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The Thing (VG)
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The Thing is a 2002 third-person shooter/survival horror video game developed by Computer Artworks and published under the "Black Label Games" banner, a collaboration between Universal Interactive and Konami. It was released for PlayStation 2, Windows and Xbox.
The game is a sequel to John Carpenter's 1982 film The Thing, and follows the story of Captain Blake, a member of a U.S. Special Forces team sent to the Antarctic outpost featured in the film to determine what has happened to the research team.
The Thing was a commercial success, selling over one million units worldwide across all platforms, and received generally positive reviews. A sequel was in the early stages of development, but was cancelled when Computer Artworks went into receivership in 2003. The game was endorsed by John Carpenter, who voices a character in an uncredited cameo.
In 2024, the game would have a remaster announced by Nightdive Studios.
The following weapons appear in the 2002 video game The Thing:
Beretta 92FS
The Pistol is a two-tone Beretta 92FS with a 20-round magazine capacity. Anachronistic, as the Beretta 92F was not produced until 1983, a year after the game's setting, and didn't enter military service until 1985. The characters in reality would have been issued the Colt M1911A1.
Machine Gun
The weapon is incorrectly referred to as 'Machine Gun' in-game and in the manual, when it is actually a submachine gun. The Machine Gun's visual design is ambiguous, but it seems to be based (poorly) on the Heckler & Koch MP5SD1. In the game, the Machine Gun has a 50-round magazine capacity, despite its clearly short 15-round magazine.
Benelli M4 Super 90
The Shotgun appears to be a Benelli M4 Super 90 with a H20 NP3 mariner finish and an incorrect 12-round capacity. Anachronistic, as the Benelli M4 was not produced until 1999. In 1982, U.S. Special Forces would have used a Remington 870.
Sniper Rifle
The Sniper Rifle's design is ambiguous, but it is clearly a semi-automatic sniper rifle with a large magnifying scope, a 6-round detachable box magazine, and a wooden stock. It is possibly and very loosely based on the Heckler & Koch PSG1, albeit with a wooden stock. The Sniper Rifle is first found in the Norwegian Weather Station.
Grenade Launcher
The Grenade Launcher appears to be based on a mixture of several grenade launchers, including the German Heckler & Koch HK69A1, the South African Milkor Stopper and the Polish Pallad wz. 1983.
M60 Machine Gun
The M60 general-purpose machine gun appears only mounted in military helicopters. It is only usable in first person mode in one sequence, during the final boss fight. In the game, the M60 has infinite ammo and does not overheat.
Fictional flamethrower
The flamethrower in The Thing (2002) differs from that of the film versions in that it appears to be based not on the M2A1-7 military flamethrower, but rather on the M240 Incinerator Unit from the film Aliens (1986), albeit without the M16-style carrying handle, and using the model and textures of the MP5-based "Machine Gun" mentioned above. This design, consisting of a compact, handheld flamethrower with an assault rifle configuration and with the fuel canister where the magazine should be, is a rather common design in videogames.
Cut Weapons
Heckler & Koch MP5A3
The Machine Gun was originally a more properly modeled Heckler & Koch MP5 in the beta version, before being modified extensively, probably to avoid licensing issues. The beta MP5 closely resembles an MP5A3 and had a 30-round magazine capacity (in the manual image it appears its magazine holds up to 20 rounds). The beta MP5A3 can still be seen in-game on ammo boxes, in the game's trailer, in the soldier class icon in the squad menu, in the game's manual and in the cover's artwork.
Promotional material
IMI Uzi
In a promotional material flyer for the game, the artwork displays a man aiming an IMI Uzi with its stock removed at another man wielding a flamethrower.
M9 Flamethrower
Although never featured in-game, an M9 Flamethrower appears in an official artwork for the game.
Heckler & Koch MP5A2
A full stock Heckler & Koch MP5 appears in artwork for the remaster.