The Bottom Line: Better than the movie. Lines blur. Play the movie. If only the directors, I mean the producers had taken more time to work out the nuances. The future?
Enter the Matrix Reloaded is what they could have titled this game. It truly is as though you are stepping into the actual Matrix. I only wish I could have played it in my own private movie theater.
What could have been brilliant turned out to be only above average. It's still difficult for me to rate it though because there were moments when I was thoroughly lost in the enjoyment of the experience while others left me scratching my head.
To set the scene for myself, I saw The Matrix Reloaded last weekend. I thought it was terrible. It felt like a video game. No buildup, just massively insane action sequences pieced together by a razor thin story knitting kinda like the rustic, hand-made sweaters the characters wore that all looked purposely worn in spots. I never cared.
The game is like the movie but I kinda liked the game but not the movie. It's much more fun to play a game than to watch one but could it be even more fun to play a movie as a game?
The movie, oops, I mean game, starts with nice video footage that sets the scene. You can either play the role of Capt. Naomi or Ghost, both characters from the movie. Neo is not an option. The use of cuts scenes enhanced the experience for me. Normally I am quite against them. Here they really drive the story and blur the lines between gamemoviemoviegame. The other plus is that you can easily hit A and move past them if you wish.
The controls are not so good. Who ever heard of the BLACK button being FIRE? The game is designed so that you learn the controls as you play. As you progress, Sparks (Link in the film) gives you hints and tips to help you along. Movement is controlled mainly through the left thumbstick, the right thumbstick being for switching into first person (camera is third person). The first person view is annoying. You can't move in first person except side-to-side? You can also jump, kick, punch, strafe, fire, throw, and use focus.
Focus is the matrix power. This was first used in the game Max Payne, although I think that was copied from the movie The Matrix. It allows you to jump farther, kick harder, perform various cool feats, and slow everything down so as to avoid bullets and basically kick more a**. There are two meters, one for health and one for focus. They replenish easily so that all you need do is hide for a few and jump back into the fray.
The graphics are excellent, although not quite as detailed as Splinter Cell. Well rendered faces and especially hair. The variety and complexity of the locations is nice. I felt that the matrix was real. Like a giant world that existed around me. From tunnel to building to power plant to airport the rabbit hole, I was enveloped. Was I part of the movie or was the movie part of the game? Good lighting and excellent sound combined to add depth and breadth.
I actually liked the story. Piecing things together as I progressed did have me feeling as though I was a futuristic detective. Although some cut scenes were long, they worked for me. I estimate it took me about 15 hours to complete, which is long by my standards. More than once I thought the game was over. More than once I was fooled.
The hand-to-hand fighting was cool. Enter the Matrix is as much about a** kicking as it is about gunplay. Once you get the hang of using focus, the slow speed fight scenes can get really intense. There is nothing quite like taking down your enemy with a flying roundhouse combination in slow motion.
Unfortunately, something about the game was just a little off. Although the Wachowski brothers are self proclaimed gamers, Enter the Matrix felt like it was made more by movie producers than gamers (see review).
For instance, the pacing was horrid. Playing on normal difficulty I was able to breeze through the first big section until I came to the airport. There, one scene took me almost 1 hour to complete. Nothing is more annoying to a gamer than getting stuck, especially if until then, you were god.
Other examples are the pointless scenes like driving down the freeway blasting cops or fending off robots while flying through the rabbit hole. It felt like filler. I had no excitement or desire to complete them except the promise getting to next section. Very repetitive.
The third person camera did not always work. As with most games using this technique, tight spaces can be an issue. It was disorienting at times.
I could go into more detail about the game itself but I think you get the gist. Again, this is a difficult review because I really enjoyed many aspects of Enter the Matrix. At times I was enthralled while at times I was cursing. It's the closest anyone has come to redefining the video game genre in that it is actually a videogamemovie, not only complementing the film but expanding on it. This strategy is not entirely new (other examples are Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and The Hulk) but has never been seen to this level. The major difference being that the movie and the game were created simultaneously. They form a symbiotic relationship. For good or for bad, I expect it to become the norm as video games and Hollywood meld.
5 stars for effort but only 2 stars for execution equals 3.5 stars.
I think it's best as a weekly rental as you should be able to complete the experience within the 7 days.
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