Enter the Matrix Preview

Do these names mean anything to you: the Wachowski Brothers, The Matrix Reloaded, Enter The Matrix, Infogrames, and Shiny Entertainment.

No?

I guess you must've slept through the last couple of years. To begin with, the Wachowski Brothers are responsible for creating one of the most spectacular achievements in movie history - The Matrix. After its release back in 1999, The Matrix practically redefined the way special effects were made. Once the movie achieved great renown, the gaming industry was eager to see a Matrix reincarnation on the PC or one of the next-generation consoles. Soon after that, Infogrames and Shiny Entertainment announced they will team up to create a multiplatform game, entitled Enter The Matrix, based on the plot from the Matrix trilogy: The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, and The Matrix Revolutions. At first, the game was kept under a veil of secrecy. No media, no details... zip! And it's been that way for a long time. Finally (a few days ago to be exact) a press event was held displaying a demo of the game, some scenes from the The Matrix Reloaded, and a CG prelude to the animated series, The Animatrix.

Most of you who have played games like Max Payne and Dead to Rights might have a rough idea of what Enter The Matrix is all about. It's fair to assume that Shiny's game could have one or two features that are similar to Max Payne (some form of bullet-time slo-mo feature), but there's going to more than that I assure you... a lot more. Matrix fans will be thrilled to know that Shiny Entertainment received full support from the entire Matrix movie crew. The whole cast was there to help, accompanied by the directing team Andrew and Larry Warchowski. Two priorities were maintained throughout the game's development. First, the game corresponds with the story in upcoming movie The Matrix Reloaded. Secondly, the appointed deadline had to be reached (i.e. May 15th - The Matrix Reloaded premiere). With such a team behind it the game should be an excellent compliment to the movie - and vice versa. By the way, the first taste of gameplay was displayed in the character selection. Namely, players are offered a chance to choose between Niobe (the highly skilled pilot) and Ghost (the formidable weapons expert). Other crucial characters from the movie will be making an appearance of course, but for the most part players get to play as either Niobe or Ghost.

Evidently, Enter The Matrix is going to have some unique gameplay elements. Ever since the game was initially announced, we were eager to find out what the development team had done with the combat system. Essentially, Shiny Entertainment is in the process of creating a combat system that will be easy to handle. Engaging in shoot-outs and martial art duels shouldn't be a problem thanks to the simplified controls. Combat moves and various combos can be performed with a simple touch of a button. During the game you will be able to throw a series of different punches and kicks, while facing multiple enemies. If the danger should increase, player can choose a number of ways to handle the situation. If you are unarmed, for instance, you can exercise the famed Matrix-style slow motion fighting maneuvers to avoid a rain of bullets. You can also climb walls, do back-flips, and many other types of handy-dandy Kung Fu subtleties, which can help you get out of almost any type of situation. Not bad. Not bad indeed. The best thing about it is that all of the moves are done quite easily. You just press one of the designated buttons on your joypad and just marvel at the impressive battle scene that will immediately take place on the screen. Naturally, players will also have the opportunity to use a wide variety of different weapons (such as shotguns, pistols, various machine guns, and so on). Very much like in the movies, your characters will have the abilities to use weapons and fighting moves at the same time. Now that's a nice one, I must say.

Usually, you can take on two, three, or even four opponents simultaneously (evidently you will have the skill to do so). Although, you shouldn't rush into things either, because the team at Shiny seemed to have created a bad-ass AI, so you might want to take the time to come up with an appropriate line of attack.

Sadly, the recent press event let out a few disappointing facets related to the game's development process. Apparently the PS2 version is currently Shiny's main concern. This means the game's code is being optimized primarily for Sony's platform. It would have been nicer though if they just made the PC and Xbox versions first, rather than the tweaking the PS2 edition. After all, the PC and Xbox do have an indisputable advantage over the PS2 in terms of hardware. (Oh Lord...Start the flamewar! - Ed) Nonetheless, Shiny has promised that it will brush up all of the versions properly once they hit the market, so you shouldn't be too concerned about that. As for the visual delicacies we've seen thus far, the game appears to offer a promising amount of effects - smooth animations, convincing character models, excellent reflections, good lighting effects, detailed textures (only on the models though, the levels look like they need additional textures), neat facial expressions, and so on.

In the end, all we can say is that Enter The Matrix promises to deliver more than your usual action-packed-running-around-and-gunning-your-opponents type of game. Throughout most of the gameplay you'll be treated to some cool third person shootouts and combat challenges, but in certain sections you'll also be going through some pretty intense car chases. In addition to that, sometimes you get to engage in hovercraft flights - chased by the sentinels, Niobe will have to fly through the huge tunnels of the underworld. There's not much we can tell you about the multiplayer though (I wouldn't bet on seeing any CTF and deathmatches in this one; then again you never know). Perhaps they might decide to include a co-op mode... Until we nab a playable build of the game we cannot say much. Still, be on the look out more details soon (and keep visiting the official game web site for additional info and media - http://www.enterthematrixgame.com/).