So far there
haven’t been too many games based on the popular Terminator movie franchise that
have stood out as an amazing title worthy of the futuristic tale about
humanity’s last stand against the machines that turned against them. A prequel
to the summer blockbuster of the same name, Terminator Salvation for the Xbox
360 is fun in short bursts but ultimately lacks all the things that could have
made this a genuinely stellar title.
As I
mentioned above, Salvation is a prequel to the movie as you assume the role of
John Connor … the same John Connor whose mother, Sarah, prepared him to become
the leader of the human resistance. Here, he’s but a mere foot soldier who lost
faith in himself as well as his mother’s words until a distress call from a
squad trapped in a Skynet facility compels him to rescue them. Along the way,
Connor meets other members of the resistance who follows him in a battle to
destroy Skynet once and for all.
Oh, and I
should mention that while the game borrows the set design and visual appeal of
the movie, Salvation doesn’t feature the likeness or voice of actor Christian
Bale. Of course, including Bale in the game doesn’t mean the game would have
been great but it would have made the game feel like an extension of the movie.
Joined by
Blair Williams, a female resistance fighter who sees something in the soldier,
Connor sets on his mission while moving through the horrific remains of Los
Angeles. Encountering others like him, John aids the resistance as they go up
against everything from the endoskeleton T600 Terminators to an assortment of
other Skynet machines like the spider-like T-7-T and Aerostats. You’ll even find
the Terminators with rubber skin as well as the HK aircrafts from the movies so
you’ll really feel like you’re going up against Skynet.
As a
third-person shooter, Salvation borrows a cover system that’s a bit like the one
found in the Gears of War game so you can slam up against cover and easily move
to the next with a flick of the analog stick. Sadly, Connor doesn’t do anything
unique. His moves are very basic so don’t expect him to pull off cool melee
attacks or crazy stunts such as slowing down time. The game does add co-op
multiplayer allowing players to aid Connor as Williams.
The controls
work well enough when it comes to the shoot ’em up action and there are plenty
of weapons (which are highlighted so clearly that they’re hard to miss) you can
use along the way. You’ll be glad that Connor moves easily seeing as some
enemies require a different way of destroying them. For example, the T-7-T has a
fragile sensor on its back that – if shot right – can bring the machine down. If
you want to destroy a Terminator, a couple of pipe bombs are just about the only
way destroy them.
Unfortunately, the game’s level design is simplistic with scripted moments and
on-rail sequences that get repetitive quickly. Even the moments when you’re
behind a gun emplacement in the back of a moving truck just isn’t original or fun
for very long. The game isn’t even too long, lasting four or five hours to
complete thanks to the fact that there are no hidden items to locate or rooms for
exploration. There are fun moments scattered throughout the game, such as when
the Harvester (a massive Skynet creation) makes its entrance. These moments,
however, are over way too quickly.
On the
graphics front, Salvation isn’t very impressive. There are times when the cut
scenes do look amazing but the character models just aren’t up to the Xbox 360’s
standards. The fact that Connor and most of the characters look nothing like the
cast from the movie is sad. What the game does right, though, are the
backgrounds that make the ravaged Los Angeles a real visual treat.
As far as
the sound is concerned, it’s the original score that really drives home the
feeling that you’re playing a Terminator game. The soundtrack is wonderfully
dramatic and intense in just the right moments in the game. It’s just too bad
that the voice acting isn’t top notch but good enough since the dialogue isn’t
bad. The sound effects are minimal but when it kicks in it makes the best
moments in the cut scenes really shine.
Terminator
Salvation for the Xbox 360 is a short, repetitive and unoriginal game that has a
few fun moments that doesn’t really last. This is too bad seeing as it attempts
to capture the mind-blowing appeal of the summer blockbuster. I can’t recommend
this as a purchase but a rental is in order for those who feel they really need
to go up against Skynet as John Connor.
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Gameplay: 6.0
The story tells
the tale of what took place before the events of the movie and there are some
action-packed levels in this game. It’s just too bad that the fun doesn’t last
very long and the gameplay – despite a decent cover system – makes for a
repetitive and unoriginal game. At least they added a co-op mode.
Graphics: 7.0
Visually,
Salvation manages to be an average-looking Xbox 360 game with some wonderfully
detailed backgrounds and decent visual effects. The character models don’t look
very good, though.
Sound:
7.0
The music feels
like it has been lifted from the movie itself and that’s a very good thing and
the voice performances (even without most of the actors from the film) aren’t
bad. The sound effects, though, should have been louder and more plentiful,
though.
Difficulty: Medium
The new T-7-T as
well as the Wasps will give you plenty to worry about but if you fancy a hard
opponent it is the T600 that will give Connor and the others a real challenge.
You will die many times in this game in the normal setting.
Concept: 6.0
You are John
Connor, leader of the human resistance, but it doesn’t feel like it without Bale
or the fact that Connor starts off as a mere grunt. There are a good number of
machines, including the classic Endo-class Terminators. There are also on-rail
shooting moments that just feel tacked on and there are extras to unlock so the
replay value is extremely low.
Multiplayer: 6.5
The single-player
campaign can be played cooperatively with a friend taking up the role of either
John Connor or Blair Williams. Multiplayer works well enough on the same screen
but online play would have been much appreciated.
Overall: 6.0
Uninspiring and
strictly by the numbers, Terminator Salvation offers very little in terms or
originality or fun. This is too bad, really, seeing as the game has the perfect
setting and there are plenty of machines to battle. This human resistance is
best experienced as a weekend rental.
