Terminator 2D: No Fate game review – Retro arcade fun
Evocative pixel art, era-perfect techno and old-school difficulty make this a heartfelt (if fleeting) T2 tribute
Given the popularity of the films on which they’re based, there’s a surprising dearth of decent Terminator games. The most recent release, 2019’s Terminator: Resistance, was a po-faced, janky effort set in the series’ near-future timeline and it barely made a ripple. Hoping to fill the void is UK developer Bitmap Bureau with this heartfelt and very brief love letter to James Cameron’s classic Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
Featuring gloriously reverential pixel art and stunning renditions/remixes of Brad Fiedel’s memorable soundtrack, Terminator 2D: No Fate is a fond tribute to the amusement arcades of the 1990s with levels inspired by scenes from the film. On normal difficulty, players are restricted to a time limit and ‘lives’, faithfully echoing the traditions of the time. Set across the film’s sprawling events, the game swaps between playable characters including Sarah Connor, John Connor (whose futuristic weaponry is the most fun to use) and, in a cute cameo, Arnie’s revamped T-800. Hazards alternate between humans and robots, environmental obstacles, and frequent boss fights. Accompanying the original music is a mix of contemporaneous techno, including a few appropriately propulsive tracks that sound right out of the 90s experimental demo scene.
Unlike actual arcade games of the era, Terminator 2D: No Fate is a fair experience although it’s possible to dial down the difficulty in order to see the whole story play out. While the whole thing is a blast to play, it’s an extremely short game, with a high-score table, branching narrative and harder difficulty settings offering at least some replay value.
Terminator 2D: No Fate is out now on PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series S/X.