Your nostalgia, give it to me
Originally released in 2019 for the PS4 and Xbox One Terminator Resistance is developed by Polish studio Teyon. In 2021 the team provided an updated version that took advantage of the power of the PS5; alas Xbox never saw that update. But all is not lost as the Terminator Resistance: Complete Edition is coming to the Xbox and it includes the DLC mission that was never released on Xbox in the original release as well as Infiltrator Mode which allows players to stomp around as a T-800.
If you didn’t know in 1997 a crazy AI takes control of the world, now dubbed Skynet this defense AI wages war on the human race. Terminator Resistance is set during that war, putting players in the boots of Pvt. Jacob Rivers after his squad was attacked by a new type of Terminator known as an “Infiltrator” that can perfectly mimic humans. Jacob ends up finding refuge with a group of survivors trying to escape Los Angeles and with their help fights to let the resistance know about this new threat which leads to players joining with series messiah John Conner for a final battle that leads into the events of the movies. As a fan of the series this was a fantastic entry into the mythos, and Lord knows we have seen some stinkers *glares at Terminator 3, Dark Genesis, and that one with Christian Bale*
MSRP: $53.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, PC
Price I’d Pay: $53.99
One of the best things about the game is that it spends a lot of time focusing on Jacob and his relationships with the other survivors. By using branching dialogue options and having different outcomes, Teyon gives the players a reason to care about its characters instead of just making decisions for a group of voiceless, faceless survivors. I felt similarly with Homefront the Revolution from 2016, in it players would build a rapport with the group of resistance members and those relationships would affect the story. In fact, the two games have a lot in common and its not a bad thing, I thing Homefront is an underrated title.
Combat in game is standard first-person shooter fare, early in the game Jacob can’t take on Terminators head on so stealth wins the day. One of the things I was worried about was the lack of enemy variety; and I can say that my fears were unwarranted. There are a variety of metal baddies from small spidery bots, tank tread bots and of course Terminators. Later in the game players will gain access to plasma weapons which will help in taking down the human hunter robots, but in the early game its common to feel underpowered and outgunned at almost every turn.
In addition to the main game the complete edition also comes with the DLC mission that sees players working with Kyle Reese who fans will recognize as John Conner’s best friend and future father in the past and if that all made your hurt, welcome to the lore of Terminator. This is the first time this will be playable on the Xbox and again as a fan was a lot of fun and it doesn’t overstay its welcome at about 4 hours or so. The last game mode is a roguelike experience that sees players take on the role of a damaged T-800 infiltrator. The caveat here is that it has to be completed in one sitting with no save points and very little chance to recover any health. Players will scour the map looking for resources and weapons until they feel strong enough to take on the target resistance base.
Terminator Resistance: Complete Edition is a love letter for fans of the Terminator franchise. While the game has its fair share of flaws and glitches, making it feel like more of an AA game; this by no means is a bad thing. The gameplay is fun and addicting and what the story adds to Terminator lore is well worth a playthrough for a fan or for those who are just looking for a solid shooter with a kick ass story.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
