Where legendary blockbuster Terminator 2: Judgment Day pulls cybernetic killing machines from the future, Terminator 2D: NO FATE’s arcade-action plants its clothes, boots, and motorcycle firmly out of the 90s and onto modern hardware. Through meticulously crafted pixel art showcasing T2’s grit, its pulse-racing storyline, and explosive setpieces, NO FATE is as aesthetically bold as it is an unashamed homage. So, grab your shotgun out of a box of roses – here’s 15 things you need to know before pulling the trigger.
Three Iconic Characters
NO FATE switches control between Sarah Connor and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800 as they battle the relentless T-1000, while stopping Cyberdyne edging toward human annihilation. The explosive, no-holds barred campaign spans a future timeline too, where you’ll command John Connor as he leads The Resistance in a desperate future-war against The Machines.
Memorable Scenes and Setpieces
Terminator 2D: NO FATE delivers fifteen high-octane levels lifted straight out of the movie, featuring every memorable scene and setpiece: from Arnie’s brawl to the menacing T-1000’s tow-truck spillway chase and helicopter freeway pursuit, ending with the searing steel mill finale. Studio Bitmap Bureau captures the heart-racing energy that flows through T2’s most memorable moments, where desperation underpins every pushback against the T-1000’s nonstop assault.
Future War Levels Tell Untold Story
John Connor’s battles against the full force of Skynet’s robotic army take place in an imagined future. Greyscale, dusty, and derelict, beyond seeing its visuals The Resistance’s war was a story untold in Terminator 2. So, NO FATE puts you right into the middle of the conflict, undertaking missions unique to the game. John’s scenarios push the game beyond homage, fleshing out the series’ renowned lore to something fresh and underexplored.
NO FATE’s Story Follows the Movie
Future War levels aside, Terminator 2D: NO FATE’s story follows the movie almost beat-for-beat. Yet, this isn’t a straightforward, pixel-scratched retelling – there’re multiple endings available, providing divergent outcomes dependent on decisions made and paths taken. These climaxes won’t re-write canon; they’re likely designed to support multiple playthroughs. Yet, it’ll be intriguing to see how deeply Bitmap Bureau explores new conclusions; will you simply push through alternative escape routes or will showdowns against the T-1000 play out differently? Maybe, even, the fate of humanity will be shifted.
Gameplay Brings Variety
Faithfully following the movie’s plot allows Bitmap Bureau to inject unique gameplay mechanics into each level: the T-800’s fracas through the Corral plays like a beat ‘em up; Sarah Connor’s escape from Pescadero State Hospital incorporates stealth and silent takedowns; John Connor’s Future War mixes run ‘n gun action with skillful platforming. Chase sequences blend driving with shooting, while boss battles demand timing, patience, and pattern recognition. It’s more than keeping gameplay fresh – by fusing genres, NO FATE reframes T2’s iconic moments with real authenticity, confidently distilling the movie’s cinematic onslaught into crisp, pixel precision.
Multiple Enemy Types
NO FATE’s enemy roster is bigger than you expect – drunken punks, security guards, cops, machines, and the ever-looming T-1000 with its shapeshifting form and liquid metal armblades keeping your adrenaline pumping. John’s skirmishes through future apocalypse sees him take on standard T-800’s like Arnie, hovering Skynet drones, and the giant spider-like HK Centurion Hunter Killer – a colossal quadrupedal bot never seen in the movies, whose design originates from the early 90s machine.
Each Character Brings Distinct Playstyles
NO FATE’s trio of playable characters aren’t simple skin swaps for the sake of narrative, but impactful gameplay transformations: the T-800’s raw power brings heavy chainguns and pummeling shoulder charges to the fray, while Sarah and John showcase swift agility, sliding attacks and barrel rolls, grapple holds and pipe bombs. Sarah’s a melee specialist, while John favours mid-to-long range firepower. Both of their movesets are more tightly woven than the Terminator’s, demanding quick thinking and reflexes over brute force.
Levels Hide Secrets
NO FATE is a side-scroller which rewards curiosity. Resources are scarce, but scattered throughout are hidden weapons, items, throughways, and checkpoints, extra lifelines to restore your nerve, evade your hunter, and survive the level.
Classic Arcade Style is the Game’s Story Mode
The main way to play, NO FATE’s classic arcade style is a brisk, momentum-building mode like a long-lost coin-operated unit. Each level has its own ranking system: meet the required criteria – stealth takedowns or full-tilt bombast, for instance – to summit the high score table. Cinematic cutscenes splice between levels, developing characters and providing a complete narrative experience.
Customisations Tailor the Experience
Whether you’re chasing a retro challenge or more forgiving playthrough, NO FATE can be bent to your desire. Numerous difficulty modes – which we’ll expand in the next section – plus remappable controls, deadzone adjustments, and thumbstick bias can reinforce an arcade-like experience by tweaking out abstruseness and configuring actions to face buttons. The CRT filter introduces analog scanlines, making NO FATE look like a time capsule brought from the past inside an old TV.
Difficulty Modes are More Than Easter Egg Namesakes
Starting with Easy Money, then No Problemo, to Hasta La Vista, NO FATE’s difficulty modes read like a list of John Connor’s favourite catchphrases, but they run deeper than their name. For one, Easy Money has no time limit and infinite continues, making this the best for novice platformers eager to absorb the narrative without smashing controllers. For an old-school coin-op experience, No Problemo and Hasta la Vista up the ante, with environmental hazards, smaller targeting reticules, tighter invincibility windows, and shorter time limits testing skill, precision, and patience. If you’re hungry for punishment, Judgment Day difficulty is unlocked by beating one of the game’s non-story modes – more on that next.
More Game Modes Mix Up The Action
Arcade Mode follows the beats of Story Mode but strips away the cutscenes while remixing levels for a streamlined, score-focused experience. Boss Rush Mode shouldn’t need explaining – a gauntlet of consecutive boss battles. Infinite Mode presents endless waves of enemies to survive against for as long as possible. Level Training gives you the chance to take on individual levels to hone your tactics or practice speedrunning strategies. And speaking of speedrunning, Mother of the Future is a fast-paced compendium of Sarah’s stealth-leaning story missions, and this mode is the one you’ll need to beat to unlock the ultra-challenging Judgment Day difficulty.
Cheats Menu
This is a proper throwback: clear NO FATE’s story on its hardest difficulty and you’ll unlock a cheats vault. While details are limited, we’d expect to see modifiers such as infinite ammo, infinite lives, autofire, become accessible.
Soundtrack Respects Original Score
Brad Fiedel’s original T2 score gets the respect it deserves, with Dice Ryu Sykes reconstructing the film’s recognisable themes and motifs into something symphonic and industrial. Frenetic music perfect for blasting into the cacophony of the arcade, or your own home.
Release Date, Platforms, and Physical Editions
After a handful of delays, Terminator 2D: NO FATE is finally set for global release today. Coming to Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch platforms, plus PC via Steam, the game is available to pre-order in three physical editions: the Day One Edition, the Collector’s Edition, and the Online Exclusive Edition available only from publisher Reef Entertainment’s online store. Reversible sleeves, posters, tokens, and steelboxes are some of the extras you can nab depending on which edition you plump for.
