When I first loaded up Terminator 2D No Fate on PS5, I’ll be honest — I braced myself for 90s nostalgia with a price tag. And yeah, it absolutely leans into that retro vibe. But what surprised me wasn’t just the pixel graphics or the big name slapped on the box — it was how often the game actually felt like a genuine labour of love rather than a quick cash-in tie-in.
Right from the start, you get thrown into classic arcade-style action — frantic shooting, sneaking, and scrambling to stay alive while the game throws waves of enemies at you. The pixel art is unmistakable: chunky, detailed, and full of character. It’s like someone took those old 16-bit games you remember fondly, breathed new life into them, and said, “Okay, now make this feel like Terminator 2.” And that approach mostly works.
The visuals aren’t shallow throwbacks either — they’ve got weight. Characters animate in a way that doesn’t feel stiff, enemies feel alive, and backgrounds pop with little details that make you pause now and then, even in the middle of a firefight. And while the game doesn’t aim for photorealism, you do recognise moments from the film, reimagined in this pixel form.
Gameplay and Modes — More Than Just a Short Run-and-Gun
It’s not just run-and-gun, either — Terminator 2D No Fate has actual variety tucked in. There’s a full Story Mode with multiple endings — they even shift based on your choices during key scenes, which is a neat twist I didn’t see coming.
You’ll control different characters too:
- Sarah Connor in tense infiltration and stealth-leaning missions
- John Connor leading full-on Future War encounters
- The T-800 packs serious firepower in more aggressive sections
Each of those plays a bit differently, so it doesn’t feel like you’re doing the exact same thing every level. You also have a handful of other modes — Arcade Mode for pure score chasing, Infinite Mode for endless chaos, Boss Rush, and specific challenge modes like Mother of the Future.
That variety helps, especially because the main campaign can be a quick ride if you just blast through it once — some folks clocked it in under an hour or so. But replaying with different choices, trying for better ranks, or tackling greater difficulties adds extra hours. It’s not an epic 20-hour marathon, but it does have layers if you choose to dig in.
On top of that, the game gives you branching options — so how you handle certain scenes affects what you see later. That’s a nice touch for a retro action title, and it gives it a bit more staying power than a simple linear arcade game.
Soundtrack and Audio — Hits the Right Vibes
The music deserves its own paragraph because it really helps set the mood here. It leans on familiar themes from Terminator 2 but isn’t just ripping them directly — tracks feel like they belong in the world, and they do a great job of keeping tension high without being overbearing.
Sound effects are chunky and satisfying — gunfire has punch, explosions feel like they hit hard, and the whole thing sounds better when you’ve got a decent headset on. There’s a rhythm to fights that the audio supports nicely.
It even manages little ambient moments where the music drops away, and you just hear mechanical hums or distant noises — a subtle thing, but it adds a surprising amount of atmosphere.
Performance and Presentation on PS5
On PS5, the experience is smooth. No weird hiccups, no janky load times, no frame drops that pull you out of the tension. When you’re deep in a firefight, and things are going nuts, that consistency matters. And it nails that part.
There’s also DualSense support, so vibrations and triggers give you a slightly meatier feel when you’re shooting or moving — nothing ground-breaking, but just enough to make it feel like more than a straight port.
The game even includes accessibility options, which a lot of older-style throwbacks ignore. That’s actually a cool modern touch in an otherwise old-school package.
Story, Branching Paths, and Nostalgia Factor
While most people come for the action, the way the story is laid out surprises you a bit. It doesn’t just retread the movie beat for beat — it throws in original moments and alternate routes that you unlock on subsequent playthroughs. There are literally different endings you can reach depending on the choices you make, which is cool in a game like this.
I won’t spoil specifics here, but those branching moments give you legitimate reasons to go back after finishing once. It’s not massive, but it’s enough to add a bit of meat beyond the initial one-and-done run.
And yes — faithful recreations of iconic scenes are here, from tense infiltration spots to all-out skirmishes against Skynet’s machines. They weave that nostalgia so you get that classic T2 feeling without it ever feeling cheap or shallow.
Reception and Community Feedback — Not All Sunshine
Okay, this part feels important, because not everyone loves Terminator 2D No Fate unconditionally — and that matters.
On Steam, user reviews reflect that split: a lot of players enjoy it and call it a fun blast of nostalgia, but some say it feels too short, and there’s debate about replay value versus price.
Reddit chatter mirrors this — some folks appreciate the retro charm and unique modes, others wish it had deeper mechanics or longer content. One major topic? Length. Many players noted that you can blast through the campaign in under a couple of hours if you’re not exploring every route.
None of this means the game is bad — it’s just not a 40-hour blockbuster by modern standards. Treat it like a tight, arcade-style experience with extra layers, and you’re less likely to feel short-changed.
Final Thoughts
So here’s where I land: Terminator 2D No Fate isn’t perfect. This isn’t a sprawling AAA epic with a huge budget. But it is a well-crafted, energetic tribute to one of the best action films ever made. It nails atmosphere, leans into solid arcade gameplay, supports multiple playstyles and modes, and gives you legitimate reasons to come back after the first run.
If you grew up with ’90s action games and still feel warm remembering them, you’ll likely get more out of Terminator 2D No Fate than the usual shooter drop. If you’re looking for a colossal modern epic, it’s probably not that, but what it does do, it does well. And it does it with a smile.
Terminator 2D No Fate Video Review
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The game was provided to us for the express purpose of reviewing.
The review was written by me and edited by my partner.
