Enter the Matrix

I held off on buying this game because I had heard so much about how it sucked that I wasn't about to drop 50 bucks for a bad game. I picked it up the other day because it has become one of those "Playstation 2 Greatest Hits" titles.

Really what it all gets down to is this: This game is fun to play. Above all else, that's the most important thing in any game. The controls, which so many complain about, were really easy to get used to. I really don't understand what everyone was complaining about. The sound was great, and I really enjoyed the added dimension the cut scenes gave to the films. The graphics were weak, I'll admit. But frankly, I'd rather play a fun game with a good story than a beautiful game with no story that bores me to tears. All in all, it's a good game and if you like the Matrix, get it.

Seriously, if your a fan of the matrix and you love movie based games done well, then this is the game for you. Yes it is true, this is more for movie/matrix fans then it is for the hardcore gamer. I fall into the former category, I am not or ever will be a "hardcore" gamer. I am a movie fan more, and I did really enjoy the matrix movies, so being able to do bullet time in slow mo, dressed in some slick duds with sunglasses and visiting matrix 1 environments, evading agent smith clones, all the while watching a story made exclusively for the game that ties into the movie, its just a great experience and a fun one. You really do feel you are in the movie world of the matrix, the same creepy vibe you get in films is evident in the game, much more then the other matrix game "path of neo". I thought the graphics were exceptional and well done, even though other reviewers say it looks "rushed", think about it, the game had to tie into the release of the movie and if it at times looks like that, which is rare, it still doesn't look "bad". not at all. this was before xbox 360 graphics and such, so its commendable what they accomplished with this game. Its very interesting story and you can play as 2 characters, and each has different and unique abilities the other doesn't have. 2 different stories, alternate outcomes. its very cool, plain and simple. I've never before or since seen a movie based game done this well or had so much effort put into it.

An average game, as mentioned by other users, the game is not for gamers but movie fans. It is sort of a "Fill In" for many scenes in Matrix Reloaded, or Ghost's or Niaobi's perspective of things.

One can play as Ghost or Niaobi and the game starts with us stealing a tape from a post office. The game moves forward and we get to know what Niaobi's group was doing while Neo and others were trying to get to the key-maker.

When I say about an hour of extra footage, it is live action footage and not some animated one. The game-play is fairly easy and is only for occasional gamers but not for hard core gamers. Another good factor is the sound, which is top notch and the music.

Direction/Animation: Good.

Story/Screenplay: Good.

Acting: Average.

Music: Awesome.

A game for movie fans but not gamers.

I was ecstatic at the idea of a Matrix video game, but I avoided it after most reviews panned. I finally rented and, like everyone else, was disappointed. The game *cannot* stand apart from either The Matrix Reloaded or Final Flight Of The Osiris. The cut scenes read like the deleted scenes from the film, but without any of the connecting scenes from the movie or exposition explaining what's going on, the game has no coherent story or thru-line.

The game play was decent, but the graphics are far behind other games for GameCube, Playstation, or X-Box. The motion capture often left the animated cut scenes feeling stiff. Also, the lack of in-game displays and indicators made it difficult to differential friend from foe and figure out your next objective. The final stage where you pilot the hovercraft through the underground tunnels is the worst of all in terms of graphics and play control. The game ends without any sense of accomplishment or closure, so I was left feeling unsatisfied.

All the reviews I've read say that the game sucks, so why buy it? One reason and one reason only - there's over and hour of DVD quality video in the game. This video isn't just snippets from the three films either. When the Wachowski's shot footage for the video game as they were shooting The Matrix Reloaded and

Do you have to play the video game in order to see the movies. No, just like The Animatrix, you don't have to have played the game in order to enjoy the movie. Yet, there are some very interesting story lines and back stories that you miss if you haven't played it. This content enriches your movie experience. I equate it to watching your favorite television show. Take "Friends" for example. You can sit down and watch any episode of Friends and know what's going on and have a good time watching it. Yet a lot of the enjoyment of the show is the fact that you know about Ross and Rachel's past, or the fact that Monica used to be fat. When you know these back stories, things that happen in current episodes are more enjoyable. "We were on a break!" doesn't mean anything to you if you haven't seen the previous episodes.

The first segment involves going to the post office to collect the package. The second segment involves going to the airport to call all the other captains for the meeting that appears at the start of The Matrix Reloaded. I was very surprised to learn how the captains use the Matrix to leave messages for each other and there is some very funny dialog. While at the airport, you are called upon to save a fellow crew, which greatly expands the level. The third segment involves the meeting of the captains and the subsequent escape after the agents show up. In The Matrix Reloaded, we see Neo fight the agents, but we don't see what happens with the rest of the characters. It's a bit more expanded in the video game. After this third segment, I would recommend that you stop here and watch The Matrix Reloaded. Or at a minimum, watch The Matrix Reloaded, then play the game and then watch The Matrix Revolutions

Throughout the game you're presented with the following elements:

1. Cinematics - through the use of DVD quality video, you see the story unfold with all the main characters from the Matrix Trilogy. They take a few short cuts with the special effects in places, but otherwise it's the same quality of footage as the movies.

2. Animatics - to help transition you from the movie to the game, often times a cinematic with change into an animatic. This simply means that the story unfolds in an animated version using the game engine to render the characters. These cut scenes are just as engaging as the video because they use the actual actor's voices.

3. Game Play - you do actually get to play the game as well. As either Niobe, or Ghost, you navigate your way through the game unfolding the story as you play.

It was no surprise to learn that the game play sucks. As a game, Enter The Matrix is dead on arrival. No matter how powerful your computer is, the game play is going to bog down to a crawl whenever there are a lot of enemies on the screen. The limited ability to save your games is going to cause you to scream more than once. Last but not least, the game play is simply not that engaging. It's very linear and thus you're really only going from point A to point B, press a button, or open a door and the level is over. I'll be honest, as a game, it's a turd.

But that's not the point. The reason for this game is not for you to play it over and over like Quake III, or Medal Of Honor Allied Assault. The purpose for this game is to tell a story. I don't know that a video game is the best medium for telling a story, but I have to give the Wachowski brothers credit for the attempt. To show you that the Brothers simply want you to get to the end, if you get to a point where you can rest, your health will automatically increase. Not just a little at a time, but in 20 seconds you can go from 2% to 100% if you simply stand still (and no one is shooting at you).

Other than the 1 hour of DVD quality video (have I said that enough yet?), the only saving grace is the audio in the game. Dane Davis, the sound designer for the Matrix Trilogies used the exact sounds from the movies. So when you're in bullet time and hearing the guns go off, it's just like you're there. It's weird when the sound effects are the most notable aspects of a game, but they are that good.

The music is also excellent. Don Davis, the composer for the Matrix Trilogies, composed music for the game as well. In addition, there are tracks from Juno Reactor, Chris Vrenna, Fluke, Rob D and others, that add a certain bit of adrenaline to the game play. Great songs to kick butt to.

If you're a die-hard Matrix fan, then I'd recommend buying the game if you can find it on sale. However, you don't have to be a gamer to play this game. Simple button mashing will get you through the game and through all of the stories - which is the point of the whole game anyway. Even if you're not a die-hard fan, the story arcs are good and worth slugging through the game to watch them.