Game expands on 'Matrix'

By Marc Saltzman
Gannett News Service

REVIEW Platform: Sony PlayStation 2, Microsoft Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, Windows PC Genre: Action Developer: Shiny Entertainment Publisher: Atari Web Site: enterthematrixgame.com Price: $49.99 Rating: "T" for teen Score: out of 5

That's because the Wachowski brothers — the same writer/director team responsible for the blockbuster "Matrix" movie trilogy — also collaborated with video game makers Shiny Entertainment to create a game that is deeply integrated with the feature films.

In fact, "Enter the Matrix" features never-before-seen film footage and interwoven plot elements from "The Matrix Reloaded" in the hopes the two stories will help paint a bigger picture of the overall "Matrix" saga.

But how good is this game?

While it's not as polished as it could be, action gamers — and especially fans of the films — will enjoy this gravity-defying adventure.

Available now for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube and PC, "Enter The Matrix" is a third-person action game that gives players a chance to fight, shoot, drive and fly though many familiar (and some unfamiliar) movie environments, while battling the relentless computer-controlled "Agents," security guards and other bad guys.

Without giving away too much of the game's story, players have the option to compete as one of two characters: Niobe or Ghost. Depending on the choice, gamers will see different levels, have different skills and will witness a slightly different take of the adventure.

"Enter The Matrix" is an action game, and there's plenty of it.

The kung-fu scenes are some of the best in any video game to date. These hand-to-hand fighting sequences were directed by Yuen Wo Ping, the fight scene choreographer from the feature films.

A "Matrix" game wouldn't be complete without "bullet time," where players can slow down time to perform complicated combination moves and run along walls. While Take-Two Entertainment's "Max Payne" uses this technique to some extent, it's even better in "Enter The Matrix" because the "bullet time" meter must be replenished by defeating tougher "boss" enemies.

As good as some of the visual effects are, some fighting sequences can be a bit sloppy, especially when the camera angle isn't locked in the best possible position and when there are too many enemies onscreen. Controlling the combat is quite intuitive, though, especially with the PS2 controller, which is far easier to use than a PC joystick.

While the game is roughly three-quarters fighting, "Enter The Matrix" includes a driving component. For example, Niobe must race through a city to reach an end point, despite the increasing number of police cars and other obstacles.

Players also can pilot the Logos, a hovercraft in the Zion fleet, used to escape bombardment by malevolent sentinels.

Visually speaking, "Enter The Matrix" has a lot of style — in both character design and the wildly imaginative environments — but it's a mixed bag at best. For example, lead characters Niobe and Ghost look much better than the many enemies they encounter, and the transition from game play footage to the movie footage may ruin some suspension of disbelief.

"Enter The Matrix" isn't a perfect slice of interactive entertainment, but it does provide at least a dozen hours of action-packed fun and serves as a clever vehicle to expand on the events in "The Matrix Reloaded."