When Arnold Schwarzenegger first graced our screens as the terminator in 1984; little did we know that he would continue to inhabit the role for many years to come. Even more surprising was how well the film franchise transitioned into a lucrative gaming market, with multiple games often being released on a yearly basis since the early 1990s. This means that there are many titles to choose from with multi-platform functionality, which offer both film based and new plots to play. Here are some games past, present and future to play in 2016.
Many fans however, are still waiting for that all important information surrounding Reef Entertainment’s future installment, currently titled Terminators: The Video Game. Although there is still little news surrounding this future installment (bar the fact it will feature levels based in the world of the first two movies by James Cameron) there is still a lot to be said for the current Terminator gaming scene which is shaping up to be a busy one for 2016. Something which will definitely cheer up disgruntled Terminator fans. Reef will not tone down the violence… expect blood.
Another intriguing microgaming title will be released by Mogol Games which will be based on the first movie THE TERMINATOR; all we know is that it will perhaps be an online MMO game and, just guessing here,- but could this be a man vs machine war game or something else? Time will tell!
Rather unexpectedly, one of the most successful and widely played of all the games within the franchise is the online slot Terminator 2, which can be found at Europalace.com. Although other online games have been well received, the partnering of slots with this cult classic movie has made Europalace.com’s game one of the most accessible and most popular. The Microgaming powered casino is well respected and highly acclaimed within the mobile gaming industry,- something that isn’t easily achieved in such a stagnated market.
When you’re an avid fan of such a classic franchise, it can be worrying when you hear that an online slot has been made, mainly because you want it to be done correctly,- especially with the bar Cameron set so high with his unbeaten movies (T1,T2). It needs to encapsulate everything that the film is, and it needs to fit into the franchise and its universe seamlessly. Thankfully Terminator 2 Online Slot manages to do this. The five reel format brings a biomechanic quality by incorporating metal-like overlays into the aesthetic; brilliantly offset by inclusion of film clips from the 1991 Judgment Day sequel. Arguably though, it’s the T-800 Vision that bridges the gap between film and game. Triggered randomly when you score no wins, this special feature allows you to use terminator-like sensors to scan for targets across the reels (similar to those we see when Arnie surveys a target). This cool attribute essentially enables you to take on Schwarzenegger’s iconic role,- an opportunity many a fan will relish. Hopefully the slot game will continue in popularity and make its way into your local bar full of gnarly bikers.
If however, you would much prefer to take on the role of John Connor; then the 2009 Terminator Salvation is the perfect go-to-game for you, which is probably part of the reason it is still being played now. The third person shooter focuses on the Resistance and their retreat after they fail to beat the oncoming horde of machines. It is a fairly simplistic game when it comes to the user interface, with a lot of the gameplay being focused on shooting and ducking for cover; elements that fans of the GOW/COD series with recognize. That being said, it has quite an immersive storyline which pushes you further into the terrors of humans vs skynet in order to save humanity from the machine ravaged future. It is by no means the greatest game within the series, but it does offer a different dynamic to its online equivalents that facilitates new interactions with the franchise. Still to this day Terminator Salvation has the best graphics in a Terminator Videogame though it is also one of the shortest,- but compared to the nightmare of T1/T2 on the NES it definitely has more to offer fans. We must thank Terminator Salvation for at least offering fans a console game, and if Grin Studios had not collapsed in the whole bankruptcy issue then the plan was indeed to have a set of games to follow the originally planned Christian Bale Trilogy that would have inevitably featured Arnold Schwarzenegger in subsequent sequels.
If a mobile game is what you’re looking for and you fancy playing as ‘Guardian’ instead of a Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) then Glu mobiles Terminator Genisys: Revolution game went through a a major re-branding with an updated inclusion of Arnold as a playable character, the game is now called Terminator Genisys: Guardian. If you need a console game with more Arnold meat; then we always suggest T3: The Redemption, yes the film was lacking but you get to be Arnold in the game and it puts the movie to shame in terms of scope, ideas and atmosphere albeit with some dodgy Arnold impersonations for the cut scenes.