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So, I finally got my hands on a copy of Enter the Matrix today after months of waiting. First time I saw the screenshots I thought it looked dump, then I saw the fight footage and went all wibbly inside. And now I own it. And am I pleased.
Thing is, if you don't much like The Matrix films, you probably won't get a kick out of the game. I was gonna get the Xbox version but ended up with a PS2 copy, nonetheless, it's still a very good game, or from what I can gather from playing for a few hours or so. The first level sees you attempting to retrieve a package from... the Post Office. As exciting as it sounds, it's actually a great little level and you really get the chance to get to grips with all the moves. Combat is simple, one button for punch, one for kick, both together for a throw. Press any button with a combination of any direction, and you'll get a different style of punch/kick etc. To be honest, sometimes it feels like pot luck which move you pull off, but it looks very, very cool.
And then there's the Focus button. Oh yes. Hold down L1 and the action slows down, just like bullet-time - run alongside a wall and you'll run up and cartwheel off. Run and push the action button and you'll do an acrobatic cartwheel. More importantly, combine the Focus with an offensive move, and the action swings to the side and you act out a badass martial arts move, complete with swooshing noises. Man it's fun. If you perform a Focus attack on an enemy near a wall or table etc. your character sticks one foot on the surface and leaps into the air, smashing your opponent hard where it hurts. This feels brilliant, right up there with classic gaming moments.
But it's not without flaws. The graphics, at least on the PS2 version, are ropey at best. They're functional, they do the job and they're faithful to the Matrix world (ie. fairly drab and workaday) but they're not brilliant by any means. Likewise the camera, it will occasionally go walkabout in the middle of a multiple-enemy fight, but then almost every game has camera troubles and with something as advanced as this, it was kind of expected. The controls are, on the whole, fine, although I miss having the right stick to strafe, instead I have to settle for the shoulder buttons. The fire button also feels wrong on R1.
But after 5 minutes, you'll forgive the odd flaky polygon and camera shake because this IS the Matrix, it's got MATRIX stamped all over it. From the opening loading screens to the way the characters move and fight, everything screams quality. The music in particular is excellent, and helps build up the awesome atmosphere that envelops the game from the word go. The first level sets the scene very well, with a cool escape plot making you escape from a familiar looking lobby from many mental armed guards. Damn man, it's so cool. If you like your Matrix stuff, I reckon you'll feel right at home here.
So, first impressions - not brilliant, but certainly great fun, and has the potential in later levels to be awesome. The bullet-time is superb, the music stirring and the storyline straight out of the Matrix universe. I reckon I'm onto a winner here.
Thing is, if you don't much like The Matrix films, you probably won't get a kick out of the game. I was gonna get the Xbox version but ended up with a PS2 copy, nonetheless, it's still a very good game, or from what I can gather from playing for a few hours or so. The first level sees you attempting to retrieve a package from... the Post Office. As exciting as it sounds, it's actually a great little level and you really get the chance to get to grips with all the moves. Combat is simple, one button for punch, one for kick, both together for a throw. Press any button with a combination of any direction, and you'll get a different style of punch/kick etc. To be honest, sometimes it feels like pot luck which move you pull off, but it looks very, very cool.
And then there's the Focus button. Oh yes. Hold down L1 and the action slows down, just like bullet-time - run alongside a wall and you'll run up and cartwheel off. Run and push the action button and you'll do an acrobatic cartwheel. More importantly, combine the Focus with an offensive move, and the action swings to the side and you act out a badass martial arts move, complete with swooshing noises. Man it's fun. If you perform a Focus attack on an enemy near a wall or table etc. your character sticks one foot on the surface and leaps into the air, smashing your opponent hard where it hurts. This feels brilliant, right up there with classic gaming moments.
But it's not without flaws. The graphics, at least on the PS2 version, are ropey at best. They're functional, they do the job and they're faithful to the Matrix world (ie. fairly drab and workaday) but they're not brilliant by any means. Likewise the camera, it will occasionally go walkabout in the middle of a multiple-enemy fight, but then almost every game has camera troubles and with something as advanced as this, it was kind of expected. The controls are, on the whole, fine, although I miss having the right stick to strafe, instead I have to settle for the shoulder buttons. The fire button also feels wrong on R1.
But after 5 minutes, you'll forgive the odd flaky polygon and camera shake because this IS the Matrix, it's got MATRIX stamped all over it. From the opening loading screens to the way the characters move and fight, everything screams quality. The music in particular is excellent, and helps build up the awesome atmosphere that envelops the game from the word go. The first level sets the scene very well, with a cool escape plot making you escape from a familiar looking lobby from many mental armed guards. Damn man, it's so cool. If you like your Matrix stuff, I reckon you'll feel right at home here.
So, first impressions - not brilliant, but certainly great fun, and has the potential in later levels to be awesome. The bullet-time is superb, the music stirring and the storyline straight out of the Matrix universe. I reckon I'm onto a winner here.
Page:
Official Xbox Magazine - 8.5/10
Official PS2 Magazine - 8/10
Official PS2 Magazine - 8/10
I shall get it at lunchtime.
If it sucks, I'll Matrix your head.
If it sucks, I'll Matrix your head.
I'd say if you're not sure, it feels like the perfect game to rent or borrow. Good fun for a 10 minute blast.
I have that problem aswell i am not a big matrix fan, you can't be defined a fan of the matrix if you really 'liked' the movie :p
It's a film so there's no way of telling who's the fans or who's not because even if people seen the first it's basically its own movie so you can either 'liked' the first film and liked the matrix: reloaded once you've seen it.
Anyway i am soooo tempted by burnout 2, splinter cell and nba street 2 that im not gonna gamble on this :\
It's a film so there's no way of telling who's the fans or who's not because even if people seen the first it's basically its own movie so you can either 'liked' the first film and liked the matrix: reloaded once you've seen it.
Anyway i am soooo tempted by burnout 2, splinter cell and nba street 2 that im not gonna gamble on this :\
i was gonna pre-order it, but instead i went for the splinter cell option.
i stand by my decision, i am a BIG matrix fan, but will need some serious persuasion to fork out for etm.
Also, I don't want to know ANY of the plot til I've seen the new film.
and thats my two cents
i stand by my decision, i am a BIG matrix fan, but will need some serious persuasion to fork out for etm.
Also, I don't want to know ANY of the plot til I've seen the new film.
and thats my two cents
I'm not the biggest matrix fan... great film though and cool sequences sounds quite good but dunno if i should gamble on this instead of some others for my cube before the summer game drought :\
So, I finally got my hands on a copy of Enter the Matrix today after months of waiting. First time I saw the screenshots I thought it looked dump, then I saw the fight footage and went all wibbly inside. And now I own it. And am I pleased.
Thing is, if you don't much like The Matrix films, you probably won't get a kick out of the game. I was gonna get the Xbox version but ended up with a PS2 copy, nonetheless, it's still a very good game, or from what I can gather from playing for a few hours or so. The first level sees you attempting to retrieve a package from... the Post Office. As exciting as it sounds, it's actually a great little level and you really get the chance to get to grips with all the moves. Combat is simple, one button for punch, one for kick, both together for a throw. Press any button with a combination of any direction, and you'll get a different style of punch/kick etc. To be honest, sometimes it feels like pot luck which move you pull off, but it looks very, very cool.
And then there's the Focus button. Oh yes. Hold down L1 and the action slows down, just like bullet-time - run alongside a wall and you'll run up and cartwheel off. Run and push the action button and you'll do an acrobatic cartwheel. More importantly, combine the Focus with an offensive move, and the action swings to the side and you act out a badass martial arts move, complete with swooshing noises. Man it's fun. If you perform a Focus attack on an enemy near a wall or table etc. your character sticks one foot on the surface and leaps into the air, smashing your opponent hard where it hurts. This feels brilliant, right up there with classic gaming moments.
But it's not without flaws. The graphics, at least on the PS2 version, are ropey at best. They're functional, they do the job and they're faithful to the Matrix world (ie. fairly drab and workaday) but they're not brilliant by any means. Likewise the camera, it will occasionally go walkabout in the middle of a multiple-enemy fight, but then almost every game has camera troubles and with something as advanced as this, it was kind of expected. The controls are, on the whole, fine, although I miss having the right stick to strafe, instead I have to settle for the shoulder buttons. The fire button also feels wrong on R1.
But after 5 minutes, you'll forgive the odd flaky polygon and camera shake because this IS the Matrix, it's got MATRIX stamped all over it. From the opening loading screens to the way the characters move and fight, everything screams quality. The music in particular is excellent, and helps build up the awesome atmosphere that envelops the game from the word go. The first level sets the scene very well, with a cool escape plot making you escape from a familiar looking lobby from many mental armed guards. Damn man, it's so cool. If you like your Matrix stuff, I reckon you'll feel right at home here.
So, first impressions - not brilliant, but certainly great fun, and has the potential in later levels to be awesome. The bullet-time is superb, the music stirring and the storyline straight out of the Matrix universe. I reckon I'm onto a winner here.
Thing is, if you don't much like The Matrix films, you probably won't get a kick out of the game. I was gonna get the Xbox version but ended up with a PS2 copy, nonetheless, it's still a very good game, or from what I can gather from playing for a few hours or so. The first level sees you attempting to retrieve a package from... the Post Office. As exciting as it sounds, it's actually a great little level and you really get the chance to get to grips with all the moves. Combat is simple, one button for punch, one for kick, both together for a throw. Press any button with a combination of any direction, and you'll get a different style of punch/kick etc. To be honest, sometimes it feels like pot luck which move you pull off, but it looks very, very cool.
And then there's the Focus button. Oh yes. Hold down L1 and the action slows down, just like bullet-time - run alongside a wall and you'll run up and cartwheel off. Run and push the action button and you'll do an acrobatic cartwheel. More importantly, combine the Focus with an offensive move, and the action swings to the side and you act out a badass martial arts move, complete with swooshing noises. Man it's fun. If you perform a Focus attack on an enemy near a wall or table etc. your character sticks one foot on the surface and leaps into the air, smashing your opponent hard where it hurts. This feels brilliant, right up there with classic gaming moments.
But it's not without flaws. The graphics, at least on the PS2 version, are ropey at best. They're functional, they do the job and they're faithful to the Matrix world (ie. fairly drab and workaday) but they're not brilliant by any means. Likewise the camera, it will occasionally go walkabout in the middle of a multiple-enemy fight, but then almost every game has camera troubles and with something as advanced as this, it was kind of expected. The controls are, on the whole, fine, although I miss having the right stick to strafe, instead I have to settle for the shoulder buttons. The fire button also feels wrong on R1.
But after 5 minutes, you'll forgive the odd flaky polygon and camera shake because this IS the Matrix, it's got MATRIX stamped all over it. From the opening loading screens to the way the characters move and fight, everything screams quality. The music in particular is excellent, and helps build up the awesome atmosphere that envelops the game from the word go. The first level sets the scene very well, with a cool escape plot making you escape from a familiar looking lobby from many mental armed guards. Damn man, it's so cool. If you like your Matrix stuff, I reckon you'll feel right at home here.
So, first impressions - not brilliant, but certainly great fun, and has the potential in later levels to be awesome. The bullet-time is superb, the music stirring and the storyline straight out of the Matrix universe. I reckon I'm onto a winner here.
Page: