The best Terminator games

I’ll be back, said the T-800. And true to his promise, the most famous Terminator of all time, played by Arnold “Gobernator” Schwarzenegger, returns to the big screen in what will be the fifth film in the saga: Terminator: Genisys. In addition, our endearing “Chuache” will be accompanied by a new Sarah Connor who will be played by Emilia “Mother of Dragons” Clarke.

So far, we’ve already been able to see an animated poster for the new movie as a warm-up to the impending trailer, but what about the Terminator games? We wish we could say that the franchise has plenty of adaptations just as brilliant as Terminator 2: Judgment Day (the best sequel of all time, period), but unfortunately the vast majority stays on the Terminator level: Salvation (eye, most, not all). So, with more shame than pride, we present to you the best Terminator games.

10. TERMINATOR 3: RISE OF THE MACHINES

• Black Ops Entertainment

• 2003

• PS2, Xbox, GBA, mobile

Using the crap… Sorry, the movie of the same name, we got Terminator: Rise of the Machines, a rather simple first-person shooter that metamorphosed into a fighting game during boss battles. 

9. THE TERMINATOR

• Virgin Games USA

• 1993

• Sega Mega-CD

Mega Drive had a pretty decent version of the first Terminator movie (and hard to say enough) which, oddly enough, was programmed by David Perry. However, the Mega-CD one takes the cake, above all, for taking advantage of the virtues offered by the add-on, delighting us with some great melodies composed for the occasion. 

8. THE TERMINATOR: DAWN OF FATE

• Paradigm Entertainment

• 2002

• PS2 y Xbox

And speaking of Kyle, in Terminator: Dawn of Fate we live the events that take place before the soldier and father of John Connor was sent through time, in a title with a lot of action that presents new Terminator models (all quite gruesome). 

7. THE TERMINATOR: SKYNET

• Bethesda Softworks

• 1996

• FROM

And we come to the first of the titles developed by Bethesda on the list. Yes, the same Bethesda that today forges myths as legendary as Oblivion or Skyrim. Long before it made its name with The Elder Scrolls saga, the company gifted us with some of the best Terminator games our cybernetic eyes have ever seen.

6. TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY

• Bits Studios/Probe Entertainment/Arc Developments

• 1993

• Super Nintendo y Mega Drive

How could it be otherwise, the great Terminator 2 had its corresponding version in video game format. Viewed now, it’s certainly a rather mediocre (and difficult!) title, but at the time, with the movie going strong, it was the best we’d ever played

5. TERMINATOR 3: THE REDEMPTION

• Paradigm Entertainment

• 2004

• PS2, Xbox y GameCube

Terminator 3: Redemption is, without a doubt, the last great game that the saga has received to date. It is a third-person shooter that takes place in gigantic maps in different time periods, offering action-packed skirmishes that do not leave a second of respite. The vehicles are especially important, because in addition to making us feel like the masters of the place, they provide devastating firepower.

4. THE TERMINATOR: FUTURE SHOCK

• Bethesda Softworks

• 1995

• FROM

pioneers. It’s the only word we can think of to refer to Bethesda. The Terminator: Future Shock, apart from being quite an entertaining FPS, introduced the use of the mouse as a movement system in a game of this style months before Quake hit the stores. 

3. THE TERMINATOR

• Bethesda Softworks

• 1990

• FROM

Open world, defenseless civilians walking calmly through the streets, lots of weapons, optional activities, banks, shops and cars waiting to be taken by force… Sounds familiar, right? Well no, it’s not about GTA: it’s about, neither more nor less, than the first Terminator video game IN HISTORY.

2. T2: THE ARCADE GAME

• Midway (arcade version) / Probe Entertainment (console version)

• 1991

1. ROBOCOP VERSUS THE TERMINATOR

• Virgin Games USA

• 1994

• Mega Drive, Master System, Game Gear, Super Nintendo y Game Boy

The best Terminator game is not led by “Chuache”, nor by John, nor by Sarah, nor by Kyle, but by the other great movie machine: Robocop. Loosely based on the comic of the same name, this cartridge pitted the deadliest androids on the big screen in an action-packed horizontal scrolling shooter. Robocop vs Terminator stands at number 1, yes, in its Mega Drive version… Why? Isn’t watching enemies die in an explosion of blood reason enough?

And here are the best Terminator games. As always, now it’s your turn to comment, give your opinion and insult… That last one is better not. And if even after reviewing these ten games you still want more Terminator, let us give you some advice: play Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon. Not only does it contain great references to the saga (and ’80s action movies in general), but also Michael Biehn (the actor who played Kyle Reese) is the voice of Lieutenant Rex Power Colt. Doesn’t it convince you?