MOBILE GAME REVIEW
Terminator SalvationNo need to Bale ('bail') out on this game |
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When you look back over the Terminator franchise, it's one of enormous highs and lows. The first movie was an outsider - made at a time when sci-fi had just peaked, and action was the way forward. The budget wasn't huge, but the premise was clever enough to carry the concept of man versus man-like machine into cult fandom.
But it wasn't until the long-awaited sequel that Terminator become a global phenomenon, and expectation for any future editions went through the roof.
Terminator Salvation looks set to fall into the same trap as Terminator 3, however, in which a clever plot is replaced by massive explosions and an uncapped special effects budget. So it was very interesting to see which direction the official Terminator Salvation mobile game would take.
I'm glad to see Gameloft hasn't attempted to cram something too adventurous into our mobile phones, opting instead for a good old fashioned, pick-up-and-play action game. Terminators run at you, so you shoot them down - simple and effective, just like the original movie.
There must have been a strong temptation to reproduce the film's plot, and to festoon the game with fancy ideas and flashy 3D visuals, and while Terminator Salvation can't be accused of being plain looking, neither does it sacrifice gameplay and speed for unnecessary graphical weight.
The bulk of the game is a simple matter of turning Terminators into scrap metal, and to be quite honest that's precisely what the whole franchise has been about - stopping these killing machines.
You follow John Connor through the pseudo-3D, post-apocalyptic world shooting most anything you meet by putting it between your crosshairs and hitting it with the biggest gun available.
A nice feature of the run 'n' gun action is the amount of cover provided by the debris of nuclear war as you chase down the T-800s and Hunter/Killers. This busy environment keeps you alive a lot longer than you'd manage otherwise, though it's destructible enough that you also need to remain light on your feet and never stop moving.
Once inside, however, the game switches to something of a platformer. It has a different flavour, being viewed from the side rather than over the shoulder, and the change of pace is quite welcome.
You'll also get behind the wheel of a couple of different futuristic vehicles, although this boils down to being the same as the third person shooter only without having to worry about movement controls.
Where Terminator Salvation falters is in the difficulty level. On the one hand, the small amount of auto aiming - in which your aiming reticle snaps to a target when you get it in close proximity - means the game can pack in faster, more hectic action than a mobile game would normally allow, but it also makes it much easier and more of a button masher.
But for a movie license, Terminator Salvation has survived the genre's usual litany of diseases admirably, and, while it won't boast a great deal of longevity, anyone standing in the overnight queue to see the film on its opening night will find it a great way to pass the time.
Terminator Salvation |
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Although you probably won't be back, Terminator Salvation is a well-crafted shooter that doesn't pander to the film studios. The action is solid, though a little one-dimensional, but breaks up the monotony quite admirably thanks to the occasional change of pace
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Jason | 18 May 2009
Just out of curiosity, this is a review of the 3D version of the mobile game? And it was reviewed on an N81?
I ask this because I downloaded the 3D version of the game and it lags a lot on my N85, and some have suggested that the 3D version is exclusive to higher-end Sony Ericsson phones.
Thanks for your input and great review.
Joined:
May 2007
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All eyes on you here Spanner...
dick | 4 June 2009
worggg will totally thrash you
worggg.mybrute.com
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