VIDEO GAME REVIEW: TERMINATOR RESISTANCE

Terminator Resistance is a first-person shooter video game developed by Teyon and published by Reef Entertainment. It was released in 2019 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. I recently picked it up during the Christmas sale on Xbox Series X and was surprised at how good it is.

Prepare to be Terminated

The game is set in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity has been decimated by a nuclear war and is now facing the threat of the rogue artificial intelligence known as Skynet. Players assume the role of Jacob Rivers, a member of the Resistance, as they fight against the machines and try to find a way to defeat Skynet once and for all.

One of the most notable aspects of Terminator Resistance is its connection to the Terminator franchise. Terminator 1 and 2 are easily in my top 20 favourite films of all time list and even the later entries (not Dark Fate, that movie is trash) were enjoyable movies, so when I finally started playing Resistance I was in robot killing heaven.

Gameplay

In terms of gameplay, Terminator Resistance is a fairly standard first-person shooter. Players will spend most of their time running and gunning through a variety of environments, using a variety of weapons to take down Skynet's machines. The game also includes some stealth elements, as players can choose to sneak past enemies or take them out quietly in order to avoid being detected, these sections are intense, scary and nerve shredding at times and makes you genuinely feel like a helpless meatbag hiding from unstoppable murderous robots.

One of the standout features of Terminator Resistance is its character progression system. As players progress through the game, they will earn experience points that can be used to unlock new abilities and upgrades for Jacob. These upgrades include things like increased damage resistance, improved accuracy with certain weapons, and the ability to hack into enemy machines. The character progression system adds an extra layer of depth to the gameplay and encourages players to experiment with different playstyles.

The game nails the atmosphere perfectly with the soundtrack cranking the tension up to 11 especially when the terrifying T-800s make an appearence.

Another notable aspect of Terminator Resistance is its story. While the game doesn't have the most original plot, it does a good job of building on the lore of the Terminator franchise and introducing new characters and storylines. The game's script is well-written and the voice acting is solid, making it easy to become invested in the events of the game. The game also includes various branching storylines that allow players to make choices that will affect the outcome of the game.

Weaknesses

One of the biggest weaknesses of Terminator Resistance is its technical performance. Framerates stutter in some areas but nothing game breaking and as for bugs I haven’t encountered any so far. For me the biggest weakness of the game is the voice acting but I can let that slide due to the budget constraints this small studio and team had to play with. The voice actor of the lead character does a fairly decent job it’s just some of the audio quality that lets the voices down at times.

In terms of visuals, Terminator Resistance is a mixed bag. The game's character models and environments are nicely detailed, but the overall aesthetic is somewhat bland. The game's color palette is mostly comprised of grays and browns, which can make the environments feel somewhat dull. The game's lighting effects are also somewhat underwhelming, with some areas of the game looking overly bright while others are too dark. Again this is passable due to the setting, it is a post Judgement Day world afterall where nuclear fire has destroyed pretty much everything.

Overall, Terminator Resistance is a solid first-person shooter. It's held back somewhat by the bland visual aesthetic, but it's still a fun game for fans of the Terminator franchise. The game's character progression system and branching storylines add some depth to the gameplay, and the story does a good job of building on the lore of the series. If you're a fan of the Terminator series or just enjoy first-person shooters, then Terminator Resistance is worth checking out.

Overall score - 8/10