Terminator 2D: No Fate review – brief-but-beautiful action platforming drenched in 90s nostalgia

Terminator 2D: No Fate’s story mode opens with a shot of a rolling stretch of tarmac, its yellow centre lines infinitely scrolling past at regular intervals as moody, industrial music plays out behind it. It’s a sight that should feel familiar to any fan of Terminator 2: Judgement Day, as it’s similar, but not identical, to the final scene of the movie’s theatrical release. The monologue that accompanies it is different too, delivered in the game by blocks of text rather than by Sarah Connor’s distinctive whispered voice from the film.

In the movie this scene neatly ties up the story with lessons learned, offering the viewer a hopeful glimpse at a better future. But at the beginning of No Fate a large chunk of exposition tells us of the horrors that await us during Judgement Day and beyond, setting up the events of the game that follows. Despite the differences, this feels incredibly authentic to the atmosphere of James Cameron’s juggernaut of an action movie, instantly tapping into a vein of T2 nostalgia, while at the same time being handled differently enough to give the game its own unique flavour too. That’s the Terminator 2D: No Fate experience in a nutshell really. It’s incredibly faithful to the source material, but it’s also not afraid to mix things up a bit or add in some unexpected alternatives in order to best serve the gameplay.

Bitmap Bureau’s Terminator 2D: No Fate isn’t just a love letter to one of the greatest movies ever made though, it’s also a tribute to 90s gaming, of Super Nintendo side-scrollers and arcade action games. People who lived through that era will immediately notice similarities between No Fate and the Contra/Probotector series as you run left to right, shooting enemies and occasionally jumping up or down onto different parts of the scenery, but other influences from the time are felt here too. The tutorial level, a brand new scene that doesn’t feature in the movie, opens with an homage to Double Dragon as John Connor is punched in the gut and then slung over the shoulder of a musclebound bad guy.

Later that same level, enemies lean out of windows and shoot down at Sarah and you, unable to shoot in any directions other than horizontal, vertical or diagonal, need to position her in just the right way to take them out – just like in the Robocop arcade and home computer games from the late 80s. There are side-on vehicle chase sequences where you need to watch the edges of the screen for oncoming obstacles a la Battletoad’s frustrating Turbo Tunnel level (although in No Fate it’s nowhere near as aggravating) and Double Dragon’s overpowered elbow smash also makes an appearance, albeit in the form of a backhand from Arnie during the game’s wonderful barfight level.

Bringing the comparisons back to Contra though, No Fate’s Future War levels where you play as a grizzled John Connor are heavily inspired by Konami’s action shooter series. Featuring a very familiar defensive wall boss, weapon pickups that grant things like split shot fire or homing plasma bolts and even a faux Mode 7 set piece where an HK Bomber flies at the screen and napalms the ground. These levels create fun flashbacks to games gone by, whilst also adding in a few simple extras that should satisfy those with more modern appetites, like being able to take cover behind walls or roll out of harm’s way. Once the heady buzz of a bunch of rememberberries wears off though, you’ll soon realise that these sections are the weakest parts of the package.

You see, No Fate is absolutely at its best when it’s trying something different. When it’s not being a simple Contra clone it’s taking scenes from the movie proper and turning them into playable moments that not only mirror the events of the film, but also add to them in interesting ways. The famous barfight where a naked Arnold asks for clothes, boots and a motorcycle is a good example, as the scene gets extended slightly and momentarily turns the game from a shooter to a beat-em-up, complete with a cheeky little juke box based musical Easter egg. Another highlight is Sarah’s escape attempt from Pescadaro Hospital, where she’s chased relentlessly by the T-1000. This level briefly turns No Fate into a stealth game which somehow manages to be incredibly tense and feature a jumpscare or two, even though it’s all presented in big chunky pixels.

And what pixels they are. No Fate’s retro aesthetics are gorgeous, marrying old school digitised film stills for cutscenes between levels, with stunningly animated sprites during the actual gameplay. Highlights of these include the way Sarah’s body swings from side to side due the momentum caused by jumping up and onto the rungs of a ladder, or the start of the aforementioned hospital escape level where the T-1000 kills and then copies the coffee-drinking hospital guard. Out of countless examples I could mention though, I think I love the way the T-1000 staggers backwards as Sarah shoots him with a shotgun the most.

The fluidity in the way that this character is animated embodies Robert Patrick’s cold, calculating performance from the films to a tee. It’s genuinely chilling to see him melt out of a wall in front of you in the Steel Mill level and then morph into that iconic cop disguise. It reminded me of that feeling of helplessness and dread that ran through my body the first time I watched the movie. So too with that stagger animation as Sarah unloads a shotgun into his chest, however this time the fear is replaced by a feeling of badassery, as his shoulder is hammered backwards by buckshot and silver pockmarks appear on his torso. Yes Sarah! You’ve got this! This game translates Judgment Day’s most epic moments into pixel form in such a perfect way that it’s a real shame that it’s all very short lived.

Obviously, as a 90s style side scrolling action shooter, brief levels and a short story are to be expected. There weren’t as many 90-hour-plus games back then as there are now, that’s for sure, but it is possible to smash through the entire Story mode in under an hour and have everything on the main menu unlocked in less than three. This design choice is accurate to old school arcade games that had to be completed in one sitting, mind, and just like back then there’s no option to save mid-game and continue on at a later date. The brevity of this experience is fine if you’re planning on doing multiple playthroughs, but if you’re a one and done kind of person you might feel a bit short changed when the credits roll.

There are a couple of incentives in here which are designed to encourage you to replay the game however. Aside from the four different difficulty levels or trying to best your previous times or scores there are also two alternate endings to aim for, a couple of extra levels to play through, a cheat menu that can be accessed by completing the game on the hardest setting and there are even modes like Boss Rush and Infinite Enemies to unlock, although it’s doubtful that these two will hold people’s attention for long. Arcade mode and the unlockable Mother of the Future modes add extra challenges by removing continues and shuffling the level orders a bit but they’re all still the same game deep down.

Thankfully each level includes a nice amount of variety in the form of its hazards, which keeps things pacy and interesting throughout. There’s a huge selection of metallic monstrosities to fight in the Future War levels, including Hunter Killers, Centurions and of course a couple of different types of Terminator, while in the levels set in 1995 to more traditional action platformer perils to avoid, like super hot steam vents, timed lasers and even some of those squishy squashy piston things. None of these obstacles are that tough to bypass, especially after you’ve been through each level a couple of times over and have memorised their layouts, but they are plentiful enough to cause some mild concern over the health and safety standards of the time. I’m not sure what Cyberdyne was thinking when its building was constructed, but flame-belching exhaust ports on staircases seem like a lawsuit waiting to happen if you ask me.

It’s obvious that Bitmap Bureau has a huge amount of love and respect for not only the source material but also the moment in time that Terminator 2: Judgement Day was released and this makes Terminator 2D: No Fate an absolute treat for gamers who grew up in the 90s. With sounds and visuals that will transport you back to when you watched the best bits of the movie for the first time and gameplay that will remind you of wired controllers and inserting coins and cartridges, No Fate itself is a little bit of a time machine. Although thankfully it’s not one that will send a naked man back in time to kill you. Despite a very short run time which may be offputting for some, I’ll be back for at least a couple more playthroughs before the year is out, so recommending it to you lot is no problemo at all.

A copy of Terminator 2D: No Fate was provided for this review by Reef Entertainment.