This is a review of War of the Machines(which appears to be the version of this released for the PC), an attempt to emulate the Battlefield style. I can't get enough of the original 1984 film, and I appreciate the direct follow-up as rather well-done. Other than the fact that this draws a lot of its inspiration from the insipid parody that T3 was, I(and people who share my passion for the first two) *am* the intended audience for this. Where to begin? This is a shining example of how licensed games are usually poor. Like Enter the Matrix, this came out in 2003, was rushed(and can't hide it) and was purely made to appeal to the already large fan-base by reminding us of what we already loved about the franchises(trust me, neither will attract anyone new). Also, their releases coincided with when a lousy movie of the series did. The graphics were dated even when this came out, with FX that won't astonish anyone. None of the relatively few animations are particularly attractive or natural, and the physics are lousy, not to mention nearly non-existent(anyone that dies, save for those that explode, simply falls over, like a mannequin). The vehicles(no, really, there's more than one, they're just all nearly the same) handle decently at best, and do not let them near a wall, or it's likely to stick and you'll have to proceed on foot. You can run over anything bi-pedal, whether they consist mainly of water or, you know, *metal*. That's part of the logic problem in this. Why are they so affected by bullets? Who the hell brings a Desert Eagle to war? I know it's powerful, but it's also really inaccurate. The 50 caliber sniper is perhaps a reasonably realistic addition, something like that could *maybe* put a dent in them. If this had been guerrilla combat for the resistance, it would have been interesting, maybe downright spectacular(and made sense). Instead, it's essentially Call of Duty, with one side being grey-skinned(don't get me started on the skeletons of T800's being foot-soldiers, and yes, I hated it in the 1991 flick, too; audiences loved that image, so it was multiplied, whether or not it made any sense). Oh, and walking *a lot* slower. This is especially noticeable because the levels, if nicely enough designed, are *huge* and often labyrinthine. It will take an eternity to get to where you're going(and you may be gunned down on the way or the moment you get there), Terminator vision can be tough on the eyes when exposed to it for prolonged periods(it can be turned off, though), and you will tire of hearing the treading almost immediately. That's another thing, the audio is unimpressive, and it lacks grandeur. The music is alright. Voice acting is devoid of emotion. Yes, Ahnuld recorded a couple... half of them don't match what he's meant to say(they're lines from the trilogy), however, the performance is fine. Uh-huh... you can play as him, and that's not bad. The honor is reserved for the person who's scoring the highest on the human side in Termination(=stupid name for Domination). That's one of the three modes, the other 2 being TDM and Mission(take a specific area, destroy something, defend it or stay a certain place for 15 seconds, then return to the main base, that's it, any of them will ask you to do a defined one of the aforementioned, and it can be pretty clumsy... Unreal Tournament this ain't). Yeah. That's it. And there are only 12 locations(and not all are unique, a couple are doubled, so there's one for either of the periods), at least they all work for all the ways of playing(and no, that's actually not a good idea, what works well in one winds up the Achille's heel of another). Yes, you can play in Present and Future, and that affects the weapons available. Only "now" can the T1 be driven, and it's probably the one thing in this that truly turns the scales. Yes, it has limited ammo(it can load back up in the right places, like you-know-who's grave), that doesn't change the fact that it's strong and tough to take out... you can mow down half a dozen men and live. The FK *needs* mention, it is a lot of fun to fly, and it is very responsive, with strafing, ascending, descending, you can go in any direction that isn't blocked. Everything looks, sounds, and, largely, behaves, right. They put things in from all the cinematic efforts, and they do nail stuff, like the proximity grenade that has the handle that requires twisting to arm it, the massive tank that fires blasts of energy, and the airborne HK's that will pass overhead every so often, that may unload a barrage upon the ground(and they can be shot, and you will see them explode!), and this is where the VG is awesome. This does do great on the atmosphere, the dystopian setting with ruins of familiar buildings, a darkened sky and the disused police squad car that's merely sufficiently fixed up to get the job done, those are perfect. The classes are varied enough, and they're all there, with support, scout, heavy and regular, for both sides(who also each have one unit that can scan the amount of health of anyone within visible range, unless they're very far away). Tech-Com have access to a broader arsenal, and they can use ones that are fast and weak. The AI is daft if not entirely inept. There are commands, funny how there's always one bot on your team that declines the ones you issue, and they clearly all defy them. The TC ones have a nasty habit of suicide and team-mate-killing; this seems to happen most when you're playing as one of them(hm...). There are other glitches/bugs. There is mild, bloodless and never gory violence in this. I recommend this to those who want this experience(in this universe) that can ignore its many faults. 5/10
