Kain

Very few franchises in gaming history boast the narrative depth and artistic ambition of Legacy of Kain. Since its debut in 1996 with Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, the series has delivered an intricate saga of betrayal, destiny, and free will. Among its chapters, Soul Reaver stands out as a groundbreaking entry, weaving the tragic tale of Raziel, a once-loyal lieutenant of Kain, resurrected to seek vengeance against his creator.

Soul Reaver introduced players to a hauntingly beautiful world, brimming with gothic architecture, complex puzzles, and a legendary narrative. Its dual-realm exploration, allowing Raziel to shift between the material and spectral planes, was a revolutionary feature together with seamless level streaming that cemented the game’s place in history. Raziel’s journey from vengeance to self-discovery resonates even today, making him one of gaming’s most beloved anti-heroes.

Bringing Soul Reaver Back to Life

We had the opportunity to speak with Monika Erosova, Head of Development for the remaster, about the incredible effort it took to bring Soul Reaver into the modern era. Erosova described the process as “a labor of love,” with a focus on preserving the essence of the original while reimagining its visuals for modern hardware.

The remaster boasts meticulously updated textures, dynamic shadows for characters and objects, and brand-new character models. Raziel and Kain designs, in particular, were treated with care to honor their iconic look while amplifying details such as Raziel’s tattered wings now having translucent edges.

“We aimed to match their looks from their highly detailed FMV render models, but also made sure that they will still fit within the in-game world,” Erosova said, highlighting that preserving the original lighting played a critical role in creating the remaster’s atmospheric tone, ensuring Nosgoth feels as eerie and immersive as ever. The addition of the day and night cycle further enhances this and provides a more varied gameplay experience when returning to the areas you visited previously.

The original Soul Reaver FMV intro is perhaps one of the most legendary introductions into a video game ever. However, the original game release had severely limited resolution and simply does not hold up on modern screens anymore.

“My dream was always to be able to update it one day and that has finally come to fruition!” exclaimed Erosova. “The archive provided us with the necessary source files and while some parts were missing and had to be remade, it was enough for us to be able to fully reconstruct the FMV in HD graphics. It was not an easy feat, but we pushed through until we were able to render all the scenes in highest fidelity. We hope that fans will enjoy this latest version of the iconic FMV just as we do.”

Being an artist at heart, Erosova felt straight at home in her role on this project: “I simply love texture archaeology. I collected a vast library of reference books during my modding days so I was able to apply all my in-depth knowledge of the Soul Reaver games and also managed to find even more source textures than ever before, making the Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered superior to any of my previous modding work, becoming the definitive experience.”

She also mentioned the people who have been her inspiration for all these years: “It would definitely have to be Amy Hennig, Daniel Cabuco, basically the whole Soul Reaver team. I would like to send special thanks to Daniel for being such an amazing mentor figure – without his advice I would not be where I am as an artist!”

Recreating the FMV, however, was not the only improvement included in this release.The team also added many quality-of-life improvements such as customizable controls with camera movement on the right analogue stick or a mouse if you prefer, the photo mode, a cutscene skipper (super useful for repeated playthroughs), multi-language support with subtitles, extensive Bonus Materials section and much more.

“We even managed to restore the dynamic music which was missing in the original pc release of Soul Reaver!” Erosova adds. “These games would not be the same without the atmospheric music of Kurt Harland and the way it reacts in real time to the player’s experiences in the game.”

Erosova is also a devoted fan of the series and has shared her love of Raziel through cosplay and countless many projects such as the most recent artbook called The Art of Soul Reaver, created several texture mods for both Tomb Raider and Soul Reaver games, and regularly posts lore videos on YouTube on her The Ancient’s Den channel co-maintained by her fellow lore master, Bazielim, who is also well known figure in the Legacy of Kain community.

Features Overview

Enhanced Gameplay: Quality-of-life updates include a fan favorite feature “Photo Mode” and a brand-new map and compass system, designed to aid exploration without sacrificing the game’s intentionally challenging navigation.

Achievements and Trophies: A fully fleshed-out achievement list gives players new goals to strive for as they traverse the decaying Nosgoth.

Xbox-Specific Features: Optimized for Xbox consoles, this remaster includes 4K resolution support, faster load times, and enhanced framerates and textures.

Additionally, the Bonus Materials Menu allows players to dive deeper into the Soul Reaver universe. From the restored “Lost Levels” to the reimagined maps of Nosgoth and never-before-seen artwork, this remaster celebrates every facet of the game’s legacy.

Whether you’re returning to Nosgoth or visiting it for the first time, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered promises an unforgettable journey.

Pre-order now on Xbox and prepare to unleash Raziel’s vengeance on December 10, 2024!

Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered

Aspyr

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$26.99

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Celebrate Soul Reaver’s 25th Anniversary
Experience the epic conflict of Kain and Raziel in original form or with remastered graphics.

Included Game Titles
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2

Experience the Legendary Narrative
Centuries after your former master, Kain, betrays and executes you, you rise again and embark on a relentless quest for revenge.

Wield the Powers of a Wraith
Slay your former vampire brethren with your claws, bolts of telekinetic energy, and the elemental Wraith Blade. Grow stronger by devouring the souls of your enemies.

Shift Between Realms
The Elder God has granted you the ability to shift between the Spectral and Material Realms. Traverse the realms to solve puzzles, reveal new paths, and defeat your foes.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities is observed each December to promote awareness, understanding and equal participation of people with disabilities in all aspects of society and development. At Xbox, we view play as a fundamental aspect of today’s society that should be accessible to as many people as possible. We strive to create inclusive experiences that empower players to enjoy the games they want, in the ways they want, surrounded by the communities they want to play with.  

Today and every day, we want to recognize the contributions that members of the Gaming and Disability community have made to help co-create more accessible experiences with us, across a variety of projects. This includes members of Team Xbox like Principal Firmware Engineer, Stan Adermann, whose lived experience with disability served as the catalyst for creating some of our newest controller remapping features: 

“My own disability is mild Essential Tremor, along with pain in my hands from years of software development,” Stan shared. “Playing certain games on PC was aggravating my pain issues, so I dug in to see what could make the use of controllers on PC even easier for players with similar pain issues, or those who simply wanted more options that allow them to customize their gameplay. Mapping mouse movements to controllers and toggle holds were a start. Mapping joystick movements to buttons or keyboard keys was also critical.”

Spanning from the recently announced Xbox Adaptive Joystick and 3D printable files for adaptive thumbstick toppers, available with Xbox Design Lab, to additional updates we’re excited to share below, which aim to remove barriers for even more players across our platform, hardware, and game titles, we celebrate the contributions of people with disabilities whose guidance and input has played a critical role shaping inclusive gaming experiences.  

Remapping Options for Xbox Adaptive Controller and Elite Series 2 

Remapping is an important part of accessibility and allows players to change the default function of a specific key on a keyboard, mouse, or controller to better suit their preference or gaming needs. 

To provide even more flexibility for input remapping, we’ve recently rolled out the following capabilities in the Xbox Accessories App for the Xbox Elite Series 2 Controller and the Xbox Adaptive Controller:  

• Toggle holds: This feature is intended to help make using a controller even easier and supports players who have difficulty holding prolonged button presses. Similar to sticky keys on a computer, this allows players to denote any button or port on the Xbox Adaptive Controller, Xbox Adaptive Joystick, or Xbox Elite Series 2 Controller to stay ‘pressed’ until pressing again to release.  

• Map stick movement to button presses: Players can now map directional movements (up, down, left, and right) on their Elite Series 2 thumbsticks or external joysticks connected to the Xbox Adaptive Controller to button or keyboard presses. For example, moving the stick in the “up” direction can be mapped to the equivalent of pressing the “B” button on a traditional controller.  

• Map mouse inputs to controller: Thumbstick or joystick movement can now be mapped to mouse cursor movement. Additionally, buttons can be mapped to right, middle, and left mouse click. This feature alongside keyboard button mapping allows players to use their controllers as the equivalent of a mouse and keyboard for both gaming and non-gaming scenarios on PC. As an example, players could use an Xbox Adaptive Controller to view a game guide on YouTube during a break in the action, make a PowerPoint presentation or check email. 

• Map hat switch to alternate joystick: For external joysticks with hat switches, players can now map the hat switch to operate as the opposite stick when attached to your Xbox Adaptive Controller.   

Visual Accessibility Updates for Diablo IV 

Accessibility was a top priority for the development team and Drew McCrory, lead accessibility developer for Diablo, throughout the creation of Diablo IV. In October, the team added even more options to the existing suite of accessibility features in the game. Focusing primarily on accessibility for players who are blind or have low vision, these new features include:  

• Auto-Pin: This is a new feature that automatically drops a map pin on the destination of your selected quest or task from your in-game Journal.   

• Audio Navigation Assistance: With this feature enabled, the player receives spatial audio pings that direct the player towards their placed pin on the overworld map. This feature, in conjunction with auto-pin navigation, allows players to navigate through quest content while tracking their destination through audio navigation.  

• Compass: The compass feature enables an on-screen HUD element that circles around the player and points towards their placed in-world pin. In combination with auto-pin, this provides consistent guidance to the player.  

Diablo IV was recently nominated in the “Innovation in Accessibility” category for the 2024 Game Awards. 

To learn more, read the full Blizzard blog post detailing these updates here. 

Accessibility Features in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 

Call of Duty introduced new features with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, including asymmetrical hearing compensation, improved high contrast mode, and an updated accessibility settings menu. Throughout the development process, the team consulted with the accessibility advocates to build and test. The game also supports all the familiar features that were available in Modern Warfare III, like reduce motion blur and joystick setting options.  

Additionally, new arachnophobia settings allow players to change the appearance of spider-like enemies, additional HUD layout options have been added, and Intelligent Movement settings provide additional support for players to tailor their experience to meet their needs! The team was recently recognized for its efforts and nominated for an “Innovation in Accessibility” award by The Game Awards. 

Check out the details of these settings here. 

Celebrating the Life of Ibelin in World of Warcraft  

To celebrate release of “The Remarkable Life of Ibelin” on Netflix and the life of Mats “Ibelin” Steen – a Norwegian WoW player with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, World of Warcraft released the Reven pack in Modern and Classic World of Warcraft. “Reven” means “the fox” in Norwegian, and players can purchase this curious companion to support CureDuchenne, a global nonprofit leader in research, patience care, and innovation for improving and extending the lives of individuals with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a progressive neuromuscular disease. 

Read more about the Reven pack and CureDuchenne here.  

You can learn more about Microsoft’s approach to Inclusive Design at https://inclusive.microsoft.design.