Terminator 2D: No Fate for Review – Retro Action, Modern Heart

Terminator 2D: No Fate for Review

One of the greatest action movies of all time, Terminator 2 is revered as a masterpiece by film fanatics around the world. Its perfect pacing, iconic set pieces, and unforgettable characters helped cement its place in the annals of cinema history. While it remains an undisputed classic on the silver screen, the franchise has struggled to capture that same success in the interactive medium. Bitmap Bureau aims to change that by revisiting the landmark film and developing a game in the style of its era. Will this adaptation finally capture the intensity of Judgment Day, or is the perfect Terminator game still a future that can’t be changed?

Terminator 2D: No Fate is a retelling of the film, focusing on key moments that are translated into levels based on their cinematic counterparts. While the game sticks closely to the original narrative for these segments, it also branches out with additional, entirely new sequences set in both the future and the past. An alternate path system lets you make choices at a couple of pivotal moments, changing or adding scenes depending on your decision. Although its presentation and storytelling feel conventional, very much in line with games of the ‘90s, there’s something surprisingly resonant about its execution. The double dose of nostalgia pulls you in and keeps you hooked throughout its short runtime.

The Future is Not Set

The gameplay is reminiscent of run-and-gun titles of the era, requiring you to duck and jump out of the way of projectiles while unleashing a constant stream of bullets. While it sticks to conventions, it also expands on aspects, adding a cover system that allows you to hide behind a wall before popping out to fire at your opponent. The mechanic is a great addition to the genre, helping add another layer to combat.

Bitmap Bureau alters the gameplay throughout to make each level distinct. While it’s a shooter at its core, certain events from the film adopt different sub-genres, ensuring each moment stands out. For example, the famous scene in Pescadero State Hospital, where Sarah attempts to escape while the T-1000 pursues, shifts from a run-and-gunner to a stealth-oriented action sequence. Rather than shoot everything in sight, you must hide in cupboards, wait for guards to turn their backs, then move in and take them out. While the stealth mechanics are rudimentary, they suit the arcade style and effectively translate an iconic cinematic moment into gameplay. This variety continues throughout, as the game shifts to gallery-based shootouts, epic chase sequences, and even a side-scrolling beat-’em-up segment.

Boss battles culminate most levels, presenting large foes with deadly attacks that require tactical combat. Because the game clearly signals attacks, the fights feel fair and demand that you move quickly while staying focused with your weapon. As most of these segments lie outside the film’s narrative, it would have been nice to see more creativity with these sections. Most are quite basic, reminiscent of battles from other games of the genre.

Choose Your Weapon

Story Mode is the full experience with varying difficulty levels. The easy option has unlimited continues, whereas others have a limited number and collectables to expand on these. In addition, enemies deal more damage as you progress, and the game introduces time limits on levels. The normal difficulty provides a suitable challenge, whereas the harder options are perfect for veterans of the genre. Arcade Mode lets you fight your war through to earn the highest score, whereas Infinite Mode is the ultimate test of endurance, seeing how long you can fend off against an endless horde. Throw in a Boss Rush mode and a speedrunning challenge, and there are plenty of variations of the game to keep you engaged for hours on end.

The overall presentation is wonderful and will resonate with gamers from that era. Each character model captures its likeness through a 16-bit design, and this ethos carries through the levels and set pieces, translating the whole experience into the style in authentic ways. The iconic theme also returns, cleverly reworked with a refrain that helps capture the film’s tone and atmosphere in a way that will resonate with fans. While the developers commit to this retro approach well, it also extends to the protagonist’s movement. Although not bad, the animations feel a little stiff and perhaps too faithful to games of that era.

Hasta la vista, baby

Terminator 2D: No Fate is a faithful reimagining of a classic, recast as a 90s-style 2D action game. While it captures iconic moments and adapts them naturally to the genre, Bitmap Bureau also introduces original segments that add to the narrative. The team adjusts the gameplay to suit each scenario, creating an experience that effectively mirrors its cinematic counterpart. Although the runtime is short and the movement feels a little too close to games of that era, the range of options available provides plenty of incentive to revisit the game. The result is a strong package and a heartfelt ode to a bygone era.

***A PlayStation 5 code was provided by the publisher***