Terminator: Resistance, a single-player FPS set in the post-apocalyptic universe of James Cameron’s Terminator films, is headed to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC November 15. While not intended as a tie-in, the game comes out just two weeks after the release of Terminator: Dark Fate. Like Terminator: Dark Fate, Terminator: Resistance is based on the first two entries in the film franchise, treating the rest as an alternate universe
There have been plenty of games based on the Terminator, including direct film adaptations and original stories, though most haven’t been very well received. The last attempt to make a first-person shooter based on the franchise came in 2003, with Terminator 3: War of the Machines. It received extremely poor reviews, though it wasn’t made by the same developer that’s handling Terminator: Resistance, so that doesn’t indicate anything about the quality of the upcoming game. Teyon, the game’s developer, is relatively unknown, despite having released dozens of games dating back to 2006. Teyon has tackled games based on classic 1980s action movies before, with 2014’s widely panned Rambo: The Video Game.
According to a trailer released by publisher Reef Entertainment, Terminator: Resistance is set in 2028, 31 years after Judgment Day in the Terminator franchise’s timeline. Like the films, it’s set in Los Angeles, but it stars a brand-new character, Jacob Rivers. Rivers is a private in the Resistance Pacific Division who is being specifically targeted by Skynet, marking him as a key figure in the future of the Resistance. The game will feature RPG elements, letting players upgrade their skills to increase their stealth or firepower, according to a press release. Story missions will chart Rivers’ rise through the Resistance, while side quests will focus on helping other survivors. Terminator: Resistance will have multiple endings, depending on the player’s actions and which team members they help along the way.
In the time that’s passed since Terminator 2, technology has evolved, meaning the game will show off futuristic weaponry and new threats from Skynet. The Terminator: Resistance trailer shows humans using plasma weapons squaring off against walking artillery robots and the iconic T-800. There’s no sign of Arnold Schwarzenegger, which makes sense given that the machines are more interested in wiping out humankind at this point than blending in with them. While no announcement has been made either way, it’s unlikely that Schwarzenegger will officially reprise his role, as he is rarely directly involved in games based on his films. For instance, an upcoming DLC for Mortal Kombat 11 will feature Schwarzenegger’s likeness for the T-800, but not his voice.
With both Terminator: Resistance and Terminator: Dark Fate coming out in November, there’s a lot to look forward to for Terminator fans. It’s been a long time since the glory days of the franchise, though, so there may be just as much reason to worry. Even the director of Terminator: Dark Fate acknowledges that the Terminator series has seen better days, but the return to the original source material may also signal a return to what made the franchise so good in the first place.
Source: Reef Entertaiment/YouTube