Enter the Matrix

"Down the Rabbit Hole"

 In 1999, The Matrix phenomenon swept across the country. This was a movie that combined intricate story telling, biblical references, gun fights, kung-fu and some of the best special effects to date. Watching Keanu Reeves dodge those bullets made me realize what an awesome videogame this movie would make. So now, four years later, with the release of its sequel, The Matrix Reloaded, we are finally given this game in Enter the Matrix. When I first heard about this game, I must admit that I had my doubts. Matrix or no matrix, movie games generally aren't very good. Most alter the story into something completely different, and the company producing the game spends little time tweaking the gameplay to ensure that it is a good game. But Enter the Matrix is very different. Instead of following the plot of the movies, it creates a new plot that runs parallel with the movies. This stroke of genius by the Wachoski Brothers adds another layer of depth to their masterpiece.

For those not familiar with The Matrix, the story revolves around a group of resistance fighters trying to win back the world from the machines. Sound familiar? Try this on for size. During a war, man blackened the skies, cutting off the machines from their power source. But instead, the machines used an alternative power source: humans. They plugged all the survivors into a giant computer program known as the Matrix. The Matrix is a computer-generated dream world, it is a means of control to keep the human race in check. Scary, huh? But some have been freed, and are no longer blind to their oppression. They are able to 'hack' into the matrix, and continue the war there as well. But since their minds have been freed, they can realize they are in a computer program. That said, they are capable of many more things than the average person. Since it isn't real, what's to slow them down. What's to stop them from leaping great distances or amazing fighting techniques? Not gravity, since that doesn't exist in a computer program.

The story departs from Neo and the gang for a bit, and instead revolves around the crew of the Logos, and there struggle to assist the Nebuchadnezzar. Aboard the Logos is Niobe, Ghost ( who are introduced in The Matrix Reloaded ) and Sparks, their energetic operator. The duo will visit many of the same places that Neo and company did in the movie, but the events that take place are at different times and directly effect the movie. It even manages to relate to The Final Flight of the Osiris, a part of The Animatrix that was shown in theatres. It neatly brings everything together and even has a cliff hanger of an ending.

It is the unique style that made The Matrix one of the most popular movies of all time. This style is perfectly translated into the gameplay. The controls are extremely intuitive, allowing you to switch back and forth between kung-fu and guns. Along with a nice counter and throw system, there are times when it feels like you are playing an arcade-like fighting game. You can also run up to an opponent and perform a disarm move, which allows you to take their weapon and sometimes kill them in a single hit. What would the matrix be without so good old fashioned bullet-time? Well, the game manages to find a creative use for bullet-time without making the game completely unfair. By pressing L1, you enter focus mode, and time slows down. This allows you to see bullets, and dodge most. However, you can't dodge with the ease that Keanu did in the first. If you're ten feet away from a guy and he fires dead on, he'll probably hit you. Focus allows you to perform long distance jumps, do kicks off walls and even run along walls like Trinity.

That is what you'll be doing most of the time in the matrix. However, driving missions were thrown into the mix as well. As Niobe, you will have to find the best route to get to the goal. As Ghost, you just simply blast things with your MP5. You will also be allowed to pilot a hovercraft in the real world, which was different, to say the least. The driving segments felt rushed, and aren't very entertaining. I found myself rushing through them so I could get on with the game. Perhaps the most innovative feature in this game is the Hacking. Once you have a save file, you can hack into it and pull out all sorts of cheats, videos, character models and all sorts of other hidden goodies. Even those not familiar with computers at all should find this relatively easy, because the program you work with seems to be designed towards the novice. It was rather fun, and a very enjoyable addition to the game.

The graphics, while nothing outstanding, are very good. All of the characters look very similar to their real-life counterparts, and the animation is incredibly fluid. Agents even have that laggy feeling when they dodge bullets. The bullets flying by in focus mode look like just what you would expect from a matrix game. I also think it's worth noting that the game uses actual actors to progress a good chunk of the story. Apparently, it was shot at the same time as the movie. Hugo Weaving and Carrie-Anne Moss are the biggest cameos, and I was really quite surprised to see them. The game also has several scenes directly from the movie, so if you haven't seen the movie yet, I suggest you watch that first.

In The Matrix, I'm sure you noticed how cool it sounded when Neo dodged the bullets. Or how about when he went one on one with Agent Smith? Or the ferocity of the guns being fired in the lobby shoot-out scene? Well, none of that charm has been lost. The sound feels like it was ripped right out of the movie and plugged into this game. The wind rushing from your attacks, the bullets blazing through the air... it all adds to the intensity of the fighting. It's easily one of the high points of the game. You'll also notice the fantastic score. The music is also taken from the movies, and it really makes you feel like you're in the movie. It's fast when it needs to be, and slow when it doesn't. The pace picks right up when you enter a gunfight or encounter an agent.

Despite all its good quality, Enter the Matrix has one glaring drawback: replayability. Once you beat the game, there is nothing more to do since all the extras are obtained through hacking. For the casual gamer, this game will likely hold your attention for about a week. Even for hardcore gamers, this game won't last very long. Of course, matrix fans will be playing this game for months on end.

All in all, this is a very good game. It may not be as innovative as the movies, but it is still a step above most of the action games out there. The story is brilliant, I wasn't expecting it to relate to the movies so directly. If you're a huge fan of the movies, then you should buy this game. If not, give it a rent and I guarantee you'll get your money's worth.

Gameplay- 8/10
It's got great intensity, but as many action games do, it can become repetitive.

Graphics- 8/10
Not up to the standards of many PS2 games, but good nonetheless.

Sound- 10/10
This is the best part of the game. It' so great.

Replay- 5/10
You have no reason to play the game again unless you're a hardcore fan.

Final Score- 8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/21/03, Updated 07/10/03