Why has there never been a proper terminator game?

[Inhuman One]

Whenever I watch something to do with the terminator (never watched the new movies, third one wasnt too great and never bothered with anything after that.) I keep thinking that all the ingredients for a really good videogame are there.


First of all, it would be a really interesting damage model to use.. something really advanced could be done with this for when a terminator gets damaged. Only stuff that would destroy human flesh should cause the robot underneath to become appearant though.. from bullets just bits and pieces could be revealed. When damaged, some improvised repairs could be made. You start with nothing and need to obtain weapons and clothes.
When getting really damaged, it could also become impossible to blend in once its clear to see you are not human.

For the game it could be about more than assasinating people though.. something greater could be at work here and assasinations could only be a part of it. You'd need to look through various sources of info to find the target.

For multiplayer, each player could be their own terminator. There could be various ways to modify yourself with different abilities, but there would be a limit to it.. you'd get a set amount of points to assign. New powers could be unlocked through play, but the amount of points to spend should stay the same for balance reasons.. simply providing more options to someone who unlocks everything without becomeing overpowered.

But there could also be special gamemodes where one player is the terminator, and everyone else is human. Maybe more than one terminator, could depend on the amount of players for balance reasons.
For this mode, one player would be the assasination target but they wouldnt know which one of them. The one thats the target could be locked on by the terminator(s), seeing the target on the radar at all times. The humans would need to work together to take down the terminators.

Mostly regular weapons could be used for this.. pistols, rifles, snipers, shotguns, etc. They would need to be found at the usual places.
But it doesnt end here.. aside from the players, there are also civilians on the selected map.. the maps could usually be a city district, a town or other larger region. And there would also be an active police force that will act accordingly and serves as a third party. Human or terminator, if you are quite openly robbing a gunstore, the police will come after you.


So basicly each player would have two multiplayer characters.. a human and a terminator.
All physical features could be customised just the same since both look human. For terminators whats underneath could differ in appearance based on their upgrades.

[Comrade_Rory]

(never watched the new movies, third one wasnt too great and never bothered with anything after that.)

Although they will never be the first two, especially not Judgement Day, which is one of the best movies of all time... Terminator: Salvation is quite literally the salvation of Terminator series after the third one almost destroyed it.
A lot of people instantly decided they didn't like it but it was made with love of the originals and I really loved it.
There's little things in it like John Connor gets a cut on his face and if you go back to the second movie, it matches a scar on John Connor's face.

But yeah, I'd love a proper Terminator game. There's lots of potential.

[TheDarkKnight]

I have always thought that Terminator is one of those things that a major studio should really consider picking up and making a decent game out of. It really does have everything already needed for a successful game; a decent overall story, decent characters, a post apocalyptic setting...and most of all, it already has a fan base. A well made game would be absolutely eaten up by fans.

I have the Terminator Salvation game. It's okay, nothing special. Just really repetitive.

[Ciciro]

Unless it is set in the future and you play as Arnold, I would not be too excited for any game.

[TheDarkKnight]

Unless it is set in the future and you play as Arnold, I would not be too excited for any game.

But in the future, as Arnold, you would be killing the resistance. Not much of a fight.

At least with fighting as a resistance fighter you have the underdog story.

[Ciciro]

But in the future, as Arnold, you would be killing the resistance. Not much of a fight.

At least with fighting as a resistance fighter you have the underdog story.

I mean you play as a reprogrammed terminator. Then it would make a bit of sense to send you to go fight a bunch of robots.

[Ishan]

Huge fan of Terminator Story and loved the second movie. Can't even remember how many countless times i have watched the second one, it never gets old. So a video game series on it definitely has potential imo.

Although they will never be the first two, especially not Judgement Day, which is one of the best movies of all time... Terminator: Salvation is quite literally the salvation of Terminator series after the third one almost destroyed it.

Are you talking about the christian bale as John one & the other guy that is terminator? Loved that movie.

But in the future, as Arnold, you would be killing the resistance. Not much of a fight.

At least with fighting as a resistance fighter you have the underdog story.

Yeah fighting as resistance can be very challenging, where everything can even be made tactical in the game in order to accomplish goals.

I mean you play as a reprogrammed terminator. Then it would make a bit of sense to send you to go fight a bunch of robots.

Could be set for the part 2. I think for part 1 a solid base should be set in front of the T fans which i think is better with the resistance thingy.

[Inhuman One]

I think a modern day setting might fit the game better, to have that "terminators trying to blend in" thing going on. In the future it might just become yet another sci fi shooter.

Even better might be to have it take place in the late eighties to really catch the vibe of the first two movies, and not have all modern tech available like internet, cellphones and such. I mean the eighties where the high point of action movies pretty much. it may just help push that feeling that you are an action hero further.

This way the game could practicly take on proportions of GTA somewhat.. I mean they could create two cities and some villages for this. I bet the next gen consoles should be able to handle two cities. Would give a destination for airports, allowing flights to take place back and forth and also ships.
Imagine fleeing from a terminator by airplane, and discovering its on board with you. Better have a parachute ready..
But yes through the sheer scope and atmosphere, the setting could really come alive. Still it would be quite different from GTA though, if only because its a lot about simply surviving and not making money.

Maybe for singleplayer, there could be two stories to choose from.. one as a human man or woman who gets hunted by terminators, and one as a terminator. As the terminator, you could be a reprogrammed good terminator who has to fight off multible other terminators. Not too many though, just a few powerfull ones.. all the familiar ones could make an appearance here.

[irontaino]

It'd be cool to have some missions in the future, like maybe the tutorial level would be the Terminator's first test after reprogramming and the first few levels would be out on the field helping humanity. It should be independent of the movies.

[The Despondent Mind]

Video game based on movie "industry" is broken. It's like people who make those games never actually played a game, don't know any successful franchises and what makes them so. It's like they don't really want to succeed and earn money.

[the_mango55]

Although they will never be the first two, especially not Judgement Day, which is one of the best movies of all time... Terminator: Salvation is quite literally the salvation of Terminator series after the third one almost destroyed it.
A lot of people instantly decided they didn't like it but it was made with love of the originals and I really loved it.
There's little things in it like John Connor gets a cut on his face and if you go back to the second movie, it matches a scar on John Connor's face.

But yeah, I'd love a proper Terminator game. There's lots of potential.

I found Salvation to be unbelievably boring. I never made it all the way through. Love Terminator 1&2 though. Watched probably 3 episodes of the Sarah Connor Chronicles and that was ok.

[Gaidin]

I think a modern day setting might fit the game better, to have that "terminators trying to blend in" thing going on. In the future it might just become yet another sci fi shooter.

Eh, a post-apocalyptic shooter that actually did it right? I'd take it. Also, ballsy enough to not end on a happy note. Yes.

I mean, I've got both Borderlands games. Do those in a dark tone and graphic with the Terminator and future story...

[Kanaric]

Movie franchise games are all fairly bad so Terminator isn't alone in this.

There was a good terminator game years ago in the 90s i recall.

[Inhuman One]

Well there are some good movie games... at times it is realised that great things can be done with it when games are not set to be released at the same time of the movie and practicly letting the player repeat everything from the movie and adding some needless fluff.. like hordes of enemies where there where not any.. or giving the most minor of thugs in the movies an entire gang suddenly and the thug becomeing a boss.

But yes, there are several great star wars games around. Some good lord of the rings games as well... I gues some superhero games are good too but the good ones dont seem connected to any movie.

Alternatively perhaps some film studios could work together with videogames for special DLC packages, for a suitable game of course!
A terminator cheat DLC for GTAV would be pretty epic.. activating it would allow the three heroes to be terminators, being a lot tougher and getting damaged realisticly where they are hit.. being able to take normal bullets without issue. But the cops could be getting more stuff as well with another seperate cheat.. to keep it challenging.
And yet another cheat could unleash enemy terminators.
This way you could either be a terminator yourself, fight terminators, or fight increased police difficulties, or all of this at once!

In a similar fasion, a game like X-Com seems perfect to feature familiar aliens as DLC. the ALIEN and the Predator seem perfect. Your squad mates could get a face hugger attached during a mission, and there could be some time to remove it at the base before the alien bursts from their chest. The Predator creature could be a really strong enemy that hunts your squad in a forest. Practicly a suicide mission.

Or maybe something a bit more self referential.. I mean they could give mortal kombat X a stage that looks like a movie location, some outfits for the characters that where in it, and play that well known MK tune of the movie on that stage.

Some stuff like this has happened after all.. I mean Freddy Krueger appeared in mortal kombat and seemed to fit right in.

[Captain Jin]

I liked Salvation but I think they went the wrong way with it. It was okay, but it was sort of meh. In my opinion they should have gone with a young Kyle Reese as the focal point. And instead of John Connor being the main protagonist he should have only been in it for bits and pieces, maintaining that sort of mythical quality he had where we know he's the savior but we never get to really see why.

Seeing Kyle go from young, innocent kid trying to make in that world to a bad ass soldier would have been a pretty good story for a movie or a game.

[The Despondent Mind]

I liked Salvation but I think they went the wrong way with it. It was okay, but it was sort of meh. In my opinion they should have gone with a young Kyle Reese as the focal point. And instead of John Connor being the main protagonist he should have only been in it for bits and pieces, maintaining that sort of mythical quality he had where we know he's the savior but we never get to really see why.

Seeing Kyle go from young, innocent kid trying to make in that world to a bad ass soldier would have been a pretty good story for a movie or a game.

That's the problem, a Terminator movie should be nothing less but one of those movies that just blow you away from the seat.

I agree that a small spin off like movie, in where we see Kyle Reese "grow" would be way interesting, with John C. barely being shown.

[Gaidin]

Movie franchise games are all fairly bad so Terminator isn't alone in this.

There was a good terminator game years ago in the 90s i recall.

Arcade games with two guns to shoot at the screen with don't count.

[saxdude]

All I want is a good predator game. I can sort of see what your going with but I dont feel it would make for much too interesting gameplay.