"Terminator: Salvation" Review (PS3)

"Terminator." Is there a better science fiction franchise out there? Not in my book. Since the original flick when I was a mere tot, I've been wildly, madly in love with this series. And then came 2009's "Terminator: Salvation," which couldn't quite destroy the franchise despite a script that lacked common sense and failed to touch upon the humanity of the first two films (or even the third). Having said that, I was not excited about the video game adaptation that was forthcoming. But I suffered through those horrible games based on "Terminator 3" back in the day, so I figured, "What the hell? I'll give it a shot."

I was surprised. Why, you ask? Because despite its shortcomings, "Salvation" is a pretty damn decent action game. Hell, it's better than the movie upon which it's based (which I liked okay, for the record, but didn't love), as it serves as a sort of prequel pitting John Connor and company against an army of machines (what else?) as they try to pull off a near-impossible rescue of their comrades trapped behind enemy lines. The plot is simple and to the point, but just good enough to work for an action game. I'm just glad the devs didn't try to shoehorn the film's plot into the video game format, something that rarely if ever works.

Gameplay wise, this is a definite "Gears of War" clone. But hey, it's a good one. The controls are tight and well executed, the weapons do what they're supposed to do in a rather satisfying way, and, best of all, the tone of the films is presented quite well. And when I say films, I don't mean merely the latest installment -- the game manages to feel truer to its roots than that movie for many reasons. For one, it focuses, as it should, on the exploits of John Connor. More importantly, it captures the gritty desperation of a world in which the nuclear bombs have dropped and the last traces of humanity vie for control over a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles, fighting tooth and nail against the machines for dominance. As an added bonus, this longtime "Terminator" fan was thrilled that most of the game's soundtrack seemed truer to the scores in the original films rather than the bastardized music presented in parts 3 and 4.

Okay, sorry, I'm geeking out a bit too much. If you're not a "Terminator" fan to begin with, though, why even consider playing this game, or even reading this review? The point is, the game manages to feel like the source material, and that's no small fete when it comes to lisenced tie-ins.

The single player campaign can be played solo, or co-op with a friend (again, just like "Gears"). One major complaint that can be leveled against it is its lack of enemy variety. Too often you'll find yourself battling the same ole spider bots and Aerostadts (bee-like flying machines). Granted, the spiders at least force you to use some very interesting flanking tactics, as they can only be damaged by small arms fire if their backs are turned, but it would have been nice to see more T-600's (think Arnold with his skin flayed off). Also, while the T-600's certainly qualify as being hard to kill, it would have been nice if they absorbed even more damage before giving up the ghost (so to speak). After all, we all remember how hard these bastards were to bring down in the movies! But hey, I'm geeking out again, and that's just a nitpick.

For my money, the game's only serious flaw as a "Terminator" fanboy is its length -- which, I have to admit, is criminally short if you're intent on paying sixty bones (which I believe was the price point upon the game's initial release in the summer of '09.) Well, that and the fact that John Connor looks nothing like either actors Nick Stahl nor Christian Bale, and instead does for the character with that generic replacement of Matt Damon did for Jason Bourne in his most recent video game adaptation ("The Bourne Conspiracy"). But hey, we're just splitting hairs now.

The question is, are you a fan of the movies? Yes? Okay, so can you find a used copy of this game for about $25? Good. Do yourself a favor and buy it. Just don't expect the experience to last as long as it should have.

FINAL SCORE: 7.1 (Good)