The Matrix: Path of Neo Review

Sadly, The Path of Neo falls short in many other aspects. For one, the controls were not optimized well for the numerous moves Neo can perform. All things considered, I wholeheartedly recommend gamepads for this one. The keyboard controls are clumsy and you'll often find yourself pressing the wrong keys in a desperate attempt to pull off a deadly combo.

Give us a hug old buddy!

I must stop playing the Matrix, it drives me insane!

The AI isn't utterly dumb, but it has its weird moments. For instance, most opponents know who they're facing, so they usually keep to their cover and attack you from a distance with a ranged weapon. Then again, agents often exhibited odd behavior. They would frequently get stuck on pillars and other obstacles in the environment as they tried to get a hold of me. So, playing hide and seek with agents isn't all that it's cracked up to be.

Another downside is the linear approach in mission design. You follow a strict path during every assignment, which means there are very few choices to make along the way. The player's role in the game is reduced to simply fighting agents and authorities, while occasionally assisting a few friends in dire need. Levels are also quite linear. Even though certain sections provide alternative routes, there's a classic on-the-rails style of level design present throughout most of the game. Certain areas even feature meager puzzle solving and occasional platform jumping, but all to no avail. Overall, the gameplay simply lacks more variety.

The in-game audio, on the other hand, deserves praise all the way. You'll be able to hear the movie's soundtrack, enriched with cool themes that blend perfectly with the action on screen. Another key ingredient is the effective use of unique voiceovers provided by the cast, led by renowned actor Laurence Fishburne. The interesting part is that Fishburne was the only actor to make a comeback in this game. Other crucial characters (Neo, Trinity, Agent Smith...) were voiced professionally by anonymous actors (they sure convinced me).

When all's said and done, the developers opted for a very ineffective way of conveying Neo's tale. Players are left to determine the plot themselves, as they witness brief flashes from the Matrix movies and the CGI movie Animatrix, which tie into the game quite poorly. Still, there are certain things that could draw you into the gameplay; a wide variety of combos and acrobatics, the famed bullet-time and, finally, plain-old Matrix nostalgia. Also, there's about 12-13 hours of gameplay before you. So, if you look at it from a certain angle, I guess you could say the game has potential. The Path of Neo *is* better than Enter the Matrix... for whatever that's worth. It's just that the omissions like the AI glitches, frame-rate drops, flimsy visuals, coupled of course with the abovementioned gameplay issues, do not justify the game's $50 price tag.