Terminator 2D: No Fate (PC) - Review

by Daniel Parker , posted on 12 January 2026 / 2,043 Views

Terminator 2D: No Fate is a side-scrolling arcade shooter based on the events of the Terminator 2: Judgment Day movie; it's also very much a call-back to the action-arcade titles of the 90s, featuring similar visual art direction and style to RoboCop Versus The Terminator, especially the SEGA Genesis version.

In spite of the retro-arcade inspiration, No Fate clearly uses color ranges, details, and a much higher number of animation frames than would be possible on older hardware, and that's before considering the fact that this title's screen space is 16x9. This is a great trade-off because the developers haven't imposed an artificial restriction on the visuals, which sometimes happens in this retro niche. The art direction is excellent too; shadows are used appropriately, colors pop without being garish, and visual cues make interactables easy to read.

This strong visual presence is matched by the sound design. Thankfully, no, the game doesn't rely on chiptune music or sounds inspired by beeps and boops. Instead, it's much more cinematic, even featuring "Bad to the Bone" by George Thorogood & The Destroyers. There's not a single theme I disliked; my only complaint is that the audio is too loud, set to its maximum on the initial boot, meaning you'll have to go to the options menu and turn the audio down to save your ears from being blasted out.

As I've begun to notice with retro-styled games, the visuals and sound can be excellent, but it's all for nothing if the gameplay itself is sub-par. However, No Fate is a blast to play. You're able to slide beneath obstacles and hazards, but not only that, this doubles as a melee attack, so you won't take damage for sliding into enemies. The same is true for ledge-drops, and overall it's a fantastic feeling. Not only does it add weight and power to the character you're playing as, but doing more than just shooting to damage enemies helps prevent the gameplay from feeling monotonous.

The gunplay itself is very reminiscent of RoboCop Versus The Terminator. You'll come across power-ups throughout some of the levels, specifically the future-war areas, where you play as John Connor. However, unlike in the older Genesis game, power-ups in No Fate are on a timer, and when it expires, you go back to your normal fire. The power-ups themselves don't feel as though they're overly powerful, so once the ability wears off, it doesn't feel like too great a loss. Overall, though, the gameplay is ideal in short bursts, which is handy, as each level can be completed in under five minutes, and the entire game's story, from start to finish, can be completed in about an hour.

With the mechanics being as satisfying as they are, they don't get in the way of (nor artificially inflate) the game's difficulty level. For the most part, or at least for me, right up until the final boss, the game feels fair but challenging. In story mode you're given both continues and checkpoints. The continues are essentially extra lives, and you retain them throughout your playthrough. However, if you lose a continue, you cannot regain it in the same level - the box, or wall you extracted it from originally, will be empty. As for the final boss, there's quite a bit going on in the fight, and I couldn't always keep up with where the damage was coming from, but it is the final boss after all.

As one would expect, the other bosses throughout the game are toned down significantly compared to that final encounter. Many of these fights change up the gameplay just enough to keep things engaging, without going over the top or feeling disconnected from the core experience — unlike in, say, Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind, where the boss battles feel like a completely different game. Some encounters take place while you’re driving down the road, while others lock you into enclosed rooms. My favorite is the Level 3 fight, which is essentially a wall that fires multiple weapons at you while hazards scroll across the area. A Terminator‑themed Rangda Bangda, for anyone familiar with obscure Mega Man X bosses.

Terminator 2D: No Fate is one of those rare games that you can tell instantly by looking at it if it's the type of game for you or not. No stiff gameplay. No disruptive gimmicks that get in the way of enjoyment. No surprises that'll make you regret your purchase. If you're the type of person who can sit down and still enjoy other arcade side-scrolling shooters, like Contra, Metal Slug, or even Rolling Thunder, then Terminator 2D: No Fate is the ideal game to consider adding to your collection.