Terminator 2D: NO FATE Review

Despite having one of the most iconic post-apocalyptic settings in the history of sci-fi cinema, Terminator is a franchise that hasn’t had much luck with video games besides some exceptions. Now, after several delays, Terminator 2D: NO FATE aims to deliver the 16-bit side scroller we never got back in 1991.

Developer Bitmap Bureau is no stranger to retro-inspired efforts which nailed a genuine aesthetic, with Xeno Crisis – inspired by James Cameron’s Aliens – being the sort of hit which explains why the studio was offered the Terminator IP. It’s not just about pixel visuals, sounds, and a loose understanding of retro mechanics. The devs clearly know what exactly made us fall in love with the best bite-sized games of the 1990s, and in Terminator 2D, those priorities remain untouched.

The pitch behind this retelling of Cameron’s sci-fi action masterpiece was simple but sort of restrictive: Turning the entire movie into an explosive side scroller you could beat in one sitting. However, there’s only so much you can do with movie tie-ins while staying faithful, so original scenarios and extra enemies had to be created still. The end result definitely stays on target and doesn’t get too wacky (even during the fun alternate story beats), but facing robo-dogs in the Skynet-dominated future is a bit weird and took me back to the movie tie-ins of the olden era.

Perhaps the biggest shock is that you don’t actually get to control the T-800 sent back in time to protect John Connor that much. Besides a lovingly recreated but one-noteish and brief brawl at the biker bar (‘Bad to the Bone’ playing in the background included), he’s more of an extra character. That’s why Sarah Connor is at the center of the key art. A bit of a disappointment considering the potential which the killer machine character presents for a retro game of this kind, but alas.

My mind instantly underlined the reasoning of “sticking close to the movie” as the most likely explanation, but as previously stated, there are plenty of non-canon situations and both Sarah and the T-800 go around shooting humans dead anyway, so… As for the matter of publisher Reef Entertainment not getting image rights to Arnie, we can’t make out the Terminator’s face in-game anyway, so that’s no excuse.

Regardless, Terminator 2D: NO FATE delivers inventive scenarios and very breezy fun throughout most of its short runtime. You could beat two runs in the time it takes you to watch the movie it adapts. First and foremost, it’s a Contra-inspired run-and-gun game, and one of the better modern ones, thankfully. Controls are simple and smooth, but free aim (using fixed angles) makes positioning the character and accurate shots easier than in most of its ancient relatives. At no point I felt like I was fighting the controls or the character’s movement, which sadly is a common occurrence when you revisit oldies after so many years.

The combination of easy-to-pick-up controls with the shockingly varied level design makes going through Terminator 2D over and over again a joy. Too many arcade-like ‘tribute’ games forget it’s not only about having a nice moment-to-moment ‘game feel’ and tight runtime. There’s a hard-to-describe art to making side scrollers flow well and feel immediately replayable, and Bitmap Bureau clearly succeeds where many, even a bunch of Contra sequels, failed.

With so many of the levels taking things in unexpected directions (there’s even a quite compelling mission built around stealth), you can’t help but feel sad when some of the bigger standouts wrap up fast – the final confrontation with the T-1000 is frustratingly short – and only after juggling a couple of unique mechanics which are never used again. Even the alternate story paths (unlocked after beating the story mode once) don’t diverge that much from the core experience. Nonetheless, they’re great excuses to go for immediate replays.

After you’ve seen everything the story mode has to offer, chances are you’ll want to go achievement-hunting in the more brutal arcade mode, explore higher difficulties, or just try to hit high scores in the Infinite and Boss Rush modes. There’s even a Mother of the Future mode that focuses on Sarah Connor’s levels. None of these substantially alter the experience, but they’re nice twists on a formula that works. If the game really clicks for you, all these options are good to have… and make the 100% achievement completion a bit more alluring.

Much like the gameplay, the audiovisual presentation is vintage but not outdated. The pixel art is definitely more complex than something we’d find back in the day, and the animations are so detailed that I was constantly reminded of the excellent Metal Slug series. Likewise, the soundtrack brings back Brad Fiedel’s original compositions while offering refreshing remixes that perfectly fit the relentless action of this game.

As someone who’s immediately dropped plenty of ‘retro homage’ throwbacks which largely misunderstood the true appeal of old side scrollers and/or lacked a solid hook, I’m pleased to say Terminator 2D: NO FATE isn’t using the iconicity of the movie it adapts to mask shortcomings. Even as an original retro-inspired release, this would be one of the better 2D run-and-gun titles in recent years. Most of my frustrations come from what it doesn’t do rather than what it does. It falls short of excellence, but this is the rare Terminator game that won’t make you instantly go “hasta la vista.”

Terminator 2D: NO FATE is available now for $26.99 on PC (Steam), Xbox One & Series X/S, PS4/5, and Nintendo Switch.