Impressions | Enter The Matrix

As I await the 4 years for the sequel to the Matrix, a game comes in on a delivery this Wednesday (14th May 2003) from Shiny entertainment. What’s this game? It’s only the official Matrix game.
The game is interlinked with the second movie Matrix Reloaded, which comes out on the 23rd Of May. It is a very interesting idea indeed. The developers of it have said that when you see Neo fighting in the main room of this house, you will be in the bathroom.
Separated over two discs, ETM gives you the choice of two characters to be. The first is Ghost, who I didn’t play with, but watched another person play as him. The person I played with was Niobe (Played by Jada Smith Pinkett in the movies)
The start of the game follows a Animatrix short called “Final Flight Of The Osiris” made by the same Squaresoft team that made the failed Final Fantasy Film. I won’t spoil the animatrix short, but the game starts off with you having to collect a very important package from a post office.
The fighting is the most impressive bit of the game. It ranges from combos and main hits from kicks and punches.
On the bottom right of the screen with have a small meter called “focus” This is built up in exchange for kicking ass! The focus meter is mainly for Bullet time. Or in other words the coolest thing ever! With a press of the “L” trigger, it allows you to slow down time, dodge bullets, and make you character that tiny bit harder, therefore when kicking someone they fly metres in the air!
The car sections are quite dire really. Apparently using the Driver engine, it does nothing for the game, all it really is, is driving from A to B avoiding about ten cop cars. There is a neat bit where you press the ‘Y’ button whilst driving to allow either non playable character to lean out and shoot the cop cars.
Following the driving section we see a cool cut scene whilst driving down an alley. Niobe and Ghost are trying to get out of The Matrix. This leads to the first sighting of the Black car!
For all those people who have seen the first Matrix, will recognise this car as one of the Agents.

It then leaves you running along the top of a building trying to get out of the matrix. And hopefully not confronting the agent in pursuit.

We were near the door and a cut scene starts. Niobe shouts. "here's the door, come on Ghost" She reaches for the door handle. Suddenly the door flies open smashing Niobe in the face. We are not talking a small bang. We are talking slow down and a BOOM! with blood flying out of Niobes mouth. real nasty.

This then turns into a chase along the rooftops like the opening scene in the first film. But I am not running! RAGGH!
I turned around and started shooting my two guns at Agent Johnson. he dodge all of them.. bastard!
I then tried to give him some combos. he blocked most of it. I managed to flip him, but he side kicked me off of a building and I went through the floor of the opposite building. He then jumped down and grabbed me by the hand tripped me up and stamped on my face......... I didn't get up!"

It is a good game, but compared to the films it’s a bit of a disappointment. I won’t say much more due to me having been and seen the second film and completing the game.

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