The Terminator: Dawn of Fate

Last updated
The Terminator: Dawn of Fate
The Terminator- Dawn of Fate.jpg
Official PlayStation 2 cover art
Developer(s) Paradigm Entertainment
Publisher(s) Infogrames [lower-alpha 1]
Designer(s) Craig Bolin
Composer(s) Bob Daspit
Series Terminator
Platform(s) PlayStation 2, Xbox
Release
  • NA: September 17, 2002
  • EU: October 25, 2002 [1]
Genre(s) Action
Mode(s) Single-player

The Terminator: Dawn of Fate is a 2002 video game developed by Paradigm Entertainment and published by Infogrames for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. It is based on the Terminator film series, serving as a prequel to the first two films.

Contents

The Terminator: Dawn of Fate received "mixed or average reviews" according to Metacritic. It was largely criticized for its preset camera angles and voice acting, although the music and sound effects were praised.

Gameplay

The Terminator: Dawn of Fate is a prequel to the first two films. It is set in the future during a post-apocalyptic war between humans and machines. John Connor leads the human resistance against the Terminator machines, which are led by Skynet. The game features three playable members of the resistance: Kyle Reese, Catherine Luna, and Justin Perry. The game ends with Kyle Reese being sent back in time to prevent a Terminator from killing John's mother, Sarah Connor, before he is born. The ending precedes the events depicted in the 1984 film The Terminator . [2] [3] [4] [5]

The Terminator: Dawn of Fate is a third-person shooter game. The camera angles are preset to fixed positions, and they change with each new area that the player enters. The player can also enter a first-person perspective for easier aiming, but cannot move while in this mode. The game features 10 levels, each one tasking the player with various mission objectives. The player can use a variety of weapons, including pistols, assault rifles, rocket launchers, canister bombs, C4 explosives, and a plasma baton. Gun turrets are also located throughout the game. The player can also engage in hand-to-hand combat, and an adrenaline boost can be activated for increased effectiveness of such attacks. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Development and release

The Terminator: Dawn of Fate was developed by Paradigm Entertainment and was published by Infogrames for the PlayStation 2 (PS2) and Xbox. The game was announced in January 2002, [6] [7] and was already six or seven months into development. [8] Infogrames devised the idea for a Terminator prequel game approximately one year prior to the game's announcement. [6] The future war setting was featured briefly in scenes from the first two films. [9]

The game supports various sound modes, including Dolby Pro Logic II. [9] [5] In March 2002, two songs were recorded for the game by industrial metal band Fear Factory. This would be the band's final work before temporarily breaking up that same month. [10] Songs include "Full Metal Contact," "Terminate," and "Hi-Tech Hate" from the albums Obsolete and "Digimortal".

The game was originally scheduled for release in May 2002, [5] [8] although it was delayed to allow for more fine-tuning. [5] Respectively, the PS2 and Xbox versions were later expected for release in June and August 2002. [11] In the United States, the game was ultimately released in September 2002. [12] [4] [13]

Reception

The Terminator: Dawn of Fate received "mixed or average reviews" according to Metacritic. [14] [15] Some critics believed that the game made a poor use of the Terminator license, [16] [18] [19] [5] while others believed the game would have appeal for Terminator fans. [2] [3] [20] GamePro wrote, "Between the killer license and a story line that leads right up to the first film, it was hard not to have high hopes for The Terminator: Dawn of Fate, but unfortunately, this game pummels those expectations into rubble." [3] Andrew Reiner of Game Informer stated that the game "wallows in mediocrity," calling it "another highly respected, licensed product that had the potential to thrive in the gaming world, but didn't receive the development treatment that it truly deserved." [18] Sam Kennedy of Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine wrote that the game "gets gradually better as you go, and it turns out to be a somewhat solid adventure." [25] Tom Ham of GameSpy opined that the game felt rushed. [4] Reviewers for Game Informer gave differing opinions on the quality of the game's storyline. [18] [19] Ryan MacDonald of GameSpot opined that the story "isn't especially compelling even for die-hard Terminator fans". [20] Some critics believed that the game adequately captured the atmosphere of the Terminator films. [16] [5] [4]

The gameplay received criticism from some reviewers who considered it repetitive. [16] [20] [9] [23] [5] Nick Valentino of GameZone complained of "seemingly never-ending Terminator hordes." [9] The artificial intelligence also received criticism. [16] [18] [19] [4] [25] The changing camera angles were largely criticized, with some reviewers stating that it caused in-game disorientation. [18] [19] [2] [3] [20] [4] [9] [23] [5] [25] [26] The targeting system received some criticism as well. [19] [2] Kristian Brogger of Game Informer stated that because of the changing camera perspectives, "Many times you'll find yourself firing at something you can't see, but which your targeting system has locked on to." [19] Kennedy stated that the camera angles "almost always lead to confusion—not to mention lots of walking into walls—and the targeting system is so haphazard that you never quite feel comfortable." [25] The controls were also criticized. [2] [3] [4] [26] Ham stated, "Just when you think you're walking in one direction, the camera switches angles and you have to switch the way you were holding the analog stick because now you're facing an alternate direction. In a combat situation, this can prove fatal." [4]

Some reviewers praised the graphics, [20] [5] while others considered them to be average. [19] [4] GamePro, in its review of the PS2 version, wrote that the graphics have "moments of brilliance with cinematic FMVs and well-rendered environments; however, sometimes the animation is a bit clumsy as figures seem to just glide across the screen." [2] Valentino, also reviewing the PS2 version, gave a mixed opinion of the graphics: "Characters, for instance, aren't rendered as well as the wonderful environments. Yet in the cut scenes, the graphics improve greatly. The background details are plentiful". [9] IGN complained that Kyle Reese "looks like his head is about to burst. Understandable that they couldn't get the rights to the likeness, but does that mean he can't even look human?" [24] Some praise went to the lighting effects. [20] [4] [5] Critics considered the graphics of the Xbox version to be somewhat superior to the PS2 version. [4] [23] [5] MacDonald believed that the Xbox version had better lighting effects, [20] and Ham believed it had a better framerate. [4] GameZone's Eduardo Zacarias believed that the Xbox version could have had better graphics, while stating that it was better-looking than its PS2 counterpart. [23]

The sound effects and music were praised, [2] [3] [20] [4] [9] [23] [5] although criticism went to the voice acting, which some critics perceived as over-dramatic. [2] [3] [20] [4] [9] [23] [5] However, GamePro considered the voice acting decent, [2] while Brogger disliked the sound. [19] Ham was critical of the "cheesy guitar music". [4] IGN considered the voice acting average. [5]

Notes

  1. ↑ Released under the Atari brand name

Related Research Articles

<i>Tom Clancys Splinter Cell</i> (video game) 2002 stealth video game

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is a 2002 stealth game developed by Ubi Soft Montreal and published by Ubi Soft. It is the first game in the Splinter Cell series. Endorsed by author Tom Clancy, it follows the activities of NSA black ops agent Sam Fisher. The game was inspired by both the Metal Gear series and games created by Looking Glass Studios, and was built using Unreal Engine 2.

<i>Driver 3</i> 2004 video game

Driver 3 is a 2004 action-adventure game, the third installment in the Driver series. It was developed by Reflections Interactive, published by Atari, and released on PlayStation 2, Xbox and mobile phones in June 2004, Microsoft Windows in March 2005, and Game Boy Advance in October 2005. The game's story focuses on players assuming the role of John Tanner, an undercover FBI agent, as he investigates a car-smuggling ring across three countries, in order to identify and arrest its boss and learn who they are planning to sell a cache of stolen cars to. The game expanded upon its predecessors with on-foot sections, gun combat, and drive-by shooting, with virtual recreations of three major cities - Miami, Nice, and Istanbul - free-roam game mode, and an improvement to the series' film-making "director mode".

<i>Burnout 2: Point of Impact</i> 2002 video game

Burnout 2: Point of Impact is a 2002 racing video game developed by Criterion Games and published by Acclaim Entertainment for PlayStation 2, GameCube and Xbox. It is the sequel to the 2001 video game Burnout and the second title in the Burnout series. It was the last Burnout game to be released on the GameCube and the series would not see a release on a Nintendo platform until the release of Burnout Legends in 2005. The game also marked Acclaim's last entry in the Burnout series, as Acclaim would go bankrupt in 2004; the rest of the series would be published by Electronic Arts.

<i>All-Star Baseball 2004</i> 2003 baseball video game

All Star Baseball 2004 is a baseball video game developed by Acclaim Studios Austin and Acclaim Studios Manchester and published by Acclaim Entertainment in 2003. It features Derek Jeter on the cover.

<i>Batman: Vengeance</i> 2001 video game

Batman: Vengeance is a 2001 action-adventure video game based on the fictional superhero of the same name. It was released for PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, GameCube, Xbox and Microsoft Windows. The game was developed and published by Ubi Soft in conjunction with Warner Bros. and DC Comics.

<i>Battle Engine Aquila</i> 2003 video game

Battle Engine Aquila is a 2003 video game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox developed by Lost Toys and published by Infogrames Europe. In the game the player pilots the Battle Engine for the Forseti military in their wars against the Muspell to decide who will rule what's left of the world. Battle Engine Aquila received little attention from the public despite overall good reviews from critics. It was listed as #86 in the Top 100 Games for PlayStation 2 by IGN. A later Microsoft Windows port was published by Encore Software.

<i>Stuntman</i> (video game) 2002 video game

Stuntman is the name of two action-adventure racing video games; one was developed by Reflections Interactive for the PlayStation 2, and the other by Velez & Dubail for the Game Boy Advance, with both being published by Infogrames under the Atari brand name. The games focus around the career of a motion-picture stuntman. It takes the player through various movies in which they perform dangerous stunts as called by the game.

<i>Superman: Shadow of Apokolips</i> 2002 video game

Superman: Shadow of Apokolips is a video game that was released in 2002 for the PlayStation 2 and GameCube consoles. It was developed by Infogrames Sheffield House, published by Infogrames under the Atari brand name, and released in conjunction with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Comics. It is based on the television series Superman: The Animated Series.

<i>SpyHunter</i> 2001 video game

SpyHunter is a vehicular combat game. It is a remake and sequel of the 1983 arcade game of the same name first released for PlayStation 2 in 2001. It has since been ported to GameCube, Xbox, Game Boy Advance, Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Tapwave Zodiac. In the game, the player drives the G-6155 Interceptor, an advanced, weaponized spy vehicle. Unlike the original's top-down view, the remake is played with a chase camera, similar to a racing game.

<i>Fire Blade</i> (video game) 2002 video game

Fire Blade is a flight simulation video game released in 2002 by Kuju Entertainment. In the game, the player takes control of an advanced helicopter gunship as a part of the Fire Blade task force, which in the arc of the game's story is responsible for fighting terrorism. The enemies of the game are the United Eastern States, who are believed to be building terrorist training camps and factories for weapons of mass destruction.

<i>MLB Slugfest 2003</i> 2002 video game

MLB Slugfest 2003 is a baseball video game published by Midway Sports in 2002. It is the first game in the MLB Slugfest series. Alex Rodriguez from the Texas Rangers is the cover athlete.

<i>Terminator 3: The Redemption</i> 2004 video game

Terminator 3: The Redemption is an action-adventure video game based on the 2003 film Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. It was developed by Paradigm Entertainment and published by Atari in 2004 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube. Terminator 3: The Redemption received "mixed or average" reviews according to Metacritic. It was praised for its graphics and was considered an improvement over an earlier game ; however, the gameplay was criticized as linear, repetitive and difficult.

<i>Transworld Surf</i> 2001 video game

Transworld Surf is a sports video game developed by Angel Studios and published by Infogrames The game was released for GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox between November 2001 and March 2003. The Xbox version of the game was the third game released under Infogrames' newly-revamped Atari label.

<i>NHL 2K7</i> 2006 video game

NHL 2K7 is an ice hockey video game made by 2K, and published on the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Xbox 360 consoles. It features San Jose Sharks centre Joe Thornton on its cover. Bob Cole and Harry Neale return from NHL 2K6 to provide commentary. David Vyborny appeared on the cover of the PS2 version in the Czech Republic.

<i>Test Drive: Off-Road Wide Open</i> 2001 video game

Test Drive: Off-Road: Wide Open is a racing video game developed by Angel Studios and published by Infogrames for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. It is the first game in the Test Drive series to be developed for the sixth generation of gaming systems, and the fourth and final installment of the Off-Road series. Trucks from General Motors make a full return as playable vehicles after being sort of absent in Test Drive: Off-Road 3.

<i>Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines</i> (video game) 2003 video game

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is a first-person shooter video game based on the film of the same title, with elements of hand-to-hand combat in the third-person perspective. It was developed by Black Ops Entertainment, with assistance work done by other Atari-owned subsidiaries. The game was published by Atari for PlayStation 2 and Xbox in 2003. An isometric shooter version was released for the Game Boy Advance during the same year.The game was also going to be released for GameCube, but was eventually cancelled.

<i>NASCAR Heat 2002</i> 2001 video game

NASCAR Heat 2002, sometimes mislabeled as NASCAR Heat, is a NASCAR video game produced by Infogrames for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, and Game Boy Advance consoles. It is the successor to the 2000 game NASCAR Heat, and the predecessor to NASCAR: Dirt to Daytona. NASCAR Heat 2002 can have up to 24 (PS2) or 43 racers on one of 19 official NASCAR tracks, and the game was released in June 2001 for PlayStation 2. A port for the Xbox was released in November 2001. Developed by Crawfish Interactive, a distinct version for Game Boy Advance was released in May 2002.

<i>TD Overdrive: The Brotherhood of Speed</i> 2002 video game

TD Overdrive: The Brotherhood of Speed is a racing video game developed by Pitbull Syndicate and published by Infogrames for PlayStation 2, Xbox and Windows.

<i>MX 2002 featuring Ricky Carmichael</i> 2001 video game

MX 2002 featuring Ricky Carmichael is a video game developed by Pacific Coast Power & Light and published by THQ for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and Game Boy Advance in 2001. It is the third motocross racing game published by THQ to be endorsed by professional motorcross racer Ricky Carmichael, after Championship Motocross featuring Ricky Carmichael and its sequel, Championship Motocross 2001 Featuring Ricky Carmichael, as well as the first game in THQ's MX trilogy, a follow-up series to the Championship Motorcross duology that would eventually become part of its MX vs. ATV crossover racing franchise. A sequel, MX Superfly, was released in 2002 and also endorsed by Carmichael.

<i>Triple Play 2002</i> 2002 video game

Triple Play 2002 is a baseball sports game released for PlayStation 2 and Xbox in 2002. On the cover is Arizona Diamondbacks player Luis Gonzalez. It is the only game in the Triple Play series to be released on Xbox, and the last game in the series to date.

References

  1. ↑ "The Terminator : Un Autre Futur". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Retrieved 2023-03-13.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Dr. Zombie (September 18, 2002). "The Terminator: Dawn of Fate for PS2". GamePro . Archived from the original on February 12, 2005. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Pong Sifu (September 18, 2002). "Terminator: Dawn of Fate Review for Xbox". GamePro. Archived from the original on February 8, 2005. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Ham, Tom (October 2, 2002). "GameSpy: Terminator: Dawn of Fate (Xbox)". GameSpy. Archived from the original on May 20, 2007. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Dunham, Jeremy (September 18, 2002). "The Terminator: Dawn of Fate (PS2)". IGN . Retrieved February 26, 2014.
  6. 1 2 "Terminator X". IGN. January 22, 2002. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  7. ↑ Varanini, Giancarlo (January 23, 2002). "New Terminator details". GameSpot. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  8. 1 2 Zdyrko, Dave (January 24, 2002). "Terminator: Dawn of Fate". IGN. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Valentino, Nick (October 12, 2002). "The Terminator: Dawn of Fate Review - PlayStation 2". GameZone. Archived from the original on May 27, 2009. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  10. ↑ Wiederhorn, Jon. "Fear Factory Shutting Down". MTV.com (March 7, 2002). Retrieved July 16, 2011.
  11. ↑ Fielder, Joe (May 22, 2002). "E3 2002: Terminator: Dawn of Fate screenshots". GameSpot. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  12. ↑ Roper, Chris (September 11, 2002). "Terminator: Dawn of Fate Hands-on". IGN. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  13. 1 2 Porter, Alex (September 20, 2002). "Terminator: Dawn of Fate". Maxim . Archived from the original on October 2, 2002. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  14. 1 2 "The Terminator: Dawn of Fate Critic Reviews for PlayStation 2". Metacritic . Retrieved February 26, 2014.
  15. 1 2 "The Terminator: Dawn of Fate Critic Reviews for Xbox". Metacritic. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 Francis, Jimmy (November 12, 2002). "Terminator: Dawn of Fate". Computer and Video Games. Archived from the original on September 11, 2007.
  17. ↑ EGM Staff (November 2002). "The Terminator: Dawn of Fate (Xbox)". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 160. p. 304.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Reiner, Andrew (October 2002). "The Terminator: Dawn of Fate (PS2)". Game Informer . No. 114. p. 84. Archived from the original on 2007-05-28. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Brogger, Kristian (October 2002). "The Terminator: Dawn of Fate (Xbox)". Game Informer. No. 114. p. 91. Archived from the original on January 21, 2008. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 MacDonald, Ryan (October 14, 2002). "The Terminator: Dawn of Fate Review (Xbox)". GameSpot. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
  21. ↑ MacDonald, Ryan (September 19, 2002). "The Terminator: Dawn of Fate Review (PS2)". GameSpot . Retrieved February 26, 2014.
  22. ↑ Ham, Tom (October 2, 2002). "GameSpy: Terminator: Dawn of Fate (PS2)". GameSpy. Archived from the original on November 2, 2005. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Zacarias, Eduardo (October 11, 2002). "The Terminator: Dawn of Fate Review - Xbox". GameZone. Archived from the original on February 3, 2008. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  24. 1 2 Goldstein, Hilary (September 19, 2002). "Terminator: Dawn of Fate (Xbox)". IGN. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 Kennedy, Sam (December 2002). "The Terminator: Dawn of Fate". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine . p. 174. Archived from the original on June 15, 2004. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  26. 1 2 3 Bernardin, Marc (October 4, 2002). "Terminator: Dawn of Fate; Superman: Shadow of Apokolips". Entertainment Weekly . No. 675–676. p. 157. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.