Terminator: Resistance is a simple game, but it masterfully achieves the atmosphere and tension of the “future-war” scenes featured in the first two Terminator movies. This game has been lovingly made with an understanding of what made the franchise so appealing, as it is littered with references and in-jokes that fans of the movies will appreciate. Despite being released a month prior to Dark Fate, the game itself is not just a tie-in.
Character progression is well balanced, as the player will gradually progress from a barely surviving scavenger to combating giant machines during the story. The “Resistance” part of the title is well deserved, as the game makes the player feel like they’re pushing back against the machines. The iconic T-800 enemies are more than just fodder, and pose a genuine threat to those foolhardy enough to take them on without preparation. There are many times where the player has to switch between stealthily taking out machines, and going all out to survive.
I’ve seen the game compared to Fallout with its scavenging elements, which is a fair comparison in the sense of exploration. The game has large areas to explore with weapons to discover, but it certainly isn’t an open-world game and each area has a set exit. Throughout the game, there are choices to be made that will effect the end of the story. I don’t want to spoil this moment, but it makes for genuinely heart wrenching end-game decisions as bonds are developed with each character. The romance options feel forced and awkward, but this is minor and laughable at worst.
The music borrows heavily from the original soundtrack of the first two Terminator movies, but this is perfectly integrated into the game. There is a sense of melancholy and an uncertain future as the Desert Suite from Terminator 2 plays. It genuinely makes the game feel like anything from Terminator 2 onward did not exist.
I have very few gripes with this game, as it does what it set out to do very well. Certain parts later in the game feel underwhelming, especially when hard-earned weapons start appearing everywhere at no cost. There aren’t enough points to fill out the entire-skill tree, so some may feel cheated when certain perks are locked out without warning.
Overall, I would recommend this game to fans of the Terminator franchise and people looking for a fun RPG shooter to demolish over a weekend.
Character progression is well balanced, as the player will gradually progress from a barely surviving scavenger to combating giant machines during the story. The “Resistance” part of the title is well deserved, as the game makes the player feel like they’re pushing back against the machines. The iconic T-800 enemies are more than just fodder, and pose a genuine threat to those foolhardy enough to take them on without preparation. There are many times where the player has to switch between stealthily taking out machines, and going all out to survive.
I’ve seen the game compared to Fallout with its scavenging elements, which is a fair comparison in the sense of exploration. The game has large areas to explore with weapons to discover, but it certainly isn’t an open-world game and each area has a set exit. Throughout the game, there are choices to be made that will effect the end of the story. I don’t want to spoil this moment, but it makes for genuinely heart wrenching end-game decisions as bonds are developed with each character. The romance options feel forced and awkward, but this is minor and laughable at worst.
The music borrows heavily from the original soundtrack of the first two Terminator movies, but this is perfectly integrated into the game. There is a sense of melancholy and an uncertain future as the Desert Suite from Terminator 2 plays. It genuinely makes the game feel like anything from Terminator 2 onward did not exist.
I have very few gripes with this game, as it does what it set out to do very well. Certain parts later in the game feel underwhelming, especially when hard-earned weapons start appearing everywhere at no cost. There aren’t enough points to fill out the entire-skill tree, so some may feel cheated when certain perks are locked out without warning.
Overall, I would recommend this game to fans of the Terminator franchise and people looking for a fun RPG shooter to demolish over a weekend.