By Dan Blomberg on May 23rd, 2003

Presentation
When you first boot up you’re met with an intro & title screen filled with the classic green Matrix data codes. Kind of feels like you’re about to boot up some Xbox Live… Anywho at the title screen you get the every day selections of most games load, new game, & options. The options menu is also run-of-the-mill stuff controller config, sound, etc. But what’s new the main menu that’s pretty cool is the Hacking option! Sure it’s mostly just a section to register cheat codes. But if you read between the lines if becomes a cool new feature that adds to the overall presentation of the game. What exactly I’m talking about you’ll have to find out for yourself I’ll hate to spoil such cool surprises. Starting a new game you have the choice of Niobe or Ghost from the 2nd movie. So jack yourself in and Enter The Matrix!

Graphics
The first thing you’ll notice is the quality of the cut scenes, which are on a par with the video of a nice DVD player throughout. Thanks to developer Factor 5’s DivX video compression tools. With an hour’s worth of scenes to witness filled with Jada clips it is a nice thing to have. Graphically there is some extremely impressive stuff here and there the moves and animation are extremely well executed, with highly detailed character models. Compared to Max Payne, Dead to Rights, etc… the animation is vastly superior and puts to shame all beat ‘em up, shoot’em up games we’ve seen in this generation of videogames. The level design doesn’t quite match up to the excellent character models. With most areas with little “real” detail, but you’ll be too busy whooping the shit outta everything in sight to notice too much visual elements of a damn wall. All together the visuals of the game are impressive enough for your eyes to enjoy. And don’t get me started on the Progressive Scan support. With PS mode you’ll get the chance to really feel like you’re “inside” Niobe.

Jump for joy!

Audio
Enter The Matrix is indeed one of the best sounding games to hit the GameCube. Every bang & boom is made with the highest level of detail. The rattta tat tat of you and your enemy’s guns are great. Makes you feel like you’re deep into the action. While in focus mode the wiz of hot lead past you noggin in also a real treat. The sound of kicks punches & crunches are all sweet with great collision detection. The voice work is done very well with the real actors & actresses doing it and all. Nothing sounds weird or outta wack. Although sometimes when the characters speak their lips are not in sync with the words that comes flying out. But it’s nothing to go bananas over! Did I mention the DDPL-II support!

Gameplay
In order to understand how and where this is going you must understand the idea behind the game. The game itself is truly not a game, but like a digital movie. First off, you start off and choose between Ghost or Niobe. Each character has his/her own path in the game, it is different depending on which character you choose. Kind of like Capcom’s Resident Evil series. After choosing and getting introduced to the starting plot, stage one begins. There are several main stages in this game, which are cut into little stages each giving you an objective to achieve. So you play each stage piece by piece. Based on the type of stage played you might have to explore and fight, or you might have to drive, or you might have to fight a boss (damn them Agents). Flight stages are the games low. But they are forgivable. There are a few other types of stages, but I cannot describe them without giving away a spoiler that you’ll hate me for. Stage difficulty is well balanced. The more you play the tougher the game gets. By the end you’ll know the importance of that 3% Focus you have left during a cross fire.

As the game begins, you will notice a meter called FOCUS. Focus is also known as bullet time in Max Payne the game that made it famous in the videogame realm. This is the slow motion camera work used in the Matrix films to show how a character can manipulate the Matrix to achieve extraordinary feats. Since the First movie videogames & other movies alike has copied the trend. Even Nintendo’s own Zelda: The Wind Waker sampled the style. So when The Matrix finally gets its game is it still fun? Damn skippy it is. Not only is it fun but its better executed than past video games. It works like this the longer you hold the focus button moves are quicker and more heavy. The longer you stay in focus mode the lower your meter falls. The meter will eventually replenish itself, but only after a time of not using it. On a side note, your health also comes back after a time, even though there are instant 100% health packs hidden around the game. As the health and Focus meters fill up they get slower and slower nearing 100%. A good playing tip is to find an area where you can sit unmolested and replenish. Niobe & Ghost has the ability to shimmy along narrow ledges, and to move hand over hand on pipes as well as wrap your legs around them and use it as a perch to fire guns from a unique perspective. The developers were very complete in the other abilities of the characters. They can look around corners, lean up against the wall for movie style ambience during game play as well as duck down behind boxes and tables to shield you from gun fire.

Control, depending on what type of stage you are playing is different. The adventure and boss fighting stages play the same. The driving stages play differently, though they control like your typical car driving games. There is gas, brake and emergency brake, 3rd person and in car perspectives as well as the ability to move the camera to either the right, left or front of the car. This is helpful for seeing where the bad guys are. There a twist though, while you play as Niobe you’ll be in the driver’s seat while the computer takes control of Ghost busting caps at the baddies. As Ghost you’ll be the one letting off gunfire while the computer drives as Niobe. In the stages on foot the controls sometimes get complicated. You need to know what buttons do what and how much you have at your disposal in terms of items and abilities. During the game little windows will pop up saying "NEW TIP."

The AI is quite intelligent most of the time. Enemies are quite perceptive of what you are doing and can react to the situation. They can also hide behind walls, roll away from gunfire, and chase you on multi-platform arenas. The police represent a large number of your enemies during the game, though agents will eventually show up. At first they are easy to avoid and/or fend off, but later on in the game they become very annoying and very hard. If agents surround you, unless you have full focus and a lot of ammo, most likely you will die very quickly and have to start the stage over. Later stages this becomes really hard and killing an agent is near impossible in the game just lick the flicks. But when it comes down to it it’s almost always fun crack heads during the game. Note taking on Agent Smith is suicide!!!

Lasting Appeal
With two characters to go through the game with, not to mention the game does have nice length. You could easily squeeze 2 months of enjoyment out of Enter The Matrix. Sure you might finish the main game in a week or so. But the fun of kicking so many asses in a videogame is almost un-matched. Plus the added kicks of hacking your GameCube are more fun that can waste a good few hours of your life. It even has an unlockable multiplayer mode. By playing through the game with different hacks can make almost a whole new experience.

Conclusion
Ok the Matrix Reloaded made you fall asleep and you missed the good action scenes. So do yourself a favor and take control of the Matrix action you want so bad. Sure you’re not busting skullz with Neo or better yet Agent Smith (damn he’s cool). But with Enter The Matrix Shiny does deliver something that the Wachowski brothers never did in the movies. 75% kick ass action, 25% boring/confusing story instead of the movies vice versa!

~ditto~

The Good
+ Almost non-stop action.
+ Fluid Animations.
+ Jada Pinkket-Smith.
+ Surprise the driving stages are fun.
+ Coincides with Matrix Reloaded.

The Bad
- Flying the Logos.
- Difficulty when Agent Smith is on your ass.
- Needs more throw moves.
- Hacking can be confusing.

The Stupid
? Where’s a playable Neo...