5/26: 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.
The story 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. 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.
The sound is one of the best parts of the game. The kung-fu sounds exactly like the movie, being in focus sounds the same and even the Agents firing their guns is every bit as cool as it was in the movies. The music is great, since most of it was taken from the movies. It really makes you feel like you're playing a completely separate movie.
Despite all it's 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.
Final Score: 8 out of 10
