Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a side-scrolling action game in which the player takes control of a T-800 Terminator. Levels are based on eight locations from the film, including a truck stop, John Connor’s house, a shopping mall, a mental hospital, a weapons cache, the house of Miles Dyson, and Cyberdyne Systems. The final level is a battle between the T-800 and the T-1000 in a steel mill.
HUD messages appear on-screen to inform the player of mission objectives, mimicking the T-800’s point of view in the films. Objectives, which include locating specified items or people, must be cleared before proceeding to the next level. On some levels, the player must lead John to safety. One objective throughout the game is to collect items that have materialized from the future. The player can use a variety of weapons as the game progresses.
Driving levels, viewed from an overhead perspective, appear in between the side-scrolling levels. A motorcycle is used for most of the driving portions, although other vehicles are used later on, including a police car. Roadblocks are a frequent obstacle for the player, who must also avoid traffic.