Enter the Matrix

aka: Heike Diguo
Moby ID: 9211
PlayStation 2 Specs
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Description official descriptions

In the war to save Zion, what part will you play? Enter The Matrix casts the player as Niobe or Ghost, captain and first mate of the rebel ship Logos, respectively. Niobe is a master combatant, capable of beating up everyone in her way. She is an excellent pilot, both in the real world and in the Matrix. Ghost is very adept at firearms, and his marksmanship is a mastery. Both characters are very athletic, and throughout the game the player will have to walk, run, jump, strafe, peek, run on walls, climb ladders and pipes, and fight various enemies.

Available weapons include a security pistol, an automatic pistol, a submachine gun, a machine gun, a shotgun, and grenades. Besides weapons, a variety of hand-to-hand moves are available, from punches, throws, and grabs to kicks and chokes. Throughout the game, the player will be called upon to utilize Focus moves, which is basically bullet time from the films. When Focused, time slows to a crawl, allowing the player to zoom around enemies, dodge bullets, and jump to avoid oncoming obstacles.

The game was written and directed by the Wachowskis, and its plot is intertwined with that of the second movie, The Matrix Reloaded.

Spellings

  • 黑客帝国 - Chinese spelling (simplified)

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Credits (PlayStation 2 version)

535 People (444 developers, 91 thanks) · View all

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Music by
Sound Design by
[ full credits ]

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 63% (based on 68 ratings)

Players

Average score: 2.8 out of 5 (based on 109 ratings with 9 reviews)

A game that is built to be nothing but high-action fun!

The Good
This game is very well made, starting off with the game concept. The fact that you can do the cool moves that you see in the Matrix trilogy's combined with the sheer simplicity of the interface makes this game extremely versitile and enjoyable on many levels. This game is enjoyable to the rookie gamer as well as an expert. Although I doubt a rookie would get past the middle of the game without much frustration. The graphics are really good, one of the best graphics I've seen in games recently. On my computer the graphics don't start to get glichy unless I run the game for over two hours. Restarting the game fixes the problem though. There's also a great integration between powerfull weapons and your awesome kung-fu master character. You can take the gun from a guy's hands bash him in the head with it then flip it in the air and shoot him in the face. The fluid motion of the characters in this game while fighting is really well done, the best to date I believe. What's more, you can also drive and pilot a hovercraft throughout different levels. The game can be played as either "Ghost" or "Niobi" and the plot follows the trilogy's storyline from the beginning to end, but through the eyes of these characters as opposed to the movie's main characters.

The Bad
The music could have been a bit better but its still really good nonetheless. Also the story is in depth enough. Since they use real footage with actors from the movie, they tend to be shorter than you would expect if it were generated. So the story has a hole here and there but that doesn't take away from the fun of the game. Seeing Jada Pinket Smith actually acting for the game is a really cool bonus.

The Bottom Line
This game is awesome! The AI is actually difficult to kill, and there is a number of ways of killing people in differente situations so its really hard to get bored. Focus mode is awesome too an example of it would be Max Payne but better I believe.

Windows · by Thiago Oliveira (85) · 2003

Will you dare to tumble further down the rabbit hole?

The Good
By far the best thing about Enter the Matrix is simply its connection to the Matrix movies. Personally, I am a huge fan of the Matrix trilogy. I love its unique philosophy, its incredible action scenes, and the modern Gothic style. That being said, I went into this game knowing that no matter how bad it might have been, I would have loved it. Fortunately, Enter the Matrix has plenty of great things about it that would have made me like the game regardless of its connection to the movies.

As you have probably already heard, the story in Enter the Matrix runs parallel to that of the second Matrix movie, the Matrix Reloaded. What surprised me is that the Wachowski brothers actually filmed over an hour of extra film footage to be used exclusively in the game. Combined with the in-game cutscenes, this footage provides you with information you didn't get in the movie. Most of the information isn't really important, its just interesting to see the backstory of how things happened in the movie.

Even though the game has such a huge connection to the movie, I think a lot of fans were disappointed to not be able to play as the movie's main characters like Neo or Trinity. Instead, you will play through the game as Captain Niobe of the Logos and her right-hand-man Ghost. I will admit that at first I was a bit weary about playing as these two, but now I realize that it was the best path to choose. If you played as the movie's main characters, all you would be able to do is play through the movie, which is sort of pointless. Not only do you get to learn more about these two minor characters, but you are provided with a whole new experience, and it really works out for the best.

Besides its connection to the movie, Enter the Matrix actually has quite a bit to offer in regards to gameplay. Hand-to-hand combat is fairly simple, consisting of simple punch-kick combos. There is also a wide selection of weapons to choose from in each level, with things like simple handguns, automatic rifles, grenades, and even a nifty little biochemical weapon that fills up the human lungs with water upon explosion. Even with all the weapons to choose from, I nonetheless often found myself resorting to hand-to-hand combat. I'm not sure if it is more effective than weapons, or if its just more fun, but there aren't too many games that I've played where I decide to charge a fully armed SWAT unit with nothing more than my bare fists.

I should explain though, that charging a fully armed SWAT unit empty-handed isn't as crazy as it sounds, at least not in Enter the Matrix. This is because you have the option of using the "Focus" command. By doing this, everything slows down to a crawl and your character can execute special moves. Special moves like dodging bullets (which comes in handy with the SWAT thing), running on walls, and jumping long distances. Focus also helps when you're using a weapon, because not only do you aim much better, you can also do things like shoot while diving and cartwheeling.

Along with the regular run and gun missions, Enter the Matrix makes a few valiant efforts at varying the gameplay. In the world of the Matrix, Niobe is one of the best drivers around, while Ghost is one of the best gunmen. Put these two forces together, and you've got yourself one dangerous pair. And to make use out of these two characters' talents, Enter the Matrix threw in a couple of driving levels. As Niobe, you'll be in charge of driving, and as Ghost, you'll be in charge of hanging halfway out the car window and shooting anything in your sights. While I never actually had as much fun during these parts as I did in the regular levels, it was still nice to have a little variation.

Speaking of variation, I have to throw something else in even though it isn't much different than the rest of the game, because I had so much fun with it. There is an entire level in Enter the Matrix where the majority of the enemies you fight are vampires and werewolves. These guys are really a lot of fun because you really get to exert the full potential of the hand-to-hand combat system. And to top things off, once you do enough damage to a vampire or werewolf, your character will execute a special move where you stick a wooden stake into its heart. My favorite? The one where Ghost jumps up and shoves the stake into the enemy's heart, takes a step back, and kicks the stake in even further. Now how could you not like that?

Another thing that deserves at least a little praise is the fact that your health recharges automatically. Some people might think this is cheap, but I loved it. If you stay out of danger for a few seconds, i.e. don't get shot or punched or anything, your health will start to automatically recover. This way, you don't have to go frantically searching for a health pack only to get killed seconds before reaching one and then have to start the level over. I don't know how you might take this, but it really takes away from some of the frustration that I have experienced in games before.

The music in Enter the Matrix is the same music you heard in the movies. It is mostly the orchestral pieces that you will hear in the game, but during some of the intense battles, some of the heavier modern stuff is thrown in, to add to the atmosphere.

Finally, Enter the Matrix presents a very unique and interesting idea with its Hacking option. Hacking is selected from the main screen, and it is here that you can view area maps, character profiles, weapon descriptions, and input cheat codes. The interesting thing about it is that it resembles very closely an old DOS computer system. In order to view an area map, you'd have to access the B drive, open the maps folder, and input the code for the map you want to view. For whatever reason, it's really fun just browsing around in the Hacking database.

The Bad
If you've read the rest of this review, you know that there is a lot to like about this game. Unfortunately, there is just as much to dislike. The main problem is glitches. Sometimes, these are actually pretty fun; for instance, watching a SWAT officer dance back and forth, like he's bouncing between two invisible walls, while you can just walk up and punch him in the face. But when a glitch costs you your life, they are not so much fun any more. And if you're anything like me, they will cost you your life A LOT.

If you've seen the Matrix movies, then you know what the matrix code looks like. All those random green symbols sliding down the computer screen, remember? Well, I hope you like to look at that a lot, because that's what you get to look at during the excruciatingly long load times. But this wouldn't be so bad if you weren't dying every five seconds due to glitches, because each time you die, you get to sit through another session of "decipher the matrix code", or as I like to call it "go make a sandwich and take a nap time." I'm exaggerating of course, but when you have to sit through so many long load times, it gets frustrating.

If I could ask the developers of Enter the Matrix one question, I think it would have to be why I have to drive in first person. But I have a feeling I already know the answer. They did it that way so you wouldn't be able to see the police cars that come out of nowhere and ram into your side, knocking you head first into a building so that they can box you in and shoot to their heart's content. A minor problem, sure, but annoying nonetheless.

I realize after having watched the first Matrix movie one hundred times and counting that the rules of physics in the Matrix can be bent, but when did guns start shooting bullets in every direction, regardless of where the gun is pointed? Do me a favor. If you ever get a chance to play this game, run up to an enemy in focus mode. If he turns around to run away, watch how the bullets come out of the gun at a ninety degree angle straight for you. Cheap? You bet!

The Bottom Line
To round it all up, Enter the Matrix is a fairly mediocre game with some unique aspects and a few problems here and there. All things considered, Enter the Matrix really is a fun game. If you're a fan of the Matrix movies, definitely pick this up. If you're looking for a fun game to waste away your time, at the very least, consider this game.

PlayStation 2 · by DarkDove (63) · 2004

An interesting concept for a game - that's very poorly executed.

The Good
First off, lemme get this out of the bag first - I'm a HUGE Matrix fan. I love all 3 movies, and The AniMatrix. I think the movie/anime concept of the Matrix universe is one of the most compelling we've seen since Star Wars and Blade Runner.

That being said, "Enter the Matrix" (ETM) could have been a thousand times better if it hadn't been for the time constrains placed on Shiny Entertainment. I figure if it were given an extra 3 months to work out the bugs and improve the game's engine, it would have done much better.

But I digress. There are some good points to the game.

First off - the concept. Shiny had a huge amount of support from the producers of "The Matrix" and had access to virtually every piece of audio, visual, and the actors. The fact that you play from the end of "Final Flight of the Osiris" (from "The AniMatrix"), through the events of "The Matrix Reloaded" is cool. Video footage was shot specifically for the game, including the majority of the actors from the movie. And since the game runs parallel to the movie, it's part of the canon and continuity of the films. Plus, you don't get the Whole Story of what happens unless you play through the game and watch all the FMV cutscenes. I've noticed that Hollywood is taking a much more active role in co-operating with Game designers/producers in making sure what you see on your computer is as good as what you see on the big screen, and ETM is sorta on the right track with the blending of Hollywood and the PC entertainment industry.

The Graphics - if you have a PC fast enough (more on that later), are top-notch. Again, Shiny used photos and digital sources from the movie itself (first-generation Sound and Visual FX, along with high quality photos of props, sets, etc.) So the graphics quality (production-wise) is astounding. The use of Motion Capture is extensive. The Wachowski Brothers insisted that each actor wear the mo-cap suit. Normally one actor will perform all the mo-cap for ALL the characters in a game, mostly to save time and money. The difference is that The Brothers wanted to make sure that when you see a character walk on the Big Screen, that same character walks the same way in the game. Talk about a stickler for details.

The Sound/Music is top-notch as well. Don Davis' score is used extensively in the game, along with the familiar sound effects from the movies.

And one other part of the game that is really neat is the "Hacking" mode. Basically to unlock levels, cheat codes, messages from the characters, models, and other fun things are done by hacking a save file (within the game, of course). It's a fairly intuitive system, but it looks like it was designed for a console system, and not the PC game. You move around using pseudo-DOS commands, and you can gain access to a lot of behind-the-scenes, and background info. The one quirk I don't like is the fact that it DOESN'T quite operate the same was as DOS does. So it's a bit difficult if you grew up typing directory names, and it doesn't quite work the same way in the game itself.

The Bad
Wow. Where to start.

I think the failure of ETM cannot be blamed on any one department, person or entity. There are many factors that busted this game, but I'll list a few of the main ones. One of the MAJOR factors, I believe, is the fact that the game HAD to launch on the day of "The Matrix Reloaded" film debut. Time constraints are never good for programmers (for comparison, look at Blizzard for excellent examples of the "It'll release when it's done" motto), especially when trying to program a game that is trying very hard to break the "Movie-tie in: curse.

Gameplay - The game doesn't play very well on a PC. I believe it was designed for consoles, and perhaps it should have stayed that way. Frame rates were atrocious (even with all the graphics options turned down or OFF), glitches in the camera abound (especially when hand-to-hand fighting), basic button mashing (fighting - although it looks cool - is a joke), and the first-person shooting mode (due to the frame rate) is near impossible to play.

Control - It's not there. I've played a few Third person shooters, and the majority of them are very easy to play. ETM isn't. The controls swtich between over-the-shoulder third-person (i.e. Tomb Raider, MDK2), and side-scrolling style (i.e. Street Fighter/Mortal Kombat views). A neat transition, but nearly impossible to controll you character. And if you are fighting more that one enemy at a time, the game might not do what you want it to.

Graphics - the downside. This game is a system hog. I'm running the bare minimum to play game, and it's virutally unplayable. Clipping issues, control issues, pop-up (during chase scenes), and collision detection are the major issues in the game.

And there is a nasty bug (at least while I was playing), while playing Ghost - I finally made it through Concourse 2 (after defeating the helicopter). I go to exit the game, and it dumps me to Windows. EVERY DAMN TIME. I haven't even got through that level, and if the bug continues to exist (the game is "fully patched" on the DVD release), I'm gonna give up.

The Bottom Line
Now I've heard that the game plays very well on the console side of the gaming world, and perhaps it does. If that's the case, I might have enjoyed the game much more. I believe that the fact that Shiny pushed this game out on Mulitple platform all at the same time (with the same release date) really hindered their efforts. Perhaps they should have worked on one version of the game (a la GTA3), and after working the bugs out of ONE version of the game, they could port the game over to multiple platforms.

ETM tried to be a ground-breaking game. I think that between Shiny Entertainment, Warner Brothers and Village Roadshow Pictures, the PC industry is taking the right steps to making movie video game the best that the can be. It's been done right (take a look at "The Lord of the Rings" games by EA), but unfortunately, ETM wasn't done right at all - at least for the PC.

If you have a very (I'm talking at LEAST a 3.0gz) high-end system, you might be able to enjoy ETM the way it was meant to be enjoyed. Those of you with low-end systems should pass on ETM until you upgrade. And even then, I'd play it ONLY to get the story behind the game, not the game itself.

Windows · by Chris Martin (1155) · 2004

[ View all 9 player reviews ]

Trivia

Advertising

At the end of the game there is a trailer for The Matrix Revolutions.

Extra footage

The game features two hours of footage not seen in any of the movies. It was shot especially for the game by the Wachowski Brothers and features the supporting cast from The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. Carrie-Ann Moss also makes a brief appearance as Trinity although Keanu Reeves (Neo) and Laurence Fishburne (Morpheous) are both absent.

The footage was later included in The Ultimate Matrix Collection on the The Matrix Reloaded Revisited DVD.

Sales

On August 31, 2003 Enter the Matrix (PS2) won the Gold-Award from the German VUD (Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland - Entertainment Software Association Germany) for selling more then 100,000 (but less then 200,000) units in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

Script

The Wachowski brothers were so passionate about creating a genuine The Matrix atmosphere that they wrote a 244 page script just for the game.

The Matrix Reloaded

The game was released on the same day as the movie The Matrix Reloaded. Throughout this film, there are numerous billboards to be seen. These billboards contain cheat codes for the game.

Warner Bros. license system

The poor reviews for Enter the Matrix inspired Warner Bros. to create a system where games with WB licenses that received less than a 70% rating on average out of all game reviews would require extra royalties. This was created in an effort to minimize bad movie-licensed games from Warner Bros. products.

Awards

  • Computer Games Magazine
    • March 2004 - #5 Worst Game of the Year 2003
  • Computer Gaming World
    • March 2004 (Issue #236) – Worst Use of a License of the Year
  • GameSpy
    • 2003 – Biggest Disappointment of the Year (PC)
  • Golden Joystick Awards
  • PC Powerplay (Germany)
    • Issue 03/2005 - #7 Biggest Disappointment
    • Issue 02/2006 - #4 Hype Disappointment
  • Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (VUD)
    • August 31, 2003 - Gold Award

Information also contributed by Daniel Albu, JPaterson, Macintrash, Maw, Solid Flamingo, Xoleras, and Zack Green.

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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by JPaterson.

Windows, PlayStation 2, GameCube added by Kartanym.

Additional contributors: Macintrash, PCGamer77, Unicorn Lynx, DreinIX, Cantillon, Patrick Bregger, piltdown_man.

Game added May 16, 2003. Last modified March 8, 2024.