Terminator 3: The Redemption (GameCube) Preview

The Redemption takes place over three timelines one being the time seen in Terminator 3, where as the T-800, Schwarzenegger, you have to protect John Connor and Kate Brewster, who in the future will lead the humans to victory over the Terminators. In this time you will have to fight against the Terminatrix, an anti-terminator Terminator. The other timeline includes the future where the Terminators are taking over controlled by Sky Net and wiping out the humans. You again play as the T-800, a different one I assume, as Arnold dies at the end of Terminator 3. (And if you didn't know that, he has died in every single Terminator film!)

But before you die of course, the necessary fighting must commence. In the future time lines your enemies will be the undisguised Terminators, which are infinitely worse at fighting than you are. As a robot, or cyborg, cybernetic organism, programmed to kill, you have three ways to fight. In hand to hand combat, using the weapons at your disposal or the various vehicles scattered about. When using fire arms, you have the option of holding two weapons at once, and are able to change both. For instance you can hold an assault rifle in one hand, and in the other a rocket launcher. Or if you'd prefer to beat your enemies to death with a threatening traffic sign you can have that option and then stab them with the pole end to finish them off. Unfortunately being machines and not experiencing pain if you don't quite stab right in the vitals, the Terminator unit will pull the pole out and then return the favour on you.

The game does take place from a third dimensional view point to allow for hand to hand fighting so any gun shooting is done through lock on, but sadly as the camera can not be moved well, it stops you from turning the right way at times.although the hand combat is quite impressive, for instance you can simply introduce Terminator's to your fist or even rip out their power cells and then lob them as a grenade. Other usual moves have returned such as the much needed disarming move, and human shield, except this shield is a Terminator, and it involves the T-800 tearing off a Terminator torso and using it as primitive protection. Despite these moves sounding quite entertaining, the easier option is obviously to shoot them from afar, but should you choose the other hand to hand method you are awarded terabytes. The games collectibles, which can be exchanged for upgrades that effect targeting and health, along with the red and numerical Termi-vision. Even if its name is poor and shameful, it still allows you find secret items in levels, which is probably a redeeming factor.

Should running through levels on foot grow tiresome, Paradigm has added the chance to hijack vehicles and use the weapons mounted on them. These vehicles vary from pick-up trucks to helicopters and tanks, and some can be steered while others are on rails. But all the while you can control the firing of various weapons such as turrets and lasers, which varies on the vehicle you are riding. And if you wish to save on ammo, you can run down Terminator's as well for your amusement. However your vehicle will take a beating and before it explodes into flames you can leap from one vehicle to another, such as the jumping from a jeep to the flying T-1s which would usually be firing at you, removing the need to actually fight them. This is quite a nice addition and will likely add some strategy to the game, but may deter attention from normal combat.

The modes of play seem solid enough, and the visuals are quite impressive to, with the T-800, resembling Arnold quite closely, also the Terminatrix was modeled off the actress that played it Kristanna Loken. Even more impressive are the detailed levels, which admittedly are all pretty similar, devastated apocalyptic war zones, but do look pleasing. Another interesting part of the game, is when the T-800 takes damage, like in the films, its skin is slowly removed only leaving the metal endoskeleton, until its chest explodes. A rather pointless aspect is how the T-800 can speak optionally from a press of the Speak button when he destroys an enemy and give a lacking one liner.

Redemption does seem quite pleasing but it is the length that will be the greatest cause for concern, with only 14 missions available set over four acts. Paradigm have also added two player cooperative missions, three in total, but are simply on rail firing battles, the winner being the one with the highest body count. To be fair this doesn't sound to exciting and a death match mode would of probably been a better idea, but it will likely add to the game.