The Thing is based on the John Carpenter movie of the same name.  In the movie, Antarctic researchers were attacked by a mutating alien that could assume any form, including that of the researchers themselves.  When this doppelganger alien was combined with claustrophobic quarters and the impossibility of escape due to the frozen environment, the result was a study in fear and paranoia.  While the game is not a rehash of the movie (it takes place directly after the events depicted in the film), it does attempt to capture the same atmosphere as the original.

In The Thing, you are a special forces soldier sent to investigate the problems at the research station.  Your units have become scattered around the research complex, and communication with your surviving comrades, and even headquarters, quickly breaks down.  You'll have to locate the missing soldiers, determine if there are any surviving researchers while trying to determine what happened, and eradicate the rampaging aliens.

You control your character from the third person perspective with the standard mouse and keyboard method common to action games.  However, The Thing does not give you the same degree of control afforded my most first person shooters.  While moving you can not look freely in all directions - you'll need to stop and enter a free look mode to do so.  Also, unless you remain standing still in free look mode, your weapons will auto-aim when you face the general direction of your target.  This method of control takes a little getting used to, as you won't be able to see or shoot at something directly in front of you at your feet.

During the course of the game, you'll be joined by up to four squad mates.  These squad members come in three varieties: soldiers, medics, and engineers.  Soldiers have the most accurate weapons fire, and tend to be braver than the other classes.  Medics have the ability to heal you and other squad members.  Engineers can repair damaged electronics such as access panels and power generators.  This skill is essential, as you won't be able to gain access to some rooms and buildings without an engineer.

In addition to each squad member's health, the game keeps track of their level of fear and trust in you.  In a situation where anyone can really be an alien in disguise and things can be hiding just around the next corner, managing these two attributes is key to keeping your squad together.  Fear is caused by strange noises or by seeing the thing or thing caused carnage.  If fear takes over a squad member, he'll collapse into a completely useless, blubbering mess.  You can try to control the fear in your squad by handing out weapons and ammo, giving them shots of adrenaline, or just taking them away from things for a bit to a nice and safe location.

Trust affects the degree to which a squad mate will follow your orders.  If he trusts you completely, he will always follow your orders and be an effective aid in completing your mission.  If he is undecided about you, he might not follow orders.  If he distrusts you completely, you better watch your back.  You can try to build the trust of your squad by giving them weapons and ammo, killing the thing aliens, or by administering a special blood test to yourself, thereby proving that you are human.

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