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Terminator Salvation (video game)
Encyclopedia
Terminator Salvation is a third-person shooter
action
video game, released on May 19, 2009 to coincide with the release of the film of the same name
on the same week. It is developed by the Halcyon Company's gaming subsidiary, Halcyon Games, along with GRIN
and published by Equity Games and Evolved Games. The game was released for Microsoft Windows
, PlayStation 3
, Xbox 360
, mobile
and iOS. The game takes approximately four hours to complete and has no extra features other than the ability to change the difficulty levels. The "cutscenes" are in-game renders. All of the main information is presented through the musings of the protagonist's squad and the radio calls they periodically make.
Set in 2016 in Los Angeles
, it is an interquel that takes place between the events of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
and Terminator Salvation
and follows John Connor
(Gideon Emery
), and his team, consisting of Angie Salter (Rose McGowan
), Barnes (Common) and Blair Williams (Moon Bloodgood
). However, Christian Bale
refused to lend his voice and likeness for the game. Rose McGowan is in the game as well, voicing the game-exclusive character Angie Salter, who is an ex-high school teacher. On the other hand, Common and Moon Bloodgood are voicing their own characters from the film (Barnes and Blair, respectively).
as well as new enemies specifically designed for the game.
The game features a campaign that can be played alone or cooperatively with one other local player via split-screen. The co-op version of the game enables players to play as both John Connor and his teammate Blair Williams.
The game employs a cover and movement system not unlike those featured in Gears of War
and Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
, wherein the player can quickly choose to dodge between different forms of cover, coming out only to fire shots at enemies. Staying in cover is advantageous, as the player only regenerates health when they have not received damage for a certain amount of time (as in the Halo
and Call of Duty
games). Although players initially are only equipped with an M4 carbine
, other weapons such as the RPG-7
and M79 grenade launcher
, Remington 870
shotgun, and M249 SAW as well as various types of grenades (Flash and fragmentation) are acquired throughout the game. Enemy A.I. is relatively strong, both keeping track of the player's location realistically (that is, not omniscient but using sight and sound to locate the player) as well as actively pursing and flanking them when cover is sought by the player.
The three continue to go to Skynet while defending themselves. They decide to go to a tower so they can observe Skynet patrols so as to plan a route to rescue Weston. They encounter T-600s with rubber skin, which the trio destroy. Connor warns the other two about the T-850, which has real, vat-grown skin. They reach the tower, where they encounter a Hunter-Killer, but Connor, Williams and Angie manage to destroy it. There are too many machines on a nearby street that they planned to go down, so the three decide to go to Union Station at the subway, following all tracks to Skynet.
They traverse their way to a hidden survivalist camp. The survivalists seem to, at first, not trust them (because of the T-600s with skin), but they manage to gain their trust. They say they have not encountered Skynet for a long time. They go their separate ways, but Warren says they can visit them anytime. Warren still has doubts of their plan, saying that they could not communicate as long as a Skynet communications tower still stands. Barnes joins the three, saying he's tired of running and wishes to join the Resistance.
Battling numerous machines to infiltrate the Skynet compound, an alarm is accidentally triggered when Connor steals important documents, Angie sacrifices herself so that Connor and the others can return to the surface.
Connor is fixing what appears to be a vehicle. He calls his base, saying he needs airpower to rescue Weston's team. Linda says it is going to be a problem, because of a harvester. "That won't be a problem," Connor says, because Connor reprogrammed a Hunter-Killer tank, and programmed it to go straight to Skynet. He does not have control of the guns, though.
They destroy four areas of turrets and machines. Connor, Williams and Barnes are joined by three men to deactivate the turrets and to find Weston's men. Warren and the others cover Connor by destroying as many machines as possible.
They traverse Skynet and destroy all machines that they encounter, until they find Weston and his men. Warren's men agree to escort them to the vehicles.
The four try to make it to the control room. Connor shuts down the machines for a few minutes, enough time to get them out of Skynet. The four attempt to escape Skynet before they destroy the base. With the four of them safe, they all return to their Resistance camp. Connor narrates, saying that he has gained faith by what he is about to create in the future, instead of the past.
executive, will head up Halcyon Games as acting CEO. The CEO revealed that Halcyon decided to develop the game internally rather than contract another studio to create the game.
Although a multiplayer mode was originally planned it was decidedly dropped to allow the game to be released on schedule. With Halcyon developments' VP Cos Lazouras stating "It is my opinion to do less better, than more but mediocre. We did get local co-op in which is incredibly cool."
reviewer Chris Watters rated it a 5 out of 10 citing the repetitive combat, mediocre visuals, short length, and that the lead actor of the movie, Christian Bale, did not do the voice acting for the game's John Connor. Hilary Goldstein of IGN
gave it a 6.3 out 10 for its passable visuals, good ally A.I.
, and complete lack of replay value. He also criticized it because Bale's voice was missing. In the video review, IGN didn't like Bale not voicing or the short game, but liked the enemy A.I. and the cover system. Justin Haywald, a reviewer for 1up.com, rated it a D+ noting the lackluster visuals, the repetitive combat, and bland plot. Will Herring, a reviewer for Gamepro, awarded the game 2 out of 5 stars for its "repetitive levels, incredibly frustrating health system, and mundane gameplay." X-play gave it a 2 out of 5.
It ended up getting very high rental revenue from its infamously easy 'trophies' and 'achievements' for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions.
Angry Joe of That Guy with the Glasses
and Blistered Thumbs gave the game a score of 2/10, blasting the game for its short length, severe lack of variety in enemies (wasps, spiders, and an occasional T-600; there are only four enemies throughout the entire game), and poor AI for both enemies and allies. He declared the game to be boring. During his review he showed footage from the game that demonstrates that enemies will stand in one single spot and shoot at walls rather than track the player as they flank around the enemy, and Joe described the player's AI allies as "useless." Joe also criticized the game's poor dialogue, voice acting, story, and cut-scenes.
Third-person shooter
Third-person shooter is a genre of 3D action games in which the player character is visible on-screen, and the gameplay consists primarily of shooting.-Definition:...
action
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
video game, released on May 19, 2009 to coincide with the release of the film of the same name
Terminator Salvation
Terminator Salvation is a 2009 American science fiction action film directed by McG and starring Christian Bale and Sam Worthington. The fourth installment in the Terminator series, the film is set in 2018 and focuses on the war between Skynet and humanity, with the human Resistance fighting...
on the same week. It is developed by the Halcyon Company's gaming subsidiary, Halcyon Games, along with GRIN
GRIN (company)
GRIN was a video game developer based in Stockholm, Sweden. Founded by Bo and Ulf Andersson in 1997, GRIN has worked on numerous titles for the PC, consoles and arcade.-History:...
and published by Equity Games and Evolved Games. The game was released for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, mobile
Mobile game
A mobile game is a video game played on a mobile phone, smartphone, PDA, tablet computer or portable media player. This does not include games played on handheld video game systems such as Nintendo DS or PlayStation Portable....
and iOS. The game takes approximately four hours to complete and has no extra features other than the ability to change the difficulty levels. The "cutscenes" are in-game renders. All of the main information is presented through the musings of the protagonist's squad and the radio calls they periodically make.
Set in 2016 in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, it is an interquel that takes place between the events of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, commonly abbreviated as T3, is a 2003 science fiction action film directed by Jonathan Mostow and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes and Kristanna Loken...
and Terminator Salvation
Terminator Salvation
Terminator Salvation is a 2009 American science fiction action film directed by McG and starring Christian Bale and Sam Worthington. The fourth installment in the Terminator series, the film is set in 2018 and focuses on the war between Skynet and humanity, with the human Resistance fighting...
and follows John Connor
John Connor
John Connor is a character appearing in the American science fiction Terminator franchise and he serves as the series main protagonist. Created by writer and director James Cameron, the character is first referred to in the 1984 film The Terminator and first appears portrayed by teenage actor...
(Gideon Emery
Gideon Emery
Gideon Emery is an English actor and voice actor, known for his stage work in South Africa and for providing voices in video games. He lives in Los Angeles.-Early life:...
), and his team, consisting of Angie Salter (Rose McGowan
Rose McGowan
Rose Arianna McGowan is an actress and singer. She is known for her role as Paige Matthews in The WB Television Network supernatural drama series Charmed. She played Ann-Margret alongside Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Elvis Presley in the CBS mini-series Elvis...
), Barnes (Common) and Blair Williams (Moon Bloodgood
Moon Bloodgood
Korinna Moon Bloodgood is an American actress and model. She starred as "Lt. Blair Williams" in the film Terminator Salvation alongside Christian Bale and Sam Worthington. Bloodgood previously starred in the films Eight Below and Pathfinder.-Early life:Bloodgood was born in Anaheim, California...
). However, Christian Bale
Christian Bale
Christian Charles Philip Bale is an English actor. Best known for his roles in American films, Bale has starred in both big budget Hollywood films and the smaller projects from independent producers and art houses....
refused to lend his voice and likeness for the game. Rose McGowan is in the game as well, voicing the game-exclusive character Angie Salter, who is an ex-high school teacher. On the other hand, Common and Moon Bloodgood are voicing their own characters from the film (Barnes and Blair, respectively).
Gameplay
Terminator Salvation is a third person shooter where the player needs to "constantly move, flank, cover and utilize their squad to progress." The player must battle Skynet enemies from the film of the same nameTerminator Salvation
Terminator Salvation is a 2009 American science fiction action film directed by McG and starring Christian Bale and Sam Worthington. The fourth installment in the Terminator series, the film is set in 2018 and focuses on the war between Skynet and humanity, with the human Resistance fighting...
as well as new enemies specifically designed for the game.
The game features a campaign that can be played alone or cooperatively with one other local player via split-screen. The co-op version of the game enables players to play as both John Connor and his teammate Blair Williams.
The game employs a cover and movement system not unlike those featured in Gears of War
Gears of War
Gears of War is a military science fiction third-person shooter video game developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios...
and Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway
On September 15, 2008, Ubisoft and Gearbox Software announced that the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game had gone gold. The Windows version went gold two days later. Playable demos on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Marketplace are available now....
, wherein the player can quickly choose to dodge between different forms of cover, coming out only to fire shots at enemies. Staying in cover is advantageous, as the player only regenerates health when they have not received damage for a certain amount of time (as in the Halo
Halo (series)
Halo is a multi-million dollar science fiction video game franchise created by Bungie and now managed by 343 Industries and owned by Microsoft Studios. The series centers on an interstellar war between humanity and a theocratic alliance of aliens known as the Covenant...
and Call of Duty
Call of Duty
Call of Duty is a first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision in 2003. It is the first game in a series with the same name. The game simulates the infantry and combined arms warfare of World War II. The game is based on the Quake III: Team Arena engine...
games). Although players initially are only equipped with an M4 carbine
M4 carbine
The M4 carbine is a family of firearms tracing its lineage back to earlier carbine versions of the M16, all based on the original AR-15 designed by Eugene Stoner and made by ArmaLite. It is a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2 assault rifle, with 80% parts commonality.It is a gas-operated,...
, other weapons such as the RPG-7
RPG-7
The RPG-7 is a widely-produced, portable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Originally the RPG-7 and its predecessor, the RPG-2, were designed by the Soviet Union, and now manufactured by the Bazalt company...
and M79 grenade launcher
M79 grenade launcher
The M79 grenade launcher is a single-shot, shoulder-fired, break-action grenade launcher that fires a 40x46mm grenade which used what the US Army called the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low, and first appeared during the Vietnam War...
, Remington 870
Remington 870
The Remington Model 870 is a U.S.-made pump-action shotgun manufactured by Remington Arms Company, Inc. It is widely used by the public for sport shooting, hunting, and self-defense. It is also commonly used by law enforcement and military organizations worldwide.-Development:The Remington 870 was...
shotgun, and M249 SAW as well as various types of grenades (Flash and fragmentation) are acquired throughout the game. Enemy A.I. is relatively strong, both keeping track of the player's location realistically (that is, not omniscient but using sight and sound to locate the player) as well as actively pursing and flanking them when cover is sought by the player.
Plot
The game begins with the war between humans and machines. John Connor reflects on the old days of preparing for the future battle, but is beginning to lose hope by the massive number of human losses.The three continue to go to Skynet while defending themselves. They decide to go to a tower so they can observe Skynet patrols so as to plan a route to rescue Weston. They encounter T-600s with rubber skin, which the trio destroy. Connor warns the other two about the T-850, which has real, vat-grown skin. They reach the tower, where they encounter a Hunter-Killer, but Connor, Williams and Angie manage to destroy it. There are too many machines on a nearby street that they planned to go down, so the three decide to go to Union Station at the subway, following all tracks to Skynet.
They traverse their way to a hidden survivalist camp. The survivalists seem to, at first, not trust them (because of the T-600s with skin), but they manage to gain their trust. They say they have not encountered Skynet for a long time. They go their separate ways, but Warren says they can visit them anytime. Warren still has doubts of their plan, saying that they could not communicate as long as a Skynet communications tower still stands. Barnes joins the three, saying he's tired of running and wishes to join the Resistance.
Battling numerous machines to infiltrate the Skynet compound, an alarm is accidentally triggered when Connor steals important documents, Angie sacrifices herself so that Connor and the others can return to the surface.
Connor is fixing what appears to be a vehicle. He calls his base, saying he needs airpower to rescue Weston's team. Linda says it is going to be a problem, because of a harvester. "That won't be a problem," Connor says, because Connor reprogrammed a Hunter-Killer tank, and programmed it to go straight to Skynet. He does not have control of the guns, though.
They destroy four areas of turrets and machines. Connor, Williams and Barnes are joined by three men to deactivate the turrets and to find Weston's men. Warren and the others cover Connor by destroying as many machines as possible.
They traverse Skynet and destroy all machines that they encounter, until they find Weston and his men. Warren's men agree to escort them to the vehicles.
The four try to make it to the control room. Connor shuts down the machines for a few minutes, enough time to get them out of Skynet. The four attempt to escape Skynet before they destroy the base. With the four of them safe, they all return to their Resistance camp. Connor narrates, saying that he has gained faith by what he is about to create in the future, instead of the past.
Development
The game was first announced on November 15, 2007, when the Halcyon Company also announced the formation of Halcyon Games, the video game arm of the studio. It had already been in development for several months at GRIN and Halcyon Games, long before filming took place. Peter Levin, a former DisneyThe Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
executive, will head up Halcyon Games as acting CEO. The CEO revealed that Halcyon decided to develop the game internally rather than contract another studio to create the game.
Although a multiplayer mode was originally planned it was decidedly dropped to allow the game to be released on schedule. With Halcyon developments' VP Cos Lazouras stating "It is my opinion to do less better, than more but mediocre. We did get local co-op in which is incredibly cool."
Voice actors
The complete cast is featured in the official site:- Gideon EmeryGideon EmeryGideon Emery is an English actor and voice actor, known for his stage work in South Africa and for providing voices in video games. He lives in Los Angeles.-Early life:...
as John ConnorJohn ConnorJohn Connor is a character appearing in the American science fiction Terminator franchise and he serves as the series main protagonist. Created by writer and director James Cameron, the character is first referred to in the 1984 film The Terminator and first appears portrayed by teenage actor...
- a soldier and future Resistance leader who was foretold of the war from his mother and previous encounters of Skynet's Terminators since childhood. - Moon BloodgoodMoon BloodgoodKorinna Moon Bloodgood is an American actress and model. She starred as "Lt. Blair Williams" in the film Terminator Salvation alongside Christian Bale and Sam Worthington. Bloodgood previously starred in the films Eight Below and Pathfinder.-Early life:Bloodgood was born in Anaheim, California...
as Blair Williams - Connor's ally and fellow soldier. - Rose McGowanRose McGowanRose Arianna McGowan is an actress and singer. She is known for her role as Paige Matthews in The WB Television Network supernatural drama series Charmed. She played Ann-Margret alongside Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Elvis Presley in the CBS mini-series Elvis...
as Angie Salter - A troubled soldier. She tends to not fight at first, but she will be a loyal teammate as the story progresses. - Common as Barnes - an underground survivalist who joins Connor's team.
- Sean Cory Cooper as David Weston - a Resistance soldier who Connor and Williams try to rescue from Skynet.
Reception
Terminator Salvation received mixed to negative reviews from critics. Game rankings gave the Xbox 360 version a 55.67%, the PS3 version a 51%, and the pc version a 50%. GameSpotGameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
reviewer Chris Watters rated it a 5 out of 10 citing the repetitive combat, mediocre visuals, short length, and that the lead actor of the movie, Christian Bale, did not do the voice acting for the game's John Connor. Hilary Goldstein of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave it a 6.3 out 10 for its passable visuals, good ally A.I.
A.i.
A.i. is a three-piece rock-electroclash band based from Los Angeles, California. The band consists of Nick Young , Zack Young , and Milen Kirov . In September 2007, A.i...
, and complete lack of replay value. He also criticized it because Bale's voice was missing. In the video review, IGN didn't like Bale not voicing or the short game, but liked the enemy A.I. and the cover system. Justin Haywald, a reviewer for 1up.com, rated it a D+ noting the lackluster visuals, the repetitive combat, and bland plot. Will Herring, a reviewer for Gamepro, awarded the game 2 out of 5 stars for its "repetitive levels, incredibly frustrating health system, and mundane gameplay." X-play gave it a 2 out of 5.
It ended up getting very high rental revenue from its infamously easy 'trophies' and 'achievements' for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions.
Angry Joe of That Guy with the Glasses
That Guy with the Glasses
That Guy with the Glasses is a website that mostly showcases satirical reviews of movies and video games. It primarily stars Chicago native Douglas Darien "Doug" Walker as "That Guy with the Glasses". The founder and administrator of the site is Michael Michaud, CEO of the parent company Channel...
and Blistered Thumbs gave the game a score of 2/10, blasting the game for its short length, severe lack of variety in enemies (wasps, spiders, and an occasional T-600; there are only four enemies throughout the entire game), and poor AI for both enemies and allies. He declared the game to be boring. During his review he showed footage from the game that demonstrates that enemies will stand in one single spot and shoot at walls rather than track the player as they flank around the enemy, and Joe described the player's AI allies as "useless." Joe also criticized the game's poor dialogue, voice acting, story, and cut-scenes.
External links
- Terminator Salvation at IGNIGNIGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...