Terminator 2D: No Fate Review (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, & PC)

One of the priceless gifts video games give us is the freedom to travel back in time, not just for the modern world to experience and reminisce about what playing the best classics felt like, but also for the chance to redeem the games that were done poorly. The former has been more common lately, thanks to the surge of retro games retreading the steps that arcade and early home consoles took. These have mostly been via remasters and remakes that faithfully recreate and reimagine previous games. The latter, however, is more radical, with developers like Bitmap Bureau creating brand new games that use retro styles and aesthetics. 

In the case of Xeno Crisis, Final Vendetta, and now Terminator 2D: No Fate, Bitmap Bureau has far outdone itself. They have honored the integrity of gaming’s history with high-quality 2D games that can be played both on modern and retro consoles. But we’re looking at an even more special case, where previous Terminator-based games that were released in the ‘90s failed miserably. There simply was no game back then that did James Cameron’s sci-fi, action films justice. Several decades later, Bitmap Bureau attempts to right that wrong. Do they succeed? Let’s find out in our Terminator 2D: No Fate review.

Present Day Terminator 2: Judgment Day

You don’t have to have watched Terminator 2: Judgment Day to enjoy Terminator 2D: No Fate. However, fans, who’d likely claim it among the greatest action movies, will certainly appreciate the game more. Kicking your feet up and grinning from ear to ear as the key plot points from the movie unfold across your playthrough. While it’s not a word-for-word adaptation of the film (accurate depictions are often impossible, even today), it still does an impressive job sticking to the original script. Same characters, same battle grounds, albeit with a few kinks here and there. Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn’t look entirely like himself, the face especially. But it sure is as accurate a representation of him as it’s going to get without licensing.

The story also switches it up a bit, focusing on the Future Wars a lot more for the action sequences. And attempting to expand on some scripted hints from the movie. As a result, it does feel like a fresh experience at times. But definitely a lot of nods to the source material. And that right there is the nostalgic dip fans will enjoy the most. Revisiting the most intense scenes from Terminator 2: Judgment Day, some that are firmly imprinted in memory these many years later. But even then, the scenes aren’t cinema-worthy. We’re playing a 2D, 16-bit pixel art-styled game, after all. Nothing compelling or deep to mesmerize the heart and mind. Still, it carries authenticity and remains faithful for the most part to the film, and that is often enough.

Yet, Still in the Past

The 2D retro style of Terminator 2D: No Fate isn’t just a limitation on how emotive and expansive the story can be. It can also sometimes limit the visuals and presentation, too. Coming from an age of photorealism and lifelike animations, you might cringe a bit from the presentation in Terminator 2D: No Fate. It uses 2D sidescrolling, with players guiding the main characters from left to right of the screen. You might jump up or down onto platforms, thus reaching higher or lower levels where power-ups and hidden items might be tucked away. The retro aesthetic is serviceable for this gameplay style, as it has been in the arcade ages. And it’s made very clear that Bitmap Bureau intends to keep it that way, even when the design impedes your experience.

Animations can be stiff at times and appear less fluid. The sprite work isn’t the best, either, with the immaculate details you might be used to sorely lacking. The way enemies die or move, all might appear unnatural. But there’s an allure to it all. By choosing to stick to archaic design, flaws and all, Bitmap Bureau may have given us something truly special. Like a time machine that transports you to an arcade cabinet in the ‘90s. All that you see on screen is exactly like you would expect old games to play like. That chunky pixel art, even in the texts that relay the story in the cutscenes, all harken back to a time long gone but never lost. And while a modern crowd might pick at the issues Bitmap Bureau could have polished, old folks will be happy to have this piece of fine retro preserved. 

Fine Retro

I say fine retro, because even with the choppy visuals, the controls are hella smooth and precise. Besides moving left to right and jumping up or down, you can slide and dodge roll out of the way of danger, too. And these respond accurately, well, at least except for when you make a sharp turn and immediately slide or dodge roll. Otherwise, it’s all a breeze to control Sarah Connor and T-800 across the levels that end in a boss fight, and John Connor in the future. The playable characters aren’t identical and offer distinct experiences. Sarah is your melee specialist, but can punch enemies and slide for attacks, too. T-800 is your brute force guy, and John thrives in mid to long-range combat. Weapons, as well, are varied, from chainguns to plasma rifles and grenades. 

Guns don’t need reloads, which leaves you to focus purely on thinking and reacting quickly to enemies, hazards, and traps. The weapons that you pick up during your runs, though, last for a limited time, mitigating any reloading concerns. You wanna keep an eye out for these goodies while clearing the levels, including hidden items and “continues” that can give you extra lives. 

Tough Nut

Coming from Xeno Crisis, you might be a little scared about the difficulty. But Bitmap Bureau has opted to make Terminator 2D: No Fate’s levels more accessible. Truthfully, it isn’t too tough to clear the levels. Perhaps you’ve heard that you might even clear the story mode in under an hour. But that’s on the easy difficulty. I probably wouldn’t recommend the easy route. It just isn’t as fun as when you actually have a worthy challenge. So, please, do amp up the difficulty across the four options available. I recommend normal to start, which, while it’ll have levels that are a quick breeze, some will take multiple tries to beat. And some bosses may further worsen the blow. 

The trick is to learn the enemies’ positions and patterns of movements. Once you have that locked in, you can even keep firing nonstop in the direction you perceive enemies will be. Of course, while sliding and dodge-rolling out of danger. When shooting, you do stand in position and can fire in eight directions. But overall, it’s still a fun ride. 

Short and Sweet

I get it. Less than an hour on the easy difficulty is definitely worrisome, especially for the price of $30 for the digital version. But if you value a good time regardless of the price, then Terminator 2D: No Fate is a no-brainer. The levels are definitely a blast, even if they end a little too soon. I’m glad, though, Bitmap Bureau didn’t add any fluff. Rather, they opted to add incentives for replays. 

For instance, you can make choices that lead to two endings. And this opens up the opportunity to play again and discover new stages, albeit mostly similar to the main levels. I also enjoyed the limited number of continues the further up the difficulty. And when you run out of continues, you have to start from the beginning. It can give you the chance to practice and hit higher scores. That’s another incentive to try and beat your high scores or time it takes to clear levels.

There are more modes you unlock after the story, including boss rush, infinite, the mother of the future, etc. While these are nice additions, they ultimately are regurgitations of the main game. So, I suppose, there’ll come a time when the incentives will run out. And I suppose it won’t take longer than a few hours for most. 

Verdict

If we could turn back time and have Terminator 2D: No Fate release in the ‘90s when Terminator 2D: Judgment Day hit the big screens, then it would have been a perfect film adaptation. Even now, it remains an absolute blast, even though fans of the original film will likely appreciate it more. It’s a bold and ultimately fantastic choice that Bitmap Bureau chose to adapt the film in a modern 2D retro aesthetic. That way, gamers enjoy a truly authentic experience that honors the original film in the time period it was released. Terminator 2D: No Fate feels perfect for sidescrolling fans who want to test their speed and reaction to incoming futuristic enemies and hazards. While it wraps up a little too soon, you’ll surely have fun during its short stay.