Terminator 2D: No Fate | PS5 Review

There’s no question that Terminator 2: Judgment Day is considered to be one of the best action movies of all time. It landed in an unhinged moment in pop culture where R-rated blockbusters were aggressively marketed to kids. We had the toys, the branding, the cartoons, and then came the wave of licensed pixelated fodder that hardly matched the quality of the franchises they represented.

Terminator 2D: No Fate, developed by Bitmap Bureau and published by Reef Entertainment, feels like a long overdue course correction from that era. Designed as a 16-bit style action arcade game, it presents itself as the T2 experience we should’ve had back in 1991. It faithfully captures the spirit of the film and plays like a recovered artifact from an alternate timeline, where licensed games weren’t just marketing obligations, but thoughtfully made products in their own right.

The Future Is Not Set

On the surface, Terminator 2D: No Fate closely follows the plot of the film. Depending on the adapted moment, you’ll play as the T-800, Sarah Connor, or an adult John Connor during the future war segments, with each character slotting naturally into the story’s progression. Alongside the film’s most iconic sequences, the game also includes additional levels built around moments that are only briefly mentioned in passing. The tutorial, for instance, depicts Sarah training a young John for the future he’s being groomed to survive. This is followed later by another original level depicting Sarah’s first failed attempt to destroy Cyberdyne, where she “tried blowing up a computer factory” as John puts it. These sequences don’t feel like padding, but like deliberate expansions of the film’s world. True to its 90s arcade design philosophy, the main story can be completed in just over an hour.

That short runtime is where No Fate begins to reveal its real ambition. Yes, it’s only over an hour long (which might sound alarming to modern gamers), but it’s entirely by design rather than a deficiency. After finishing the story in the way the film tells it, additional playthroughs open new paths that allow the player to deviate from canon in interesting and meaningful ways. It’s more than an interactive retelling of T2, it’s a game willing to engage directly with the film’s central tension between choice and fate, giving replayability real purpose rather than padding. It earns the title of “No Fate,” instead of simply “T2: The Better Video Game,” using its alternate paths to explore the what-ifs the filmmakers never considered, or dared to ask. Some of these deviations let you make decisions that could dramatically change events in the story. It gives players a clear sense of the power you have in shaping outcomes. Other game modes exist as well, such as Arcade Mode, which strips out the story entirely and delivers pure action on a single continue.

No Problemo

At its core, Terminator 2D: No Fate is a 2D side-scrolling arcade game, complete with a scoring system and traditional rank grades from S down to C. It fully commits to 90s arcade conventions and eschews the modern conveniences we’ve become accustomed to in the last couple decades. Players start with just three continues, and while more can be found, lose them all and it’s back to the beginning, no quarrel, welcome to the 90s, kid! Only kidding, you can select your difficulty, with Easy Mode giving you unlimited continues.

Each character brings a distinct playstyle that keeps the experience varied while staying firmly in the retro action lane. The T-800’s biker bar sequence plays like a classic beat ’em up. Sarah Connor’s segments lean into side-scrolling action shooter territory, with a stealth twist during the hospital escape. Adult John Connor’s future war missions are practically a love letter to Contra, a fast paced run ‘n’ gun complete with temporary power-ups for his plasma rifle (like spread shots, laser shots, and homing shots). Coupled with boss battles of various large Skynet bots that mirror the classic Konami style, the resemblance is uncanny.

This variety keeps the pacing tight and engaging, but it’s worth noting that the game is heavily weighted toward Sarah. Roughly two-thirds of playtime is spent in her segments, while John’s future war missions and the T-800’s biker bar scene make up the remaining third. For a Terminator game, direct control of the iconic T-800 is surprisingly limited.

There were also moments that felt like missed opportunities and would’ve made for fantastic playable levels as The Terminator. The hallway scene at the mall where the Terminator and T-1000 converge on John Connor. That iconic moment in the film would have been perfect for another beat ’em up segment. Or even make it a fighting game sequence, but instead, it’s relegated to a cutscene. While it’s only a minor letdown, it’s another example of not enough Terminator…in a Terminator game. Having said that, alternate playthroughs unlock additional moments as Arnold, giving fans more of the Terminator they’ve been waiting for, though it’s still not the main focus. Each segment remains distinct while adhering to the arcade-style design philosophy that drives the game’s flow, making Terminator 2D: No Fate feel like a carefully curated throwback rather than a one-note side scroller.

Judgment Day

Visually, Terminator 2D: No Fate looks like a cartridge pulled from an alternate 1991 where licensed games were allowed to cook. Bitmap Bureau put real effort into authenticity, securing the likenesses of Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, Eddie Furlong, Joe Morton, and even Michael Edwards as Future John Connor, grounding the game firmly in the film rather than knockoff territory. The one notable absence is Schwarzenegger, but the developers used some clever workarounds. In gameplay, the 16-bit sprite abstraction makes it a non-issue, but the cutscenes rely on obscured angles, partial endoskeleton damage, or just enough visual distinction to stay legally safe without breaking immersion or getting lawyers involved.

That attention to detail is on full display in the biker bar sequence. Instead of generic enemies, the developers went the extra mile where the brawlers are modeled after specific extras from the film. From the long-haired biker with sleeve tattoos who whacks the pool cue over the Terminator’s head to the unfortunate soul who gets thrown onto the grill, even background characters are distinct. Also, the bar owner finally steps in as a boss fight before surrendering his shotgun and sunglasses; everyone is here and accounted for. It’s an absurd level of specificity for a single stage, and one most developers simply wouldn’t bother with.

The audio presentation features the same level of obsession that defines the game’s visuals. The score features arrangements of the iconic Terminator 2 themes alongside original compositions that sound unmistakably T2-adjacent, using similar instrumentation and synth patches without feeling like direct lifts from Brad Fiedel’s work. The result captures the mechanical tension of the film while standing on its own merit.

Also, in a surprising move, the developers were able to flex a couple needle drop moments. Going back to the biker bar again as an example, as you enter the building Dwight Yoakam’s Guitars, Cadillacs plays on the jukebox. Then in a cheeky wink to the fans, if you slam an enemy (or yourself) into the jukebox, the song will change to George Thoroughgood’s Bad to the Bone. You’ll even be rewarded with an extra continue for your troubles. It’s a nice touch and a true nod to fans. It’s simultaneously able to remain faithful without being slavish, playful without feeling cheap, and nostalgic enough to enhance rather than distract. I keep using the biker bar level as an example to the game’s attention to detail, but it’s the moment from the film that allows the developers to go balls to the wall with winks and nods.

To Cameron, With Thanks

This game exists because James Cameron made a film that demanded it, but the marketing corpos of the time were satisfied with anything as long as it had “T2” branding; everything else was secondary. It may have taken 35 years, but we finally got an era-appropriate Terminator 2 game that kids of the day would have treasured, like we do with other licensed bangers such as GoldenEye 007. The developers at Bitmap Bureau are clearly fans of the property, and that matters, because it was made by people who care as much about the source material as the people who play it. Terminator 2D: No Fate doesn’t just retell the film; it embellishes, expands, and explores alternative paths that likely never crossed the minds of Jim Cameron and Bill Wisher when they wrote the script. 

The gameplay is fast, tight, and unapologetically 90s in its arcade design and challenge. Each character’s segment offers a distinct trial, keeping players engaged and primed. From the T-800’s beat ’em up brawls to Sarah’s side-scrolling shooter and stealth segments, and onto Future John’s Contra-inspired future war missions, the game keeps each moment distinct while maintaining a relentless, arcade-style rhythm. Those who know me well know I’m a physical media guy, but I compromised this time and went digital, as I look forward to the day I can snag it on a retro platform and truly hold what feels like a lost artifact from another timeline. I said it at the start and I’ll say it again: we should’ve had this back in ‘91.

This review is based on a purchased PlayStation 5 copy of Terminator 2D: No Fate. It is also available on PlayStation 4, Xbox, Switch, and PC via Steam and Epic Game Store.