Game Review: Terminator: Resistance

Terminator: Resistance (2019) Review

It’s got the clothes; the boots; but it’s missing the motorcycle

Story

Terminator: Resistance is a first-person shooter set during the “Future War” scenario that was only glimpsed at in the iconic films from James Cameron, The Terminator and T2: Judgment Day. This story takes place in a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles, nearly 30 years after Judgment Day, and stars a brand new hero in the Terminator universe, Jacob Rivers, a soldier in the Resistance led by John Connor.^{(https://terminator.fandom.com/wiki/Terminator:_Resistance)}

The player takes the role of Jacob Rivers, who is hunted by a T-850 Infiltrator – one of the Terminator machines that is almost indistinguishable from a human. After your squad is wiped out, leaving you as the sole survivor, you meet up with a group of civilians and have to help them escape the area overrun with the machines. Along the way you meet up with another resistance group and are introduced to John Connor, leader of the resistance, who holds the key with ending the Skynet threat once and for all…

Gameplay

Providing a mediocre mix of action and stealth gameplay, Terminator: Resistance is a 1st-person shooter from developer Teyon (Human Fall Flat, Rennsport).

There’s a handful of different enemy types you’ll face in the game, including a variety of the iconic T-800 killing machines, air drones, and mechs. Most encounters in the early game are best handled with the use of guerilla tactics, often I would sneak past enemies, lob a grenade and take a few down, run to another spot while the rest investigate my last known position, rinse and repeat. The AI aren’t all that sophisticated and rely more on dealing high damage and being bullet sponges to pose a challenge rather than tactics. Once you unlock the high-end weapons, however, it is best to just snipe enemies out of range.

Some of the environments work well, but for the most part it’s a straight shot from point A to point B in each level with a lot of backtracking incorporated into the game.

The weapons available to use against the Terminators include a mix of futuristic laser rifles and conventional arms such as an Uzi and pump action shotgun. There’s also a variety of explosives to use such as grenades and pipe bombs – these among other items can be crafted with resources found throughout the levels or bought from a trader at the survivor hub.

Review

Terminator: Resistance hangs somewhere between fun and tedious. It’s a worthwhile romp if you’re a fan of the movie series and early 2010s 1st-person shooters with light crafting elements. The story at least tries to be interesting and has its moments, but for the most part it is dull, generic, and forgettable. I’d recommend picking it up on sale – I couldn’t justify its $40 price tag.