Terminator: Resistance is a first-person shooter set in the future of 2028 in a post-apocalyptic world. The main action takes place in Los Angeles. This part is a prequel to the first Terminator film. A new character is introduced to take control of – Private Jacob Rivers.

The main character is a resistance soldier under the command of John Connor. Together they fight Skynet and try to save the planet from impending threats. The project includes many paths and endings. Depending on the user's choices, the plot may go differently, certain characters will die, and some will remain alive. The gameplay is focused on intense firefights and the use of different types of weapons. There are also missions where the gamer will sit behind a static machine gun on a tank or fight off waves of opponents.

The gameplay has role-playing elements, offering to collect resources, modify weapons and character abilities, trade items and complete side quests. Side quests provide rewards and reveal more plot aspects and stories. The events taking place in this part lead to the final battle for the fate of humanity, where flesh fights against machines.