Terminator: Salvation

"...offers a satisfying technical level, a nice atmosphere and all the robots previously seen in the movies.  GamesNation.com
"...features a few core mechanics that makes it a good bit of fun...  Jonathan Marx, CheatCodeCentral.com

IGN.com 7 of 10
Taking place two years prior to the upcoming film, Terminator: Salvation follows one day in the life of would-be savior of mankind John Connor. Los Angeles has been lost to the machines and the resistance is pulling back to regroup, but some of Connor's men have gotten themselves captured by Skynet. While the leaders of the resistance (Connor is still an up-and-coming punk) are willing to sacrifice the few for the good of the many, Connor goes rogue to save his buddies. And that is the entire plot of Terminator: Salvation. There are no unexpected twists or insight into John Connor or the formation of the resistance. It's just an excuse to go from point A to B and fight many machines along the way. Not exactly the worst idea for a game, but it's certainly not very deep...Though there are definitely some rough elements to Terminator: Salvation, the future isn't completely bleak. The gameplay is smartly crafted and often quite engaging. Salvation is a third-person cover shooter with skirmishes taking place in impromptu arenas throughout the ruins of L.A. Instead of worrying about progressing from cover to cover, moving from the back to the front, fights take place in 360 degrees. The machines are heavily armored and for most, you need to flank them to get at their weak spots. That's only possible by creating combat zones "in the round." Aiding this cover system is a radial menu that highlights a half-dozen angles you can take for cover. It's a great system and the one standout in an otherwise ho-hum movie-licensed game...If you're on the fence about Terminator: Salvation (and I think it's decent enough to be so), know that this is a very short game. I beat it in under four hours. There is no exploration, no items to collect, no cool Achievements/Trophies to earn outside those for beating the game. That should pretty much push you over to one side of that fence. - Hilary Goldstein