The Matrix: Path of Neo

When The Matrix first appeared on the big screen in 1999 it was an instant success. It was the first part of a trilogy and much was expected of the following two films.

Sadly, they failed to live up to these high expectations. A couple of games quickly followed, receiving mixed reviews, and now The Matrix: Path of Neo, the latest product of Atari and Shiny Entertainment’s collaboration, is here.

Taking on the role of Neo (aka the One), you get to play out the most memorable scenes of the trilogy for yourself. As the film puts it, your task is to learn the difference between ‘walking the path and knowing the path’ – whatever that’s supposed to mean.

You’ll be introduced to all the major characters such as Morpheus, Trinity and, of course, Agent Smith. A number of new acquaintances have been thrown in for good measure.

Available on DVD only, the game makes much of the included film clips. Re-cut by the Wachowski brothers, who directed the trilogy, this feature will no doubt please diehard Matrix fans, but those expecting new footage will be sorely disappointed.

The clips are played throughout the game but, for some unknown reason, they’ve been slightly re-ordered. Aside from making you want to watch the first Matrix film again, the video doesn’t add a huge amount to the game.

Employing the ‘bullet time’ effects that were used endlessly during the films is never going to be easy. Sure enough, we found it hard to control Neo during fight scenes. Other effects, such as anti-gravity and the ability to jump off walls, only serve to compound the situation.

You’re provided with on-screen hints as to what combination of mouse and keyboard actions to use during fight scenes, but we never felt at home with the controls. Most of the time we simply ended up randomly bashing the mouse buttons while trying to keep the camera angle steady.