Terminator: Dark Fate - Defiance Review (PC)

A rebellion is currently tearing through the Cartel outpost of New Tortuga, helped by my covert Founder teams. I’ve taken down mercenaries, fought a weird religious zealot, battled machine spiders in a dreadful arena, played infiltrator, and then infected dormant Terminators to distract hostiles while I smuggled weapons to those ready to rise up.

The rebels might not be as capable as my professionals but I garrison half of them in buildings, which should make them more effective. The rest are clearing a path through switchbacks towards a chopper, which will allow the rest of my force to join this fight. I’ve got some very capable rangers coming in, as well as a Stryker and a few Humvees. They should be enough to finish off these Cartel goons, especially given that my squads are trained and carry improved weaponry.

We might be battling other humans but the machines, aka wireheads, remain the bigger threat. To have a chance against them, it’s crucial to conserve power, avoid losses, and use only enough ammo and fuel to get the job done. Last time I checked our Founder group had enough supplies for about a week and was running low on replacement personnel. Let’s hope that many of these rebels are willing to join the cause or at least provide logistical support.

Terminator: Dark Fate - Defiance is developed and published by Slitherine. I played it on the PC via Steam. The title takes the franchise’s classic theme of robot versus human war and builds a real-time strategy game around them.

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As the movie series has made clear, humanity is fated to create a powerful Artificial Intelligence that takes control of nukes and strikes cities across the world. Humanity is devastated but there are groups fighting back. In single-player, gamers control the Founders, an organization that has risen from the ashes of the United States military.

The seeds of their existence are planted in Atlanta, soon after Judgment Day. They suffer a massive setback when their Haven is found by the wireheads. Now, they move across the Southwest of the United States, gathering survivors, engaging with other factions, and fighting the robots. The story works within this universe, although it’s not very original. I understand that they’re working within the movie universe but constantly hearing Legion instead of Skynet is weird.

Dark Fate is a complex, real-time strategy game (with an option to pause and issue orders) centered on squads and individual vehicles. The Founders use technology and hardware that reflects the real world, although enhanced by laser rifles, plasma cannons, and EMP grenades. The single-player missions involve plenty of direct engagements with machines and humans, as well as stealthier sections and narrative choices.

It’s very easy to lose hard-to-replace squads by making a wrong move. Players should use the Spacebar liberally to activate tactical pause, which gives them time to evaluate a situation and issue orders. Don’t be afraid to abandon positions and retreat if the machines show up with overwhelming force. The game rewards players for matching weapon systems with enemies and battlefield conditions, exploiting vulnerabilities, and using buildings and the terrain to avoid taking fire.

Gamers can turn off weapons systems and conserve ammo. They can order vehicle drivers to get out and repair them when a core system is affected. It’s important to find ways to refuel and re-arm and to only chase secondary objectives when there’s no danger of stretching a limited force too thin. Robot enemies aren’t as deadly as in the movies, but they can chew through an unprepared position quickly. Rockets and solid artillery support are the best ways to give infantry a fighting chance.

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Between missions, players have to carefully manage limited resources. Supplies are consumed each day, are used to repair and re-supply squads and vehicles, and can be traded. Good performance gets gamers Goodwill Points, used to recruit new units, ranging from militia to mercs to helicopters and more. Willing recruits are needed to replace losses sustained in combat (thankfully, you can trade goodwill for warm bodies).

Some single-player missions restrict the number or power of units players can bring in, creating tight tactical puzzles. The big-scale engagements can be a little overwhelming, with players managing three or four big combat situations at the same time (use Pause to get a grip on things). There’s variety both in the scenarios and when it comes to the gamers’ approach and killing robots with high-powered weaponry is always fun.

Terminator: Dark Fate - Defiance also delivers a skirmish mode, allowing players to play as the Founders, the classic Resistance, or even the Machines. The title also features online multiplayer, allowing gamers who find it easy to triumph over a computer-powered Legion to battle other humans. Battles can be 1 versus 1, 1 vs 2, or 2 against 2.

Terminator: Dark Fate – Defiance is a mostly good-looking strategy experience. The developers have carefully modeled human and robot units and created some solid maps for the title’s many engagements. The interface makes it easy to select units, issue orders, forbid the use of ammunition, and see the general tactical situation at a glance. The cutscene quality is lower, especially when the game wants to create moments similar to those of the movie universe.

There’s full voice acting for the main characters and the cutscenes, and it works well given the military origins of most people involved, although it can sometimes feel over the top. Weapons sound realistic, and the robots chatter in a suitable alien code. The soundtrack adds to the immersion, but it can be a little too optimistic given humanity’s dire situation.

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The Good

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