The Matrix: Path of Neo

Talk to me about the Matrix and the first words that come to mind are "Mixed" and "Bag". The film series from the Wachowski Brothers is something to take notice of, for sure, if just for the push in special effects technology and the countless examples of "bullet time" that have since been put into nearly every action game in creation. But then you have to consider the downfall of the storyline over the three films. The original Matrix was fantastic in itself, a classic, wonderful film that held up all its own. Then the Wachowskis did Reloaded, a follow-up with some killer car stunts but a story that really left you scratching your head. Revolutions, the final installment, ended up lapsing into chaos, a mess of a film that had only one highlight, the big battle between Neo and Agent Smith that looked like something out of Dragon Ball Z, right down to a vicious ground slam.

The game Enter the Matrix suffers from the same sort of crisis. There's a decent amount of things to like in the game, like graphic detail and the production values, but they're totally left for dead by the game's terrible gameplay and lacking value. Shiny Interactive, a company normally known for their offbeat and wonderfully produced games, suddenly found themselves having to redeem their reputation, and here is their latest fruit of labor, The Matrix: Path of Neo. In a sense, it's kind of an apology for Enter the Matrix, as it skips the mumbo-jumbo and gets to the point of what would make a Matrix game fun- controlling the "one" himself, Neo.