The Matrix Online

"Matrix Online is a unique and appealing MMORPG with obvious flaws."

MMORPGs are becoming the games of choice due to the willingness of addicted fans to pay monthly for game access. Among the MMORPG genre is movie-based The Matrix Online, which carries players into the large and detailed world known as the Matrix, or "Metro World". The distinct Sci-Fi motif is part of The Matrix Online's appeal - most MMORPGs are set in the more traditional fantasy setting - and combined with its outstanding graphics, creates an amazing environment that any MMORPG fan would appreciate.

The graphics are the meat of this game. Players are always hunting for better clothing, which coders (crafters) can decompile (learn the recipe for) and then give to their friends. The player models are fantastic and the world environment is so extremely detailed, you'll find some minute detail you never noticed almost every day. The downside to the graphics is why this is the first area of discussion; If you have a lower-end graphics card, you simply cannot play this game. If you have a lower-end processor, RAM, or any important computer part that could possibly be used to run this game, it will run terribly. Anything less than 512 RAM and an FX 5200 will cause so much lag that the game will be almost unplayable. Most computers about 3 or more years old will not be able to run this game adequately. This is a huge barrier for a lot of players, but with a good computer, the game runs fine.

Upon waking up and entering the Matrix, you complete an initial set of critical missions for the human colony of Zion and then are faced with another set of critical story-line missions for two other organizations, these being the machines and the exiles. Aside from the critical story-line missions, the missions are pretty much repetitive, but so are the quests in almost any MMORPG. What really is great about this game is that the story actually DOES continue, and there are new critical missions with the updates and patches, but by far the best part is the live events. The storyline is generally planned out by the writers, and then there are live events that the players participate in to continue the story. There are actual people that play important storyline characters, such as Niobe or Persephone. Different servers even can have different outcomes in events, which makes greater variety between servers.

The gameplay in The Matrix Online isn't exactly appealing. One great thing about character development is the ability to exchange abilities at any hardline (payphones that represent "save points" throughout the Matrix) to adapt to any given situation. The three main classes, Operative(Melee/Rouge), Hacker (Mage/Cleric) and Coder (Crafter/Summoner) are typical of any MMORPG. Abilities are bought and levelled up using $info, the game's currency, and can be switched simply by double clicking. The abilities fit the Sci-Fi theme and are the meat of the battle system.

The battle system is simply put, lacking. In both PvE and PvP melee combat, players select a fighting style in a somewhat Rock-Paper-Scissors fashion and roll a die, the higher roll being the attack that goes through. Some players will want to avoid melee combat, using guns and hacks instead. These are simply press-and-cast, and are left simple. Most abilities can be used in melee combat, and even guns can be used as a fighting style, but most melee fighters prefer to use one of the martial arts styles. There is no real skill involved, and everything is seemingly random. The battles lag, especially in melee combat, and sometimes the enemy will "die" before the roll that kills the enemy is even displayed. Numerous times have I been stuck in melee combat mode after the battle was over, and plenty of enemy bodies have been looted while they were standing upright, some bodies not even responding to the loot command. This part of the game is choppy aside from the graphics and ultimately mediocre. There is little player involvement other than clicking the ability to use from the hotbar or changing styles to take advantage of a weakness.

The game can be completely soloed. At level 25, a player who knows what to do can become completely invincible and kill enemies levels higher than them. Hackers are disadvantaged in the beginning, but then the imbalance in the game skyrockets them ahead and they become the easiest class to play, able to destroy nearly any group of enemies. Operatives and Coders can just as easily solo, but the difference is definitely noted in PvP. PvP is the main social activity, as warring factions and crews will duel and fight and all the typical PvP stuff. In the hostile servers, players above level 15 become subject to ganking.

Major Pros

+ Amazing Graphics, Extreme Detail
+ Easy to adapt to situations and change abilities
+ Live events, actual story (for detailed information on the story, visit www.thematrixonline.com)

Major Cons

- Average or worse computers make the game difficult to run
- Battle System lacks involvement
- Classes are imbalance.

I rate this game a 7/10. It's an appealing game, but lacks solidity.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 08/01/05