Terminator Salvation players take the near-futuristic, shoot-'em-up role of
John Connor, who will become humanity's greatest leader in its time of deepest despair. Released to retail alongside the theatrical debut of the feature film in May of 2009, the game is set two years before the movie, in the year 2016, just after the SkyNet cyber-entity has launched nuclear missiles and committed Judgment Day. The enemy is an army of relentless, overpowered robots from the established
Terminator franchise. Available weapons include shotguns, machine guns, mounted weapons, and rocket launchers. Players are regularly challenged to assess dangerous areas for the best path of advance or assault, making use of cover and high-ground advantages where possible. Cover can be temporary, as destructible environments make for dynamic battlefields under heavy fire. Other sequences put players at the controls of armored vehicles. A local co-op mode lets players face the fight of the future with a friend. The game's
John Connor is not based on
Christian Bale's portrayal in the film, but actors
Common and
Moon Bloodgood lend their voices and likenesses as the game's
Barnes and
Blair Williams.
~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide