Explore the post-apocalyptic strategy of Terminator: Dark Fate - Defiance. Manage supplies, make tough decisions, and lead your faction to victory in a world dominated by AI. Dive into a story where every choice counts, and tactical warfare brings thrilling challenges. Perfect for fans of hardcore strategy and the Terminator universe.
Few would likely think that the latest game from the post-apocalyptic future of the Terminator would be a hardcore tactical strategy. The resistance against the genocidal artificial intelligence Skynet (or rather the Legion) and its crippled cyborgs could initially be imagined as a brutal shooter in the style of Terminator: Resistance or, conversely, perhaps as a stealth adventure from a third-person view. Terminator: Dark Fate – Defiance (TDFD) instead offers coordination of infantry and machinery, supply and logistics management, and tough military decisions. And surprisingly, it all works well together!
Where is John Connor?
The plot of the game takes place in the near post-apocalyptic future, where Sarah Connor managed to prevent Judgment Day and the inevitable extermination of the human race. However, this didn't entirely prevent artificial intelligence from trying to completely eradicate the annoying species – us.
In the bleak future, four factions vie for control over destroyed cities and impoverished settlements: the Founders, essentially the remnants of state administration and the American military. Then there's the Movement, which includes the civilian population trying to carve out their place to live with self-made improvised weapons. The balance of power is mixed up by the Integrators, who try to modify their bodies to approximate the infallibility of machines. And finally, the enemy of all three bickering factions: the Legion. A murderous AI that sends extermination squads of terminators to finally establish a dystopian paradise for all silicon circuits.
At the start, I'm a bit disappointed that TDFD doesn't better and more fully utilize the popular brand. In the Legion units, you'll recognize the standard T-class terminators and the better Rev-6 models, occasionally a familiar Hunter-Killer aircraft appears, but otherwise, one has to hunt for movie references with a magnifying glass. Even playing as the remnants of the American army feels like any military strategy, as you have access to current modern technology, from Humvees to Abrams tanks.
Actually, the only interesting faction that shows something "a bit different" are the Integrators. However, they are the only ones not playable in skirmish and in the campaign, access to their units is very rare.
Ultimately, the scenario turns out to be silly military "hooah" porn, where authority is everything and blind obedience to orders is sacred, regardless of their illogicality. Into this, young Captain Church occasionally tries to throw a spanner in the works, preferring to save human lives over caution (which also backfires on him several times). However, the attempt at heroic stories full of sacrifice doesn't really work when almost the entire exposition takes place through dialogue windows. Thus, the campaign across the southern United States isn't much of a drama that surprises in any way.
But that doesn't mean TDFD isn't fun to play, quite the opposite! If the game has succeeded in anything, it's in commanding units and fighting in ruined cities, where every ruin serves as important tactical cover for your units.
Terminator: Dark Fate – Defiance is a tactical strategy game. This means you don't mine, build, or recruit soldiers in missions. Management of your military convoy occurs between missions, where with a trio of resources, which you can obtain through story choices and completing side quests, you replenish ranks, hire additional squads, arm units, and purchase various upgrades.
Once you have your attack squad ready for battle, you head into extensive missions where every liter of gasoline and fired bullet counts. Supplies of rockets, fuel, grenades, and magazines are limited, and if you don't secure supplies through trucks, which replenish gas and ammunition for everyone in the vicinity, you can find yourself in the middle of an enemy counterattack with howitzers running empty.
For the hardened warriors
Because there's no real way to replenish ranks directly during the scenario, losing any unit hurts, so it's best to proceed very cautiously. You can extend the lifespan of your charges by occupying buildings, hiding behind obstacles, and, not least, occupying abandoned shooting positions and mechanization.
When tanks, helicopters, and artillery come into play, Terminator: Dark Fate – Defiance can unleash an impressive level of destruction. Buildings collapse under the weight of artillery shells, shrapnel pierces tank armor and demolishes engines, the main guns and chassis of Legion vehicles.
The slow pace, relatively high difficulty, and the need to efficiently position each unit, however, is not for everyone. If you're looking for a brisk strategy in the new Terminator, you'll need to look elsewhere. The deliberately sluggish tempo forces you to transport infantry in cars and time your ambushes correctly. Everything revolves around tactical firefights, which can indeed be thrilling. The joy is unfeigned from every won battle, especially when you successfully repel a superior force without losses.
It's all the more frustrating that the game unnecessarily throws frustrating obstacles in your way. That in 2024, I have to again highlight bad pathfinding in a strategy game, where units dawdle in place like dirt in a bucket, or choose a roundabout way to their target through hidden enemy soldiers and unnecessarily lay down their lives in a dusty side alley.
Scenarios with allied assistance can also be infuriating. And there are plenty of them in the campaign! As befits a military simulation, the game naturally includes friendly fire, and allied artillerymen don't worry too much about shelling enemy positions that you have surrounded with your precious technology.
Great mission design
Fortunately, excessive micromanagement of units can be managed with active pause. Nothing is simpler than pausing the game, distributing orders, throwing smoke grenades at the enemy, loading units into a van, sending rocket launchers into a building, then unpausing the game and watching satisfying tactical maneuvers… unless the strategy falls apart because one group of soldiers decides to idly shuffle in place, another heads to the target by the longest possible detour, and a third decides to back away from the enemy, meanwhile presenting the thinnest part of their armor.
Micromanagement is as much rewarding as it is frustrating and requires steady nerves. Fortunately, all your efforts are redeemed by great and varied missions, where it's not just about destroying targets and defending positions.
For example, infiltrating the cartel's rear in Nueva Tortuga almost feels like a tactical RPG, where with a single unit you complete side quests, gradually improve, acquire better equipment, and slowly stoke the flames of unrest to overthrow the criminal cartel in a grand rebellion.
I must also highlight the Legion convoy ambush, where you prepare traps for the passing armored prisoner escort, while keeping an eye on supply routes to ensure the resistance can continuously send better technology and human resources.
Many missions give you various options for dealing with dangers and the numerical superiority of machines. Choices on which factions to join, which technology to choose as a reward, or how to pull off military feats with proper impact by completing side, optional tasks.
Terminator: Dark Fate – Defiance cleverly uses convoying in many missions. Essentially, it's about capturing points on the map, through which new units roll to the front or vehicles pass that must be defended. Often, you must have several fronts open at once and try to shift limited forces to where the enemy is pressing you. And while it might sound like a big challenge and headache on paper, lovers of tactical unit command will be in seventh heaven, because little is as satisfying as preparing an impenetrable meat grinder of bullets, mines, and anti-tank missiles for the enemy.
A rare strategy
After you finish the great story campaign in twenty hours, multiplayer and skirmish remain. Unfortunately, you'll only find four maps in them for now. Moreover, it's currently the only way to play as the Legion, as you can't access the terminators in the campaign.
Terminator: Dark Fate – Defiance is at its core a successful game. Despite the not very convincing visuals, uninteresting work with the movie license, and glitchy artificial intelligence, it's great to play a tactical strategy again after a long time, which will delight all those who perhaps weren't too impressed by last year's Company of Heroes 3.
Base building and unit recruitment are gone, instead, the title focuses fully on warfare, diverse missions, and finding optimal strategies to help you deal with the technological and numerical superiority. While I don't see much longevity in the game beyond the story campaign, it's precisely the design of the campaign across the southern United States where the great gameplay shines.