Enter the Matrix

"A few problems, but lots of fun"

The Matrix: Reloaded is easily considered to be the movie event of the year. With the success of the first movie that brought about deep philosophical questions, there were still some questions regarding the Matrix itself to be answered. The Matrix: Reloaded brings us back into the computer world with more action and a somewhat interesting story line. Shiny's Enter the Matrix follows the movie's plot a bit, but instead of telling the story through Neo, it's done through two minor characters, Ghost and Niobe, whose story was composed and directed by the Wachowski brothers.

GAMEPLAY 9/10
There are two different types of gameplay in Enter the Matrix. The bulk of the game features missions that require you to go through buildings and fight your way through them. These levels really come down to you having to find something or do something while duking it out with those who stand in your way. So that you won't get lost, you are given a direction arrow that helps to point you in the right direction of your mission objectives. That arrow is a problem however, especially when it comes to levels that require you to move up or down certain areas. One complaint I had in this section of the game was that you are thrust into the world of the Matrix without taking the time to get comfy with your abilities. You have access to a Tips screen, but it starts out empty. As you play your way through, you gain these Tips. It might have been helpful if there was a Tutorial program that would help you get to know the moves before you start out.
The second style of play takes place on the road and depends on which character you choose at the beginning of the game. If you chose Niobe, you will find yourself as the driver on missions that require it. Reminiscent of Crazy Taxi, you are given a directional arrow and Sparks, Niobe's Operator, tells you where to go. You’re going to be in hot pursuit by the Police, SWAT teams, and a few devious programs of the Matrix. To fight them off, you simply hold down the L1 button and Ghost will move out the window and fire on anyone who gets close to your car. When you play as Ghost, your job is simply to fire on those who try to stop your pursuit.
While the driving missions can be somewhat tricky, the hand-to-hand battles are the most enjoyable because of the Focus ability. Using the ''Focus'' ability puts you in Bullet Time mode, where the world of the Matrix is slowed down and you can perform devastating moves. While you and your enemies’ movement will slow down, your bullets will fly from your gun to your target at great speeds. In the Focus mode, your attacks become stronger and cooler, especially during gun battles (one move will have you in a gliding corkscrew while you shoot at your target).
One issue that comes up during these fight sequences is the camera. In you find yourself in confined spaces, the camera moves to a point near your soldier and it becomes difficult to see the bigger picture. Also, when performing moves in bullet time, such as a throw, (and this is a personal gripe) the camera won't center in on you so you really can't see the action that well. There are some glitches that occur as well. The biggest problem I have experienced is an echo that comes up during the game's audio in the CG cutscenes. This only happened with one cutscene, but still, a good game would not have this problem.
With these problems and the relative difficulty I had with the driving sequences, I still give the Gameplay a high score because I have never had so much fun beating people up with Kung Fu.

Story 7/10
The story in Enter the Matrix is simple and does not require much thought. The game mostly serves as background info on the secondary characters of Ghost and Niobe. The missions do coincide with the plot of the movie, giving you a more detailed account on how things happened in Reloaded.

Graphics 8/10
Enter the Matrix looks good. The character models are done nicely and appear to have some nice detail (such as Niobe's hairstyle). The environments are big and mostly interactive (you can shoot pillars, knock books or kitchenware of walls when you fight and shoot up industrial structures for example) yet the textures are a little bland and mostly composed of greens, browns and grays (considering how the movie had these color feels, I guess it was supposed to be this way). Bullet Time graphics are cool as you can see the trails left by the bullets fired from the guns. There were little instances involving slow down (there was only one segment where play slowed down a little bit) and unless you do the bullet time, fights are quick and smooth.
The character models are nicely done, but they move in a robotic, less fluid motion (one detail that looks cool is when you open a door while running. Your character with lean and put his/her weight against the door as they open it). Because you do a lot of walking around and running, this robotic movement is kind of an eye sore. It's hard not to say, ''Run, Forrest!'' when your character starts to run.

Sound 10/10
The reason for the high score is because of the sound during hand-to-hand combat. I was hoping so much for this. Everytime you throw a punch or kick, it makes that low whooshing type sound as heard in both Matrix movies. When in bullet time, you can hear the bullets slowly whiz by your character.
Also, the actors do the character voices from the film. J. Smith, Carrie-Anne Moss and Laurence Fishburn provide their voices (among others) for the game and help to make it a true Matrix experience.

Replayability 7/10
This game does have some replay value because once you finish one character, you can play as the other and get a whole new perspective of the game's plot. Also, you will need to complete both characters in order to explore the Hacking mode filled with images, sounds, movie access and more. Providing, of course, that you successfully find them. Hacking is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the game and there is so much to discover after you have completed both characters.

Final Thought
Fans of the Matrix will sure to enjoy this game (I sure do). There are a few trouble spots but the game is generally fun to play. If the trouble spots concern you, rent it and see for yourself. Otherwise, get comfortable, turn off the lights, choose your character and Enter the Matrix.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/19/03, Updated 05/19/03