Conceptually, you would think that a video game based on the venerable Terminator franchise that’s format was heavily influenced by Gears of War could be an instant classic. However, with Terminator Salvation, this assumption couldn’t be more incorrect. Regrettably, it falls short on many levels, and at best could be described as a Gears of War knockoff that substitutes humanity’s struggle against the cunning and intimidating Locust Horde with a war against dreary, monotonous machines.
In this third person shooter developed by GRIN, you assume the role of John Connor as he fights among the human resistance against Skynet in the bleak setting of a devastated Los Angeles in the year 2016. Connor has yet to become the leader and savior of humanity as originally prophesized by his mother, and is trying to accept the fact that this may never come to be. He fears that he is simply another powerless drone in a conflict that his fellow soldiers simply cannot win.
If you happen to be unfamiliar with the basic premise of the Terminator series, when you initially plug Salvation in, you may find yourself somewhat puzzled as to why machines have revolted against humanity and are laying waste to everyone and everything in sight. Ultimately, you can ignore the foundation of the story, because all you really need to worry about is shooting robots. That’s what you do in Terminator Salvation – you shoot robots over and over that hardly put up a challenge. Sadly, it’s not even remotely satisfying to take them out.
The scenery changes, but each battle essentially plays out the same, as there are only a few types of enemies in the game. There are the Aerostats, which hover around somewhat aimlessly, waiting for you to shoot them down. Then you have the T-7-T’s, which are a larger, ground based foe that somewhat resemble a giant, mechanical spider. These can be taken out either by flanking them so you can shoot out the power cell located at the back, or you can take a less sophisticated approach and eliminate them by tossing a couple of grenades their way.
The toughest customers are the T600’s, or “Terminator” enemies, but even these mechanical grim reapers can be dropped with ease by sending a few explosives in their direction, or by utilizing a rocket launcher, if available. Based on what these machines were like in the Terminator films, you would expect them to pose a great threat and put up a significant fight against you. But ultimately, they seem more intimidating during the loading screens as you stare into their foreboding, glowing red eyes than when you actually face them in the game. They simply saunter towards you with guns blazing, almost waiting for you to put them out of their misery from the safety of your cover point with a pipe bomb.
Speaking of the loading screens, expect to see them frequently. These, along with constant interruptions from crummy cinematics, occur often and serve as a great hindrance in the establishment of any sense of flow in the game. On many occasions, you’ll only get to play for a minute or two before a cut scene or loading screen disrupts the action.
Occasionally, the repetitive ground combat against the machines is broken up by on-rail sequences, which were likely thrown in to provide some variety. These are a bright spot in Terminator Salvation, as these sections can be fun. Also to this game’s credit, the controls are fluid and tight. GRIN has done a suitable job in providing smooth, functional controls inspired by the Gears of War system. Over-the-shoulder aiming feels very natural and taking cover, along with shifting positions via quick movements can be executed seamlessly. However, some additional stick configurations and button layouts would have been nice.
Visually, Terminator Salvation relies heavily on the theme of “destroyed beauty,” as we have seen in the Gears of War series. Much of the game takes place in war torn urban environments, and while the graphics are pleasant, they are not awe-inspiring by any means, and the destroyed beauty in Gears of War is much more, well, beautiful than what’s seen in Terminator Salvation.
As far as music is concerned, the scores that accompany your battles against Skynet suit the world of Terminator quite well, although none of the pieces are overly memorable. The sound effects are fairly generic, but serve their purpose nonetheless – and the classic Terminator beat chimes in every now and again, which is a must for a game based on this well known franchise. Voice acting however, can be laughably horrid at times.
Final Verdict:
Overall, this game is disappointing. Granted, there are worse ways to spend your time, and crappier games certainly exist. However, this had potential as the Terminator theme could lend itself to extremely entertaining gameplay, if executed properly. In my opinion, GRIN is capable of better. Wanted: Weapons of Fate, for example, offered a fun, arcade-like experience thanks to the bullet curving feature and slow motion sequences. Terminator Salvation, regrettably, lacks any of its charm, or fun – it feels thrown together and rushed.
If you’re curious about this game, then I would suggest a cautionary rental. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend taking the plunge and purchasing Terminator Salvation right out of the gate. Not because it’s short – I don’t feel that a game should automatically be slammed if it doesn’t offer a lengthy campaign, as long as it provides a solid time – but because it’s not overly fun and I have no desire at this point to replay anything. I suppose after completing the campaign, you could always run through it again with a friend in the co-op mode, but for most, once will be enough.