The Sega CD game is a platformer where the player controls Kyle Reese , who travels back in time from 2029 to protect Sarah Connor from the unstoppable killing machine known as the Terminator. The game consists of 10 levels, taking the player through future locations such as the post-apocalyptic wasteland of 1984 Los Angeles and the time displacement complex.
The gameplay involves traversing the streets and rooftops of L.A., as well as the Tech Noir club, the police station, and an automated factory. Kyle Reese is armed with a gun with unlimited ammo as well as a limited number of grenades to dispatch the many enemies, including Terminators and punks in the present.
The boss battles include several encounters with the Terminator, who must be driven back to keep him from harming Sarah. Between levels, small digitized clips from the film advance the storyline. The game features a fully CD-based soundtrack with tracks ranging from heavy rock to electronic tunes.