Terminator: Resistance Enhanced Review – A Clunky Yet Endearing Shooter

The Terminator franchise has not always had the best of luck with video game adaptations. Aside from the long-forgotten Bethesda games of the mid-1990s, the beloved movie series has had a mediocre run of platformers and shooters over the years. Terminator: Resistance from developer Teyon did not exactly turn this around – at least in the eyes of critics – but the title gets another chance via updated PS5 version Terminator: Resistance Enhanced.

Initially released in 2019, Terminator: Resistance is a first-person shooter with RPG elements set in the future war setting of the Terminator franchise. The player takes on the role of Jacob Rivers, a Resistance solder who becomes embroiled in some of the most important moments of the fight against SkyNET. The game found a home with Terminator fans on launch, thanks to its fan service and dedication to the source material.

The enhanced version does make some improvements, particularly on a technical front. This PS5 upgrade runs smoother than the PS4 original, with the most noticeable improvement found in the game’s fast load times. Visually, there are some tweaks here and there, although it still feels like a mid-budget game from the last generation rather than a true current-gen title.

In particular Terminator: Resistance Enhanced‘s enemies look better. Seeing the T-800 models walk through fire to attack, or catching a glimpse of their shadow on the wall as they lumber forward at that unnerving, slow pace, is enough to make a player pause for thought before attacking. It’s not perfect by any means, as to be expected from a game that was reported to have a comparatively small budget, but it matches the tone of the Terminator series well.

The friendly character models, however, are still a bit of an issue. Terminator lore dictates that early Terminator models had synthetic latex skin, and it would hardly be a surprise to have a plot twist that names the entire cast as these infiltrators given their rubbery, Oblivion-esque appearance. There are also some wider technical issues, with odd visual glitching here and there and one level in Hollywood Hills that suffered a major audio dropout in this playthrough, which isn’t exactly useful given the multitude of dangers around the player character at all times.

Aside from the technical aspect, Terminator: Resistance Enhanced has some other improvements. Infiltrator Mode is a fun diversion that puts the player on the other side of the battlefront for a while, and provides a bit of extra fun for the player when they are done with the core campaign. The game also has DualSense support for haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, but in execution this is relatively basic given the opportunities the new controller provides.

Aside from this, Terminator: Resistance Enhanced is the same clunky but heartfelt game it was two years ago. It feels like a worse version of Fallout with elements of STALKER thrown in thanks to its hybrid of a linear and open world experience, with an occasional requirement for smart, stealthy play. Movement is a little awkward, combat is still rather good fun, and the same stilted dialogue and character idiosyncrasies remain, such as its bizarre inclusion of romance options, or why a tech expert in the grim future insists on wearing a pristine lab coat when out on a recon mission.

However, the game does get the Terminator atmosphere right, matching the dark future of the franchise excellently. The T-800s are as foreboding as they should be in earlier levels, before the player gets access to plasma weaponry and they become less of a threat. There are lots of Easter Eggs for fans of the series too, such as original film music playing over old boomboxes, or choosing to name a puppy Wolfie or Max in a nod to Terminator 2. It’s a game that loves the series on which it’s based, which can’t always be said for video game adaptations – even if it can’t compete with the overall quality of standout examples like Alien: Isolation.

Terminator: Resistance Enhanced still isn’t for everyone, since it’s far from the smooth experience that FPS fans have come to expect even with the technical updates for its PS5 release. Nonetheless, it’s a game that understands the Terminator franchise, and the heart behind its creation shines through in spite of its limitations.

Terminator: Resistance Enhanced releases on 30 April 2021 for PS5. Screen Rant was provided with a PS5 download code for the purposes of this review.

About The Author

Rob Gordon
(637 Articles Published)

Rob Gordon is a writer and musician from Brighton, United Kingdom. A Creative Writing Masters graduate from the University of Exeter, Rob has his roots in fiction writing but also has extensive experience writing about video games and the video game industry. As well as this, Rob is at home with a focus on film and television, particularly when it comes to the realms of horror. Alongside his writing, Rob plays in two UK-based musical acts, the electro-pop band Palomino Club and rock band Titans & Kings, and also lends his vocal talents to the Big Boys Don’t Cry podcast, which reviews and discusses romantic comedies. The bands and the podcast can be found on all good digital distribution platforms, and Rob can also be found on Twitter.

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