Classic fans and veterans alike were delighted with a project based on the beloved and adored film, Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Players will be able to relive epic scenes from the film and participate directly in them. Read our review to find out how this long-awaited gamification turned out!
Cyborg killer
And the machines rose from the ashes of nuclear fire. And a war to destroy humanity began. And it raged for decades. But the final battle will not take place in the future. It will take place here, in our time. Tonight.
One day, a 28-year-old boy had a nightmare in which he was chased by an evil robot. The boy turned out to be director James Cameron, who used the nightmare to create the Terminator universe.
The films depict an alternate history of Earth. A malevolent AI known as Skynet orchestrated a nuclear war that killed 3 billion people. The survivors suffered under the tyranny of the machines until a leader named John Connor emerged and led them to war against their oppressors. The driving force of the films is the machines’ attempt to send Terminators of various models back in time to assassinate John Connor’s parents or his younger self. Members of the Resistance used a time machine to prevent the machines from succeeding.
Audiences were enthralled by the story, the dark atmosphere of the universe, and the now iconic scenes. Most of all, people loved Arnold Schwarzenegger’s performance as the T-800 Terminator. This reaction is understandable, as “Iron Arnie” inspired many young people to hit the gym, hoping to build muscles like their idol.
Terminator 2D: NO FATE is based on the film Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Using pixel art, the developers carefully reproduced the likenesses of actors Robert Patrick, Linda Hamilton, and Edward Furlong, who played the T-1000, Sarah Connor, and young John Connor, through portraits and in-game models. The locations and many supporting actors were also recreated. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to see Arnie himself—apparently the developers were unable to secure permission to use his likeness.
War in the present and future
The developers not only adapted the events of the film into the game but also created their own. In the first level, John is kidnapped by bandits, who must be shot down as Sarah. Sarah then storms Cyberdyne Systems to prevent the creation of Skynet. However, she is arrested and placed in a psychiatric hospital.
After this, the events of the film begin, where the player must escape the T-1000 on a motorcycle or storm the Cyberdyne building again. At the same time, they must take part in a future war, where John Connor deals with machines. There’s also a stealth level where they must help Sarah escape from a mental hospital while simultaneously avoiding attacks from the T-1000.
The gameplay involves controlling a character who can run, roll, and shoot. It seems simple, but there are some nuances:
- You can shoot in eight directions, not wherever you want;
- Rolls provide frames of invulnerability, which saves in many situations;
- First aid kits not only restore health but also save your progress—if you die, you’ll be returned to the spot where you picked up the first aid kit. Using a first aid kit with full health will increase your maximum health.
- Machines are more resilient than people, which is logical;
- If you fall into hot metal or get caught by the T-1000, you will see a unique death animation.
Playable characters have unique features:
- Sarah Connor is capable of close-quarters combat, but lacks the ability to fire on the move. She begins levels with a pistol, but more impressive weapons can be found in secret areas;
- Instead of close combat, John Connor throws grenades, and he can also fire on the move. Picking up upgrades temporarily makes his projectiles homing or passing through obstacles;
- The T-800 has immense health, which is offset by its clumsiness. During a bar fight, its opponents are so insignificant that a hit taken doesn’t cost lives, but rather the time allotted to complete the level.
While playing, you have to put up with the game’s awkward and odd design. Many enemies are positioned in such a way that it’s practically impossible to get past them without taking damage.
The curvature is compensated by pleasant details:
- Jumping on an enemy kills them – a similar effect can be achieved by throwing one enemy onto another;
- Some enemies can be used as human shields;
- The T-800 is capable of repelling grenades with a minigun;
- The levels contain secrets with pleasant bonuses.
Diversity of content
The difficulty level you choose affects how much you enjoy the game. On Easy, you can make as many mistakes as you want—you get an infinite number of repetitions. As the difficulty increases, repetitions become finite, a timer appears, new enemies are added, enemy health and attack speed increase, and bosses gain new attack patterns. The average playthrough time on Normal is 40 minutes. If you use up all your repetitions, you’ll have to start over.
After the first playthrough, you’ll be given the opportunity to make choices at certain points—essentially, these are forks in the road leading to new levels. An additional difference is that in the future, you’ll be controlling Sarah, not John. Unfortunately, the only difference between the characters is their appearance—future Sarah possesses similar abilities to future John.
Completing forks in the road unlocks boss battle mode, where you must defeat all the bosses encountered in the future. In “Endless Mode,” you have to spend a long, tedious time fighting off waves of enemies, while “Mother of the Future” allows you to play as Sarah from the future without having to complete the other levels.
Diagnosis
Terminator 2D: NO FATE is primarily designed to appeal to fans of classic films. You need to launch it to personally experience the events familiar to you from your youth. You can also shed a tear at the moments when the T-800 plays with young John, or the T-1000 wag its finger at Sarah.
If the gameplay is what interests you, then approach it like a classic arcade game from the Sega MegaDrive or Super Nintendo consoles. It’s designed to be completed quickly. After that, all that’s left to do is challenge yourself by increasing the difficulty, earning extra points, finding secrets, and exploring additional modes.
