A little rough around the edges, but incredibly earnest and a gratifying experience for a fan of Terminator and Terminator 2.

The devs clearly have an immense affection for the Terminator setting, because it shines through in every inch of this game. From the soundtrack inspired by Brad Fiedel's best work on T1 and T2, the faithfully punchy noise of the plasma weapons, all the way to the detailed reconstruction of the various machines of war that Skynet brings to bear. Bringing elements from the first two movies (The T-800, and HK's both Tank and Aerial variety) and blending them seamlessly with choice elements from Terminator Salvation which fit, while crafting some of their own in order to provide a realistic scaling of challenge.

On the topic of scaling, at the beginning, a T-800 is a terrifying, insurmountable threat, as they should be. Your weapons won't even damage them, and your only option is to hide or run. This makes it all the more gratifying once you've managed to get a plasma rifle which can hurt them.

The story can't really be talked about without spoiling it, and I think it's best to go in blind. However, the story manages to be a great fit for the Terminator universe without leaning on any familiar crutches by making the Connor bloodline central to the plot. It's corny, but it's corny in the right ways. The supporting cast are likeable and the dialogue is surprisingly not bad.

All in all, I think the game was a good length at 15 hours long, which allowed completion of all side quests. The pacing was tight, and the progression felt good. I can easily recommend this to anyone who felt that the more recent Terminator movies were missing an exploration of the future war setting that was aesthetically faithful to the first two movies.