Terminator Salvation is set in post-apocalyptic 2018, Christian Bale stars as John Connor, the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators. But the future that Connor was raised to believe in is altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future, or rescued from the past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet''s operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind.

The game is designed to draw the player into the post apocalyptic world where machines rule and humans fight for their lives and the salvation of their entire species. However, it is not automatically assumed that the player will wish to join in the struggle for humanity. Instead, the player will be given a choice when signing up for the game: Will you team up with the resistance to secure the future for your race or will you align yourself with the Terminators following the objective to wipe all humans from existence?

Throughout the game players will have to fight their enemies, always trying to gain the upper hand for their cause. There is even a social networking aspect of the game which allows players to recruit others to their side thus increasing their own numbers. But this is not without risks. There is a constantly looming chance of an unexpected enemy encounter, so one must be prepared at all times to fight of flee.