Terminator 3: The Redemption is Atari's second attempt at creating an action title inspired by the Terminator 3 movie. Having recently spent some quality time with the latest PlayStation 2 and Xbox builds of the game, we're pleased to report that it has very little in common with last year's disappointing first-person shooter, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. The Redemption features a combination of levels, including third-person, on-foot, driving, and rail shooter levels and, for the most part, the game doesn't stray too far from the plot of the movie. The three different gameplay types are present in more or less equal measures and, as you progress through the game's 14 levels, you'll find that you rarely play any one of them for more than five minutes or so before a brief in-game cutscene transitions you seamlessly to another style of play--barely giving you time to catch your breath.

Atari takes another stab at the Terminator 3 license with T3: The Redemption. Click "stream" for a larger view.

Although the three gameplay types present in Terminator 3: The Redemption are quite different, there are a number of things that they all have in common. Your scan vision mode, for example, will be available at all times, and it lets you increase the amount of damage that you do for a few seconds whenever it's activated. Although the game is always played from a third-person perspective, activating the scan mode is akin to looking through the eyes of the reprogrammed terminator you play as in the game--the screen turns red, enemies and weapons are highlighted, and targets are semiautomatically acquired--the effect is basically identical to that seen in the Terminator movies, and you'll be using that mode a lot. The control system is also a constant, and while pushing the left analog stick up to accelerate in a vehicle isn't as intuitive as using the same system to move forward on foot, it's certainly preferable to having three completely different sets of controls to master.

The other ever-present feature in the game that springs to mind, though for an entirely different reason, is the voice of Arnold Schwarzenegger, or more specifically the one-liners that you associate with just about every movie he's ever made. The monotone "terminated," "this is where you get off," "don't lose your head," and "that's what I'm talking about" quotes aren't necessarily a bad thing (there are some more that are even less memorable); what's unfortunate though, is that, at least in the builds of the game at our disposal, all of the other sounds are temporarily muted so that Arnie's words of wisdom can be delivered. The effect of this right in the middle of a large battle is a bit awkward; perhaps this behavior will be revised before release.

Surprisingly, of the three gameplay types on offer in Terminator 3: The Redemption, it's the vehicle-based levels that really stand out, both in terms of variety and originality. Most of the levels in the game take place in postapocalyptic cities where the battle between humankind and Skynet is still ongoing, and for the driving portions of these levels you'll invariably be at the controls of either an armored pickup truck or a Skynet tank that you've managed to hijack, Grand Theft Auto-style.

The second of the four chapters in the game, however, is set exclusively in the year 2003 and comprises a total of five very different vehicle-based missions--one of which is essentially a rail shooter that lets you switch lanes on the highway as you shoot out of the back of your vehicle. As you progress through the second chapter, you'll find yourself at the controls of a pickup truck, a motorcycle, a police car, and even a hearse--each with very similar handling characteristics, admittedly, but each is used to carry out very different mission objectives.

Schwarzenegger is instantly recognizable, even before he starts spouting trademark catchphrases.

Recurring themes in many of the vehicle-based missions include chasing or fleeing from an enemy and using alternate routes and shortcuts to gain an advantage over them. The driving levels are surprisingly varied, though, and by the time you reach the end of the enjoyable second chapter you'll have pursued the T-X assassin terminator through a desert at night, raced through the sun-bleached streets of Los Angeles attempting to shoot out tires on a crane, caused SWAT team members to fall out of their van by ramming it with your hearse, and driven through oncoming traffic while powersliding excessively to literally shake off the T-X that's trying to kill your passengers. The handling of the vehicles in the game is undemanding and, although there are plenty of hazards that need to be avoided as you progress through the levels, you'll find that most of the smaller obstacles--including streetlights, wrecked cars, and so on--either smash to pieces or bounce out of the way when you collide with them.