It can't be bargained with... it can't be reasoned with... It CAN be finished in less time than it takes to watch T2!

The Charge:

The End Begins.

Opening Statement:

With the film right around the corner, Terminator Salvation makes its timely debut on Xbox360 and PS3. The guys at Grin, who recently brought us Wanted: Weapons of Fate, have tried once again to give fans a movie tie-in worth playing. Do they succeed in offering us salvation? Or is this one game that deserves to be terminated.

Los Angelinos! Please do not fire your guns at the visiting spacecraft! You may spark interstellar war!

Facts of the Case:

In Terminator Salvation, you jump into the combat boots of John Connor (who is disappointingly not portrayed by a profanity spewing Christian Bale), some two years plus ahead of the upcoming film. Connor is a grunt, serving in the war against the machines. Judgment Day is a distant memory, but, like the trailers insinuate, things didn’t go exactly how Momma Connor had predicted. It seems your unit has been jammed up behind Skynet’s lines, and now you’re stuck fighting your way back to friendly lines. When your team receives a distress call from human survivors deeper into the warzone, John goes off the reservation, and takes it upon himself to meet up with the trapped humans, fighting his way through a horde of machines in the hopes of getting the refugees out.

 
The Evidence:

Very Much like Wanted: weapons of Fate before it, Terminator Salvation is about as straight forward a 3rd person shooter as you can get. Grin hasn’t changed the formula much; Salvation even borrows Wanted’s “cover to cover” movement system. You walk through smallish-levels, you aim, you kill, you rinse and you repeat. Thankfully, the controls have been tightened a little, and there’s no bullet-bending mechanic here to finagle with, Terminator Salvation is all about throwing a pile of bullets into walking killing machines, some of whom are much deadlier than others.

GIT TO DAH CHOPPA!!!

Speaking of, the enemies in the game do lack any significant amount of variety, consisting of only a handful of generic flyers and armored spider-like drones that must be taken from behind. When the game does throw the classic “T-600″ at you, it’s a 7 foot tall walking hulk of fear brandishing a minigun, and the game gets pretty intense. There are some great set pieces here, from the fight with the flying Hunter/Killer in the 2nd level, starting in the upper floors of an office building and continuing on ruined LA freeways as yourself and your crew attempt to race your armored pick-up trucks to safer havens. Some of the fights really have a chaotic energy to them that helps amp the game up a few notches. Unfortunately, as soon as you really find your groove, it’s all over.

Terminator Salvation is no slouch in the graphics department either. The textures are solid, and character models look fine. The game really does a great job in displaying a ruined Los Angeles, and while it never bowls one over with next generation lighting or effects, it definitely isn’t ugly either. The way the game handles cutscenes however is definitely odd, pre-rendered video looks great, and is well directed, but when the game switches to in-game graphics for some of the minor scenes, god, it looks horrible. From a distance, ie: when playing, the models look fine, but in close up, they’re low polygon, and when trying to actually act out a scene, are horribly animated. It’s definitely a knock on what is otherwise solid presentation (the load screens and title menu are particularly awesome.) Sound wise, the voice acting is passable (again, why no screaming Christian Bale?) featuring some of the talent from the film, but the weapon sounds and explosions do fall on the weaker side of the spectrum, which isn’t that hot for a game with so much exploding and machine gunning going on.

Optimus Prime is gonna be PISSED when you shoot that rocket at him.

 
Rebuttal Witness:

Terminator Salvation is neither particularly challenging, though death does come cheaply, nor is it long at all. It comes up at under 4 hours on average, or even less if you really dial into the controls in a hurry. There’s no multi-player to speak of (only split screen co-op) and no real replay value attached either. At full price, I just cannot recommend a purchase, which is kind of a shame, as when the game is on, it feels great, and there’s really nothing particularly flawed with the game in terms of playability. It’s a better game than Wanted: Weapons of Fate was at any rate, even if it is less ambitious from a narrative and features point of view.
Closing Statement:

No, Terminator Salvation is not your typical “sucky movie tie-in”, and Grin has again shown that they are capable of putting together a game that isn’t complete rubbish (Bionic Commando is awesome!) However solid controls, terrifying battles with the “classic” endos, and decent shooting mechanics aren’t enough to compensate for a one-sitting length and a lack of any notable features. Wait for this one to hit bargain bins, it shouldn’t take too long.

The Verdict:

Platform: Sony Playstation 3/Microsoft Xbox360/Windows PC (360 version reviewed)
Developer: Grin
Publisher: WB Interactive
Release Date: May 19th, 2009
Rated: T(13+) for Teen.