Terminator 2D: NO FATE review — The iconic film receives its best adaptation yet

Terminator 2, arguably one of the best action movies ever created, has spawned its share of video games. While these releases have ranged from mediocre to decent, with the most notable release being the notorious quarter-munching T2 light gun arcade, there has yet to be a definitive video game adaptation that captured the magic of the film. Enter Terminator 2D: NO FATE, which, while not without its faults, is crafted with such obvious reverence for its source material and for retro action games that it easily takes the throne for best Terminator 2 game adaptation yet. 

As a lifelong fan of the Terminator franchise, I couldn’t help but get an adrenaline rush the moment the title screen hit and I heard the iconic Terminator 2 Theme by Brad Fiedel blare through my speakers. What followed was an impressive side-scrolling run-and-gun action game, heavily inspired by retro SNES and Genesis classics, featuring well-made recreations of iconic scenes from the movie, along with new scenes meant to flesh out the story. Instead of going for a modern approach, NO FATE features highly detailed 2D sprites with surprisingly realistic movement, hearkening back to the 16-bit era. As I fought through one action-packed set-piece after another, I was struck by how great of a job Bitmap Bureau had done bringing this iconic film to life. From the impeccable recreation of memorable movie scenes, to the impressive remastered score comprising both the original tracks and new-compositions, every facet of NO FATE is a labor of love.

NO FATE allows players to take the reins of the most badass woman in action film history, Sarah Connor, along with John Connor both as a young boy and as a hardened resistance leader, and the T-800. Upon first playthrough, the Story Mode includes 12 levels which jump between the future resistance and Sarah’s exploits before being shoved into Pescadero State Hospital, before ultimately leading to many of the iconic scenes from the film. Interestingly, future playthroughs allow the player to make alternate choices during specific events, slightly altering the story and leading to additional levels.

Each character plays differently, with Sarah Connor normally utilizing only a handgun and melee weapon, but resistance hardened John Connor goes to war packing an arsenal straight out of Contra along with throwable bombs. The T-800 scenes shift depending on the situation, with the iconic bar scene playing out more like a beat ‘em up, and later scenes allowing him to use shotguns and other high-caliber weapons.

At its core, NO FATE is a standard run-and-gun, just with an iconic license slapped on top of it. That isn’t really a knock though, as it is still a very competent action game, with a variety of levels, fun vehicle scenes, multiple adrenaline-fueled set pieces which have the player navigating enemies and traps while being chased by the T-1000, and quite a few bosses. 

Unfortunately, the story experience is over rather quickly, with a playthrough taking less time than it would to watch the movie, and the game is rarely challenging on normal difficulty. To offset this, there is quite a bit of replay value provided by the inclusion of additional modes, which unlock as you progress. Story mode is the default playthrough, and features 12 levels. After completing Story mode, additional choice options unlock, making your second and third story mode playthroughs feature new levels and break away from the narrative of the film. These alternate choice playthroughs are the true full version of the game, featuring 15 levels rather than the base 12, and includes some of the best set pieces of the game. Keep playing and eventually you’ll unlock the Arcade, Mother of the Future, Boss Rush, and Infinite modes as well.

Despite many of the modes featuring the same levels, they have different criteria to complete. The Arcade mode streamlines the experience by removing a few levels and opting to function more like a retro arcade release with no saves, extra lives, or continues.  Mother of the Future allows you to experience all of Sarah’s levels from start to finish as you race against the clock to survive. Boss Rush puts your skills to the test against an onslaught of the game’s bosses with no powerups, extra lives, or saves, while Infinite mode throws waves of enemies at you as you attempt to survive as long as possible. Each mode features a ranking system and a high score table, urging players to repeat modes to up their scores. If you happen to struggle on any level, there is a helpful training mode  which will allow you to hone your skills until you can obtain that coveted S level ranking.