omeday, my dream of owning games based on Raw Deal and Junior will come true, but until then Terminator 3: Redemption will tide me over. Not only is it the best Arnold or Terminator-themed game ever (which isn’t saying all that much), but it’s also one of the best licensed games around. The craptacular first T3 game, Rise of the Machines, may make some a bit skittish about picking up Redemption, but this new entry is actually a solid action title that should please those looking for a simple, hardcore experience.

The participation of Schwarzenegger himself was touted as one of the big draws for this title. He lends his voice and the character model is eerily perfect, but this is no simple star vehicle. This game, at its core, is about shootin’ stuff. As the Terminator, you’ll spend most of the game spewing out enough ammo to take over Rhode Island.

The story plays out like a director’s cut of Terminator 3. It follows the plot of the film and includes all the major action scenes, flashing out the story with additional sequences, many in the war-ravaged future. Not only does it reveal how Terminators travel back in time, but it also gives us a glimpse at the desolate post-Judgement Day world. As a whole, Redemption is a visually stunning game – your character model is awesome, especially when damaged. Energy blasts look great, and environments are huge. On all three systems, Redemption looks fantastic.

Of course, graphics are nothing without gameplay. It’s a little on the simple side: The auto-targeting system is a bit wonky, and some vehicles control better than others, but overall the gameplay works as it should, and offers up a good action experience. The Terminator can utilize hand-to-hand combat, dual wield ridiculously huge guns, and steal vehicles with the touch of a button. You will find yourself driving Jeeps, a hearse, trucks, and all kinds of robotic war machines. Several levels also feature on-rails segments, which require you to serve as a gunner while on board a vehicle driving a set path. In one level you must gun down Terminators from a helicopter, while in another you must shoot at the evil T-X as she attempts to ram you with her huge crane truck.

Over the course of a single stage, you may find yourself playing up to four different variations on the action. While this does keep the action fresh, it also keeps things difficult. Die in the final leg of a level, and you’ll have to do the entire stage over. At first, this game feels tough but fair. By the final three stages, you’ll be throwing your controller in disgust and inventing new swear words. It’s a pretty hard game, one which will require you to replay the same areas time and again to get things right. But the campaign is compelling enough that Terminator fans will need to play through it, and action fans looking for a challenge will be plenty satisfied. Much like a summer movie, it delivers explosive action, looks fantastic, and doesn’t require much from your brain.