A criminally underrated early FPS (SkyNET (PS))

Member Name: Burning_Darkness

Product:	SkyNET (PS)
Date:	19/10/09 (13 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: innovative design, great use of terminator license, varied weapons, good fun

Disadvantages: graphics are unsuprisingly dated looking, though still appealing

Released for PC in 1996 and then ported over the the Playstation, SKYNET is an early first-person shooter set in the Terminator universe after Skynet has instigated the nuclear holocaust, casting the player as a member of the Resistance fighting the machines through the burnt-out ruins of the United States.

Essentially drawing on the incredible atmosphere of the opening scenes of Terminator 2, SKYNET has you taking down Hunter Killers, T-800s, giant tank-tracked Goliath vehicles and numerous other deadly machines throughout a post-apocalyptic nuclear wasteland littered with human skeletons and the remains of burnt-out cars and buildings. The 3D graphics were cutting edge and incredibly impressive at the time and still look rather nice now, especially as the game employs fully 3d polygonal enemies rather than simple 2D spites as in the likes of Doom and Duke Nukem, and the ability to look up and down is another early innovation on offer.

Its a hugely atmospheric game with varied missions revolving around dismantling Skynet and taking place in a creepy and well-realised urban setting as well as military installations and rather ghoulish Skynet-built human processing plants. In another leap of ingenuity thee game also allows you to control Hunter Killer Fighters and a machinegun mounted Jeep, both in single player and multiplayer deathmatch modes, and there are a wide range of automatic weapons and grenades to choose from, including submachineguns, assault rifles and heavy machineguns. INtriguingly, whislt these weapons look hugely powerful they are not immensely efefctive against your metallic foes, a deliberate and rather nice touch which adds to the game's tension no end, as does the iconic score from the film which pops up now and again. Oh and there are some excellent 3D-rendered cutscenes throughout as well.

A much overlooked and hugely innovative early FPS, skynet is still well worth a look. A trailer can be found here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzLrYw4dowA

Summary: The best game to ever use the Terminator license and a hugely innovative early FPS