History VideoGame / TerminatorFutureShock

The game used a heavily modified version of the ''VideoGame/{{Daggerfall}}'' engine and was ahead of its time in many ways, featuring full 3D environments and character models, huge semi-open world levels (including the ability to go inside every building with an accessible door), a modern WASD control scheme with mouse look, a separate hotkey for grenades, and vehicle sections using a jeep and a helicopter, all a full year before the release of ''VideoGame/{{Quake}}'' in 1996. This was all achieved solely with software rendering, though at the cost of having a relatively restricted draw distance by modern standards.

** Kyle Reese is wearing a ''VideoGame/{{Daggerfall}}'' T-shirt.

* GameMod: A fan made mod for ''Skynet'' fixes a number of bugs present in the final patched version of the game, and also drastically increases the draw distance to more modern standards. It also makes it easier to set up ''Future Shock'' to run with ''Skynet'''s higher 640x480 resolution. You still need DOSBox to run the game on modern systems, though.

* ChickenWalker: The basic "grunt" enemy type is a six-foot tall mech that looks like a person-sized version of the [=AT-STs=] from ''Film/StarWars'' ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi''. A much larger MiniMecha version appears later in the game as a GiantMook enemy.

* ShortRangeShotgun: Averted; the shotgun seems to fire slugs, as it's accurate enough to snipe with.

* ShotgunsAreJustBetter: The shotgun has a lower rate of fire than the automatic weapons or energy weapons, and ammo for it is a bit less common than normal bullets, but it deals good single-shot damage and is the most ammo efficient weapon in the game; your max ammo of 750 assault rifle bullets is enough to kill about 10-12 Terminators before running out, but your max ammo of 200 shotgun shells is enough to kill over 30 Terminators before running out.

* ForgoneConclusion: Averted. You know things are serious when [[spoiler: ''Kyle Reese'']] of all people gets killed near the end of ''Future Shock''.

* DeathByAdaptation: [[spoiler: John Connor dies near the end of ''Future Shock'' during the final assault on Skynet, leaving it up to the player to destroy Skynet and save the future.]]

* EliteMooks: The T-800s seem to serve this role; they're armed with hitscans weapons instead of the easier-to-dodge plasma blasters most other enemies use, and can take a lot more damage than most other enemy types also.

* MadeOfIron: T-800s are ''very'' tough, capable of withstanding over 60 rounds of assault rifle fire or multiple shotgun blasts. They're considerably more durable than the walker mechs or even the [=HK=] Aerials. You're best off shooting them with the grenade launcher or blasting them with the plasma rifle while tossing grenades at them.

A sequel, ''Terminator: Skynet'', was released in 1996. ''Skynet'' was based on the same engine as ''Future Shock'' and plays largely the same, but includes [=FMV=] cutscenes with live actors, more focused levels, and an improved 640x480 resolution. It's about half the length of ''Future Shock'', but is overall more focused and action-packed with less aimless free-roaming. ''Skynet'' also included a copy of ''Future Shock'' on the disc, which could be accessed from the game's main menu.