Terminator: Resistance - Annihilation Line
released on Dec 10, 2021
DLC for Terminator: Resistance
Annihilation Line is a new narrative DLC campaign for Terminator: Resistance and picks up mid-way through the main campaign story. The DLC sees Jacob Rivers and a small team of Resistance soldiers led by Kyle Reese heading into the most dangerous territory imaginable...the land beyond the Annihilation Line.
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I've already reviewed the first game here
Despite bizarrely having to reset the level back to level 12, it winds up edging out the main game for me in terms of execution, especially given now you wind up getting backstory on Kyle reese and what little characterization evans & ferrio, the other squadmates in your squad, have.
Like this DLC is very brief and is just more of the same as the main game but also wont hold any punches given its difficulty, throwing not only the main games enemies at you, but another variant, the T-650s where they're easy to take out but you need to be quick because they wield miniguns like the infiltrator mode where you play as a infiltrator terminator. This DLC is one of the only times where i DID run out of ammo and just kept hugging the cover like it was World at War.
The only sad part is that it didn't really add any actual new weapons, mostly just get the ones from the infiltrator dlc including the .45 longslide which unfortunately, like the other bullet weapons in the main game, outlives its usefulness halfway through the game, so don't get too excited.
Though this time around I found myself using stealth a LOT more than i did with the OG game, Like they give you 5 termination 1 hit kill knives during one side quest at one point. So really, it was much more preferable than to get lit up again, and again, and again, especially on hard.
What does make it through is the concept of going through the annihilation line, the very thing they warn you about in the main game of civilians and platoons getting slaughtered, and this dlc is the exact opposite of the main game where in the main campaign you'd slowly feel like you can take em head-on but in this, you're actually scared of em and was desperate to take em out thanks to the more cramped, linear design. Sometimes, I had to do a fuckin 40 yard dash to GTFO from 2 big ass T-47 robots because i was just THAT ill-equipped.
Guess this also fits the tone of the overall game but thing is, this takes place in between parts of the game, right after you capture the first infiltrator bot/during the timeskip at barons camp when you go through the rank of sergeant but definitely before the ending where you become a badass war hero, which makes it hard to recommend playing this chronologically because this dlc is much, much harder than the main game.
Which also makes it a bit predictable where as the main game i didn't exactly know how things were gonna play out until near the end. But this one given that its an inbetweenquel quasi-standalone story arc between missions, its sorta hampers on what twists it'll reveal as shocking and unfortunately what deaths is gonna happen just by realizing rivers never mentioned any of the crew despite this dlc making you feel like an inseparable team, or even the little arc he has about his father whom plays a big part on why rivers is even on this assignment in the first place. But really, while its predictable on what's gonna happen, its definitely surprised me on HOW it happens. Particularly one moment which is a huge spoiler, Made me go from "that's a neat reference-" then the reality sinks in and then it just makes me think "oh fuck.", But without spoiling it, It also does tie into T1 and why Reese is so on edge during that movie. Cant blame him after now experiencing it in a different POV.
Overall, this DLC is definitely worth 1 playthrough despite poking inconsistencies (aforementioned not mentioning any important characters moments in a prequel during the aftermath of the original, or that "time capsule" secret which you'd scratch your head on how did rivers father get THAT of all things in 2012 during the prologue.) and being a pain in the ass in terms of difficulty (beaten it on hard) and also skewed progression where it flowed naturally in the main game, should've just had different skill trees and progression, but really they had developed this like right before moving onto Robocop: Rogue City, so they'd just did what they could do to send this game a proper send off. And what a send off it was.
Despite bizarrely having to reset the level back to level 12, it winds up edging out the main game for me in terms of execution, especially given now you wind up getting backstory on Kyle reese and what little characterization evans & ferrio, the other squadmates in your squad, have.
Like this DLC is very brief and is just more of the same as the main game but also wont hold any punches given its difficulty, throwing not only the main games enemies at you, but another variant, the T-650s where they're easy to take out but you need to be quick because they wield miniguns like the infiltrator mode where you play as a infiltrator terminator. This DLC is one of the only times where i DID run out of ammo and just kept hugging the cover like it was World at War.
The only sad part is that it didn't really add any actual new weapons, mostly just get the ones from the infiltrator dlc including the .45 longslide which unfortunately, like the other bullet weapons in the main game, outlives its usefulness halfway through the game, so don't get too excited.
Though this time around I found myself using stealth a LOT more than i did with the OG game, Like they give you 5 termination 1 hit kill knives during one side quest at one point. So really, it was much more preferable than to get lit up again, and again, and again, especially on hard.
What does make it through is the concept of going through the annihilation line, the very thing they warn you about in the main game of civilians and platoons getting slaughtered, and this dlc is the exact opposite of the main game where in the main campaign you'd slowly feel like you can take em head-on but in this, you're actually scared of em and was desperate to take em out thanks to the more cramped, linear design. Sometimes, I had to do a fuckin 40 yard dash to GTFO from 2 big ass T-47 robots because i was just THAT ill-equipped.
Guess this also fits the tone of the overall game but thing is, this takes place in between parts of the game, right after you capture the first infiltrator bot/during the timeskip at barons camp when you go through the rank of sergeant but definitely before the ending where you become a badass war hero, which makes it hard to recommend playing this chronologically because this dlc is much, much harder than the main game.
Which also makes it a bit predictable where as the main game i didn't exactly know how things were gonna play out until near the end. But this one given that its an inbetweenquel quasi-standalone story arc between missions, its sorta hampers on what twists it'll reveal as shocking and unfortunately what deaths is gonna happen just by realizing rivers never mentioned any of the crew despite this dlc making you feel like an inseparable team, or even the little arc he has about his father whom plays a big part on why rivers is even on this assignment in the first place. But really, while its predictable on what's gonna happen, its definitely surprised me on HOW it happens. Particularly one moment which is a huge spoiler, Made me go from "that's a neat reference-" then the reality sinks in and then it just makes me think "oh fuck.", But without spoiling it, It also does tie into T1 and why Reese is so on edge during that movie. Cant blame him after now experiencing it in a different POV.
Overall, this DLC is definitely worth 1 playthrough despite poking inconsistencies (aforementioned not mentioning any important characters moments in a prequel during the aftermath of the original, or that "time capsule" secret which you'd scratch your head on how did rivers father get THAT of all things in 2012 during the prologue.) and being a pain in the ass in terms of difficulty (beaten it on hard) and also skewed progression where it flowed naturally in the main game, should've just had different skill trees and progression, but really they had developed this like right before moving onto Robocop: Rogue City, so they'd just did what they could do to send this game a proper send off. And what a send off it was.
Look, the characters are a little thinly characterized and the twist involving Evans is painfully obvious from his introduction, but this is a fun DLC for Terminator Resistance (the best post-T2 Terminator sequel). Like the base game, it actually captures the essence of the first two films very well. It's a great game, and a great Terminator installment.
My review of the base game is here.
Annihilation Line is really just more of the same, for better and for worse. Taking place midway through the base game's campaign, it resets your skill points and inventory (though with an accelerated XP curve and an allotment of points to start with) so it's best to play this after completing the main game. If you play it where it actually slots in, it would be weird to start fresh, end it at max level, and then go back to the final third of the base game.
A particularly strange decision here is the continued presence of ballistic ammo. You very rarely find non-plasma weapons, and you're almost exclusively fighting Terminators in this anyway. The small/medium caliber ammo only serves to clog your inventory.
The story is the high point here. Your character goes on a mission with The One, The Only, THE Kyle Reese (as seen in the background of Steve1989MREInfo videos) that ties into the first movie in some pretty interesting ways that non-Termheads wouldn't recognize. It also has an explanation for one of the most common questions about the franchise, though it's somewhat obfuscated by the lack of the movie actors' likenesses. Look, that last sentence will make sense after you've played it.
I had a good time with this, just like the main game. Takes around 4-5 hours if you fully explore the environments. Normally retails for $15, occasionally goes on sale on PSN and Steam for $9. Recommended.
Annihilation Line is really just more of the same, for better and for worse. Taking place midway through the base game's campaign, it resets your skill points and inventory (though with an accelerated XP curve and an allotment of points to start with) so it's best to play this after completing the main game. If you play it where it actually slots in, it would be weird to start fresh, end it at max level, and then go back to the final third of the base game.
A particularly strange decision here is the continued presence of ballistic ammo. You very rarely find non-plasma weapons, and you're almost exclusively fighting Terminators in this anyway. The small/medium caliber ammo only serves to clog your inventory.
The story is the high point here. Your character goes on a mission with The One, The Only, THE Kyle Reese (as seen in the background of Steve1989MREInfo videos) that ties into the first movie in some pretty interesting ways that non-Termheads wouldn't recognize. It also has an explanation for one of the most common questions about the franchise, though it's somewhat obfuscated by the lack of the movie actors' likenesses. Look, that last sentence will make sense after you've played it.
I had a good time with this, just like the main game. Takes around 4-5 hours if you fully explore the environments. Normally retails for $15, occasionally goes on sale on PSN and Steam for $9. Recommended.
Plusy: lepsza niż podstawka
Minusy: nadal AI bez szału
Minusy: nadal AI bez szału
Solid DLC all round. It's largely more of the same but with a separate plotline and of course on a smaller scale. Has a few moments that aren't executed perfectly but the quality is consistent with the main game so it's hard to complain.
Definitely worth checking out if you liked the game, there's really nothing I can think of that is made worse, it's just a neat little side story with a pretty badass premise.
Definitely worth checking out if you liked the game, there's really nothing I can think of that is made worse, it's just a neat little side story with a pretty badass premise.
Annihilation Line, like the base game is a solid, if limited Terminator experience, unfortunately let down by a lack of variety.
The open areas are easily the best part, Terminator is a really good setting for a horror experience, and carefully making your way through Skynet patrols is genuinely a daunting experience, especially early on when you don't have many options to fight back. The linear sections are a mixed bag, and unfortunately expose the A. I's shortcomings as they stand and wait to be shot. It's hard not to see them as glorified shooting galleries, as they lack any of the tension exemplified by the open area levels. There are some cool moments but they're not going to set the world on fire, especially at this budget.
With all that being said, Resistance is still a fun time and it's clear that Teyon has a lot of love for the brand. I don't understand how this and the base game were so critically panned when there are far worse games being released from much bigger companies that review better.
The open areas are easily the best part, Terminator is a really good setting for a horror experience, and carefully making your way through Skynet patrols is genuinely a daunting experience, especially early on when you don't have many options to fight back. The linear sections are a mixed bag, and unfortunately expose the A. I's shortcomings as they stand and wait to be shot. It's hard not to see them as glorified shooting galleries, as they lack any of the tension exemplified by the open area levels. There are some cool moments but they're not going to set the world on fire, especially at this budget.
With all that being said, Resistance is still a fun time and it's clear that Teyon has a lot of love for the brand. I don't understand how this and the base game were so critically panned when there are far worse games being released from much bigger companies that review better.