I decided to play Terminator 3: Dark Fate. Of course, I chose the maximum difficulty – Realism. The tutorial missions went relatively well, though I had to sweat a bit to ensure at least some of my squad survived and progressed to the next missions. The game works like this: you start with certain squads, and some of them carry over to the next mission. They gain experience and unlock new skills. In different missions, you can recruit new squads. There are also city outposts where you can purchase personnel and equipment. You can also loot vehicles during missions: cars, Humvees, and even tanks.

However, there’s a catch: the larger your squad, the more resources it consumes, and resources are limited. This presents a dilemma: what to sell and what to keep and develop. Resources are always scarce, so you need to invest in the most effective units and upgrade them. Vehicles and tanks can also be upgraded with armor, weapons, and engine modifications.

The game feels like a Mad Max-style survival experience, with a convoy of vehicles racing through the desert: small maneuverable cars, APCs, makeshift artillery on trailers, and trucks carrying supplies and fuel. There can also be separate transport trucks. The entire team is self-sufficient; if you run out of fuel and a tank stops, it’s essentially lost and won’t make it to the next mission.

There’s a wide variety of units: assault troops, snipers, special forces, etc. You need to assemble your team to have several self-sufficient groups that can hold various points on the map, as missions often require controlling multiple locations.

When I started the main missions after the tutorial, I really struggled. Maps that were supposed to take an hour ended up taking 10 hours to complete. Even then, victory wasn’t guaranteed. I reached the cartel city, where enemy Humvees with artillery prevented me from approaching. I managed to defeat them with tremendous effort, but then decided to go back two missions to acquire my own artillery. I replayed those missions, bought artillery, and dismantled the Humvees.

Eventually, I completed the game. Even towards the end, I was still learning new things. Such hardcore games are interesting because you can’t beat them on the first try. I think this game is underappreciated by the gaming community due to its specific gameplay – strategy games aren’t very popular nowadays because they require thinking, which many modern gamers find unappealing. Nevertheless, the game turned out to be very successful and provides a unique gaming experience not found in other titles.