Xbox

Enter the Matrix

A game that is based upon an immensely popular video franchise is a hard thing to pass judgment on, as any fan of the movie has always had their own conception of what a Matrix. Since the opening day of the first movie every gamer had their own thoughts on what a Matrix game would and should be and now that an official Matrix game has been released some of the thoughts change from should and would be, to could be.

Enter the Matrix is the perfect companion to the trilogy of films. With new footage written and directed by the Wachowski brothers and a story that gives new or deeper meaning to sequences in the movies, this game is an absolute no-brainer for Matrix fans. It’s fan boy heaven and the coolest thing since deleted scenes on DVD. On the other hand, if you’re just looking for a solid action game, Enter the Matrix is respectable but not great.

All in all, this game satisfied my craving for a Matrix videogame. Although I was bummed when I realized you couldn’t play with the main three characters of the trilogy (Neo, Trinity and Morpheous), I still kept at it and had fun with what was there. Keep digging throughout the game to unlock mini-games and a multi-player fighter!

Despite an annoying flaw and a lack of Xbox eye candy, we think playing through ETM will be a joy for fans of the movies - seldom do multiformat movie tie-ins manage to convey the atmosphere and feel of the source material so well - and The Matrix as a seriously cool and action-packed movie series to replicate. So respect, kudos, brownie points and a big girly kiss to Shiny for doing such a good job with everything from bullet trails and shattering concrete to death animations and amazing sound (including some great music). But guys: we really need to play as Neo next time…

Wer befindet sich derzeit nicht im Matrix Fieber? All jenen sei gesagt, ihr versäumt was! Aber wem der Film nicht genug ist, der kann mit dem Game "Enter the Matrix" selbst mal in die Rolle eines Helden schlüpfen und sowohl in der Matrix als auch in Zion schauen wozu er fähig ist. Ob das Game das verspricht was der Hype von Matrix auslöst, verraten wir Euch in diesem Doppel-Review.

Four years ago, the original matrix movie was release and it blew viewers away with its impressive special effects. It was one of the first times that we saw “bullet-time” (it has now since been used in just about everything that you can think of.) There was plenty of action to be found, and the story was good enough to keep your attention throughout the movie. Fast forward to the present, and we now have Matrix Reloaded. More of the same special effects can be found, but this time around there is a video game to go along with the movie, Enter the Matrix.

Kaum ein anderes Spiel hat schon vor seinem Release für soviel Aufsehen gesorgt wie Enter the Matrix. Nicht nur der gleichzeitig startende Kinofilm Matrix Reloaded war hierfür verantwortlich, sondern auch die immensen Investitionen in das Spiel. Atari (damals noch Infogrames) kaufte nämlich auch gleich den Entwickler Shiny Entertainment auf. Shiny, dessen Kaufpreis inklusive der Matrix-Lizenz bei mehr als 45 Millionen Dollar lag, ist vielen Videospielern noch ein Begriff.

God loves, hype kills. Marketing departments everywhere are doing such a thorough job that it seems every other day, a new entertainment property emerges that is heralded as the be-all, end-all experience ever to grace a movieplex, television screen or concert stage. Usually, the "new best thing" cannot stand up under the weight of expectation.

If you simply can’t wait then go ahead and get it. There is plenty of fun to be had as long as you can tolerate some average graphics and a few levels of frustrating gameplay. The story alone is nearly worth the price of admission and makes a great companion piece to the movie.

The collision detection is hit-and-miss (pun intended), but the occasional lapses don't adversely affect the gameplay. It's been reported that Enter the Matrix is susceptible to locking up, but I haven't experienced any of that. I can't forget to mention the much ballyhooed extra Matrix footage filmed exclusively for this game. I'm not a big fan of the trilogy, but these scenes are a real treat for fans. Unfortunately, the video is not DVD quality and looks somewhat grainy. Enter the Matrix definitely has its share of issues, but I still had a good time playing it.

Does Enter the Matrix have a ton of little flaws and bugs? Sure it does. Could it have been better if the developers took more time to polish it? Absolutely. But it’s still a fun little game, and a must-own for Matrix fans. And now that people have started trading it in, it shouldn’t be hard to find it at a bargain price. This is a game that deserves a second look after all the initial negative vibes it got, and with Revolutions just around the corner, now is a good of a time as any.

For huge fans of The Matrix Reloaded, it's worth renting for the movie sequences. For everyone else, it's just another licensed game that doesn't do justice to its source material. There have been plenty of games based on movies in the past, and there seems to be an industry subset devoted solely to pumping out run-of-the-mill action games based loosely on books, TV shows, movies, and cartoons. Enter the Matrix attempts to take the concept to the next level by delivering a new storyline that runs concurrent to the movie it's based on, The Matrix Reloaded, filling in some of the back story that the movie doesn't have time to deliver.

Quelle déception que ce jeu d'action. Il est clair que ce titre est sorti à la hâte pour profiter de la sortie de Matrix Reloaded et cela est clairement visible à tous les niveaux. Mal fini, répétitif, ennuyeux, des temps de chargement interminables, Enter The Matrix ne fait vraiment pas honneur à la série éponyme.

To sum up, Enter the Matrix succeeds as a part of the franchise's universe. The mythology, the atmosphere and the bullet-time – It’s all here. As a game, it falls flat on its face. In slow motion. The game is the sum of its parts, with none of the parts being any good. Filled with unfinished and unrefined concepts, the game could have greatly benefited with some more development time.

If the Wachowski-directed movie scenes woo you into the game or you are blatantly curious about the subplot movie, then rent it and watch it as you mindlessly play. If you are wanting this to trump Max Payne, you will be disappointed and are better off borrowing Enter the Matrix from your friend who was already duped by the hype into buying it.

Whenever someone jacks into The Matrix, it seems like they're always clad in Versace leathers and stylish sunglasses. I suppose one explanation is that appearance is a physical manifestation of the id. Either that or everyone is just tired of wearing ratty cotton sweaters.

Enter The Matrix is less of the 'groundbreaking title' Infogrames claimed it would be and more, well, crap. We suggest renting it at best - and that's only if you're absolutely desperate to see what you're not missing.

Conventional wisdom tells us that there's only one thing worse than video games based on movies, and that's movies based on video games. But conventional wisdom isn't always right, and I can name a bunch of really good games that happened to have movie licenses. (Uh, I'll have to get back to you on the list of good vidgame movies.) Certainly, we've come a long way since the days of the reprehensible Total Recall for the NES, and Shiny's Enter The Matrix is a new breed of movie-licensed video game. The game makers worked closely with the Matrix movie staff to take their production to a new level of authenticity and game / movie integration. Unfortunately, playing Enter The Matrix served as a painful reminder that all the authenticity in the world can't help when the game is completely unpolished and the core gameplay is weak.