Enter the Matrix

"It had potential, but fell short of greatness."

Okay, after hearing all the hype, I got myself a copy of ETM (PC version) and played it. It... well, I don't think ''sucked'' is the word I want to use here, but I was somewhat disappointed.

Okay, a little background info on the game: You play as either Niobe or Ghost, the two operatives of the small ship Logos. The plot weaves in and out of that of Matrix: Reloaded, and helps explain some things that may not have made sense in the movie (such as how all the Rebels escaped from the sewers when the Agents came knocking, what happened in the power plant climax-that-wasn't, or what the hell is going on with Neo now).

Graphics: 86%
The graphics were pretty good. The kung-fu animations were really realistic and the models were well done. The skins look a little pixilated in some cutscenes, but they usually come off well. I noticed a few clipping problems, however.

Sound: 90%
The music is the same as that of the Matrix movies, which is a good thing (I guess) although you can't hear Rage Against The Machine's song Wake Up in ETM. Everything is voice-acted by the same people who actually play the character in the movies. The sound effects for gunshots or whatever are convincing enough, and the sound distorts in Bullet-time exactly as it did in The Matrix where Neo dodged the Agent's bullets.

Plot: 98%
''Written and Directed by the Washoski Brothers.'' 'Nuff said. The plot interacts directly with that of Matrix: Reloaded and the characters are developed really well. Sparks (the operator) constantly bitches about his job, but it's pretty funny when he does so. Kudos to the Brothers!

Gameplay: 52%
Ah, now we come to the most important part of the game: the gameplay. Enter the Matrix is somewhat odd, and I have a little trouble assigning a score to the gameplay. You see, at some points in the game, the gameplay is excellent. At other times, it makes Daikatana look like Morrowind. For instance, during all (but one) of the driving levels while playing as Ghost, he leans out the car window with an MP5 to shoot at other cars, Agents, Agents in cars, or whatever. It's essentially a rail shooter, but it's horribly done. In one level, you need to drive away from the Twins. It should be an exciting car chase, but if you're playing as Ghost, then Nioble can't drive worth a damn! She will hit a pillar, take forever to shift into reverse and back up, then drive forwards and ram into the same pillar again! Se does this repeatedly, while all the time one of the Twins is chewing your car up with a UMP. I found myself screaming out loud in frustration, ''Why can't this bitch drive?!'' Also, a couple of the levels (such as the sewer level) seemed agonizingly monotonous. However, some other parts of the game (like the Merovingian's palace, especially with Niobe, or the Zen Garden scene with Trinity and Ghost) are really well done and almost (but not quite) make up for the bad parts of the game.The bullet-time stuff was good, but it's been ripped off of The Matrix so many times (most notably by Max Payne) that it's beginning to feel old.

Bottom Line: 71%
If you're a Matrixhead (like me) than you'll need this game, if only for the plot. If you're not, well, rent it (if possible) instead.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 07/16/03, Updated 07/16/03