The Terminator: Future Shock

For other games of a similar name, see The Terminator (video game).

The Terminator: Future Shock
Developer(s)	Bethesda Softworks
Publisher(s)	Bethesda Softworks
Engine	XnGine
Platform(s)	DOS
Release	1995
Genre(s)	FPS
Mode(s)	Single player

The Terminator: Future Shock is a first-person shooter computer game, based in the fictional Terminator universe. It was released by Bethesda Softworks in 1995. It was one of the first computer games to use full 3D graphics and totally free mouse-look in a FPS game.

Gameplay

Single Player

Future Shock is played in the first person perspective at all times. Each level in the game requires the player to solve a number of objectives before continuing to the next level, while fighting enemy terminators with a wide variety of guns and grenades. Another obstacle in each level is the harsh terrain, as many areas contain too much radiation for the player character to remain alive. The terrain is navigated in three ways, 'on foot', in a jeep with a mounted cannon, or in a HK fighter (a modified terminator robot that flies).

Multiplayer

Future Shock had no multiplayer component. Multiplayer was added with the sequel, The Terminator: SkyNET

Features

Future Shock is driven by Bethsoft's Xngine, which was one of the first game engines to have the following features:

• A full 3D perspective.
• Real-time light sources
• Full texturing
• Phong shading.

While the majority of the game used textured polygons to display levels and structures, many of the items, weapons, and level decorations were still shown using an older technology called 'sprites'.

Story

In The Terminator: Future Shock, one plays a human who escapes entrapment by the Terminators. After escaping hostile enemy territory in the first mission, the player meets with John Connor, the leader of the resistance. From that point on, one plays as a resistance fighter. The setting is Los Angeles in the year 2015. SkyNet's uprising in 1990 has left most of humanity dead, with control in SkyNet's hands. All around is death and decay, scattered with remnants of a past society shattered.

Trivia

• A quote from Todd Howard regarding the development:

Kaare made a similar interface for the editor that we built levels in, and I tweaked the interface so we could use the mouse in-game and everyone here loved it. I will say that the press at the time didn't take to the mouse-look at first -- they really wanted a Doom-style keyboard config.

• If you aim at and continually shoot the moon in the sky on the outside levels the game will display the word 'ow!' in red a few times, then the moon will fall from the sky.

• The game manual comes complete with an artist's image of the game design team dressed corresponding to some of their personality traits and pet projects, such as designer Robert Stoll sporting his prototype railgun.

Screenshots

• Menu screen
  Menu screen
• Mission objectives
  Mission objectives
• War-torn environment
  War-torn environment
• 
  Shooting an enemy

External links

• Bethesda homepage
• Future Shock Gameplay video - ogg-theora, cc-by-sa