Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines - 21. CRS Airfield
6Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is a first-person shooter video game based on the film of the same title, with elements of hand-to-hand combat in the third-person perspective. It was developed by Black Ops Entertainment, with assistance work done by other Atari-owned subsidiaries. The game was published by Atari for PlayStation 2 and Xbox in 2003. An isometric shooter version was released for the Game Boy Advance during the same year. A puzzle game was also released for mobile phones. The game was also going to be released for GameCube, but was eventually cancelled.
The PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions received "generally unfavorable reviews" according to Metacritic, with criticism of the graphics, fighting levels, and poor artificial intelligence.
Two other games, Terminator 3: War of the Machines and Terminator 3: The Redemption, are also based on the film and were released in 2003 and 2004, respectively.
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines follows the film's basic story. In the home console versions, the player plays the role of the T-850 and in some levels shoot their way through enemy cyborgs or drones with a selection of weapons such as assault rifles, rocket launchers or grenade launchers. There are levels that require the player to protect allied characters from armed enemies. There is also a fist fight sequence in some levels which engage the main character against either an enemy cyborg or the T-X, which is the main antagonist of the film.
The Game Boy Advance (GBA) version is a third-person shooter with 12 missions, played from an isometric perspective. The player takes control of the Terminator, and can use the machine's red-colored scan mode to identify hidden objects and people. The GBA version includes two multiplayer games. One game is a two-player co-op in which players enter a room and must kill enemies, before advancing to the next room to repeat the process. The other multiplayer game is capture the flag, in which up to four players use portals that transport them throughout a level while trying to capture an opposing team's flag. Both multiplayer games require the GBA Game Link Cable.
In July 2002, Infogrames announced that it had purchased the license to make video games based on the 2003 film Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. Atari, an affiliate of Infogrames, announced the game in April 2003. The PlayStation 2 (PS2) and Xbox versions of the game were developed by Black Ops Entertainment, along with several companies which were owned by Atari. Legend Entertainment worked on the game's weapon models and effects, while Atari Melbourne House worked on the sound design. Shiny Entertainment worked on the fighting portions of the game.
The filmmakers wanted the game to be faithful to the film's story, while allowing the player to experience aspects that the film did not fully explore, such as the future war between humans and machines. Special-effects artist Stan Winston, who worked on the film, provided his designs to the Black Ops team. Arnold Schwarzenegger provided his voice and likeness to the home console game for its portrayal of the T-850. In addition, Schwarzenegger also starred in a live-action scene for the game that explains the origins of his Terminator character.The home console game also includes footage from the film, and Nick Stahl reprises his role of John Connor through voice acting. A version of the game had been planned for the GameCube, but its cancellation was announced in September 2003. Atari stated that there was insufficient time to continue development of the GameCube version.
The GBA version was developed by Taniko. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines was published by Atari and released in the United States on November 11, 2003, for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GBA. The release coincided with the home video release of the film.
Terminator 3 was the last project that Legend Entertainment was involved in before they permanently closed their doors the next year in 2004
The PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines received "generally unfavorable reviews" according to Metacritic. Several critics believed that the game felt rushed through development, and others noted the large number of people credited with creating the game, stating that this did not help translate to a good product.
Game Revolution called the game a "monumental catastrophe". Kristan Reed of Eurogamer wrote, "Rarely – if ever – have we witnessed such a painful licensing gaff, and the six or so hours we spent in the company of Rise of the Machines surely rank alongside the most painful we've endured in twenty odd years of videogaming." Reed stated that the game "drags the reputation of movie-licensed games back down to the gutter in truly disgraceful fashion". Michael Knutson of GameZone wrote that Terminator 3 "relies too much on the license and doesn't put enough effort into making the game fun."