2002's The Thing was once a difficult game to obtain through legal means. For decades, this overlooked third-person shooter, which acted as a sequel to the 1982 horror film of the same name, was trapped on retro platforms, such as the PlayStation 2 and the original Xbox. Although the game did receive a Windows port, it was neither accessible on any digital storefronts, nor was it compatible with modern PCs. To make matters worse, there weren't any companies around that could bring the game to modern systems. The developer of The Thing, a little-known British studio called Computer Artworks, had been shut down several years ago, and its publisher, Vivendi Universal Games, had also suffered a similar fate.
Like many licensed games from the early 2000s, it seemed as if The Thing had been destined to fade into obscurity. However, in a surprising turn of events, the game was finally remastered and ported to all modern platforms in December of last year. This version of the cult classic shooter, simply titled The Thing: Remastered, was developed by Nightdive Studios, a company that's best known for making re-releases of old, abandonware video games. The Thing: Remastered was very well-received by fans, and it showed just how talented Nightdive was as a studio. Given how successful this port ended up being, it would be great if Nightdive gave one other forgotten horror game - Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malakai - the same treatment as The Thing.
10 Best Game Remasters By NightDive
NightDive has become well known for their fantastic remasters of older games, making them accessible and enjoyable for modern audiences.
Nightdive Studios Should Consider Making a Remaster of Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi
Like The Thing, Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi is Inspired by a Classic Horror Film
About one year after The Thing came out, a small Swedish game developer named Idol FX released a first-person shooter for Windows PCs known as Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi. Much like 2002's The Thing, this game was inspired by an iconic horror movie, namely the 1922 German Expressionist film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror. Although Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi wasn't a one-to-one adaptation of said film, some of the basic plot elements in the game were similar to it.
Idol FX is perhaps best known for developing Drake of the 99 Dragons, an original Xbox game that's widely regarded as one of the worst third-person shooters ever made.
Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi takes place in 1912 and follows a man named James Patterson, who is a member of a poor aristocratic family. In order to restore the glory of his heritage, James' sister, Rebecca, is married off to the son of a wealthy Romanian Count who resides at the Castle Malachi residence in Transylvania. James ends up being late for his sister's wedding and arrives in Transylvania, only to discover that his family has been held hostage by the Count to use as sacrifices. With the help of his sword and cross, James has to fight back against the demons and vampires that have infested Castle Malachi and must save his family from the Count before it's too late.
Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi Has Some Inventive Gameplay Mechanics
Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi is, in essence, a fairly simple horror-themed first-person shooter. The game doesn't have a particularly long runtime, and it was evidently made on a low budget. Nonetheless, there are some unique gameplay elements in Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi that make it really stand out. For one, the game features a roguelike mechanic that makes the loot drops, enemy locations, and room layouts of Castle Malachi different in each playthrough. In addition to this, Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi has a 90-minute time limit. Players must rescue as many of their family members as possible within the allotted time frame, and if they don't, each of the hostages will get sacrificed one-by-one, thus making the final boss of the game more powerful.
A Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi Remaster Could Capitalize on the Recent Nosferatu Movie's Success
Although Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi is still available for purchase on Steam, it'd be great if Nightdive Studios were to get the rights to this game and remaster it for all modern platforms, just like it did with The Thing. Thanks to the recent release of the critically-acclaimed Nosferatu movie by Robert Eggers, now is the perfect time to make this happen. Because of the popularity of the film (which itself is a remake of 1922's Nosferatu), more people may be interested in checking out a possible re-release of Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi than they normally would.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 72 /100 Critics Rec: 42%
- Released
- December 5, 2024
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- NightDive Studios
- Publisher(s)
- NightDive Studios
WHERE TO PLAY
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…
- Engine
- KEX Engine
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Verified
- PC Release Date
- December 5, 2024
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- December 5, 2024
- PS5 Release Date
- December 5, 2024
- Nintendo Switch Release Date
- December 5, 2024
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
