The Matrix: Path of Neo is the game fans have been waiting for but there are still issues.
The game starts out with a very original and well done training level. Players assume the role of Thomas Anderson a.k.a Neo dreaming as he wakes up in a lobby similar to the one from the first Matrix's lobby shootout scene. Everything looks eerie and dreamy and then the fight begins with different waves of enemies. Players must fight through security guards, cops, swat, agents, and Seraph in this premonition of things to come. The difficulty of the game is set based on how far the player got through the different waves of enemies. This training mission was a good way for players to get used to the controls and get straight into the action since the next four levels of the game are nothing but training missions.
After the dream sequence the game shifts over to the office scene from the first film. In this level Neo must use stealth to avoid being captured by the agents. The stealth mechanics are pretty good and there are no issues with the camera so this level is pretty easy to play. However it does drag on a bit and you never feel a since of urgency since the game always tells where and when you need to hide. This is also the only point in the game where you use stealth so it’s a bit pointless as to why this level is so long. Once you’ve successfully escaped the agents you enter the real world so that means training missions. The next four missions teach the player how to get acclimated with the different fighting styles in the game. One level has Neo fighting samurais in a black and white Japanese temple while another has you fighting the ax gang in a restaurant. You also learn gunplay in a level inspired from the teahouse scene from Hard Boiled. The various training levels pay homage to different martial arts and action movies and many fans will probably appreciate that. While these levels are presented well and are a good way to get used the setup of the game they just drag on a bit longer than they should. Some of the training levels also could have been combined into one level instead of being multiple levels. Your training culminates to the battle against Morpheus in the dojo. This classic scene from the film is well represented and is officially your last training mission. After the training missions though is when the fun begins as the story switches to the events from the film and some new ones. Missions range from saving Morpheus, fighting Smith at the subway station, and to new one such as saving people from the Matrix.
The levels taken from the film range from the déjà vu building, the lobby/rooftop scene, the subway showdown, and the upgraded agents fight the burly brawl, the château and the super burly brawl. There are also new missions in which you save people called Red Pill missions. These missions have Neo saving potentials from the clutches of the agents. Some of the people you save are a Liberian, a doctor, a party girl and a cop. The idea of these missions is good and the stories are well done but in the end the levels just feel like filler. These missions are nice side stories but they don’t have real meaning since you never encounter these characters again and they don’t answer any questions about the matrix universe. The missions based on memorable parts of the film are for the most part well represented. Gamers will be happy to finally get the chance to play out the best moments from the film but they won't be for a long time. A lot of the levels key moments are very short and aren't that hard to beat. For example in the lobby level from the first film you have a time limit. You only have three minutes to relive one of the most memorable scenes from the film and it feels rushed. The same goes for the château level; it simply is too short to fully appreciate it. The other levels that were made for the game are just okay, not too bad, not too good. The one standout is the Merovingian’s maze. This level is inspired by artist E.M Escher and it features upside down rooms and stairs that lead to nowhere. This is a well designed level but the games biggest disappointment also lies in this level. The main enemies for this are human sized fire ants who know kung fu. The reason that you are fighting fire ants is never explained and doesn't fit into the universe of the Matrix. After the château the other levels are original levels and aren't that good. But the levels wouldn't be what they are without good graphics.
The graphics for the game are mostly well done but they do have their rough spots. Characters suffer from clipping from clothing and jaggies are present throughout the game. While the character models based on the actors from the films are very detailed and look spot on the secondary character lack some detail and look a little bland. There is also quite noticeable texture stitching on the character models. The levels feature some good detail but nothing special enough to set it apart from other titles out there. Some slow down is apparent when the action gets crazy but not enough to really hinder gameplay. The games true graphic achievement is the burly brawl in which there are at least 100 Agent Smiths on screen at once. The graphics may not be God of War or Resident Evil 4 caliber but they get the job done.
The gameplay for Path of Neo is very simple, take out the enemies and look good doing it. This game is a fighter straight up as you will be using your feet and fists more than your guns. The only time when gunplay is necessary is in the first two levels of the game after training. It’s a necessity in the early stages since you won’t have a wide range of moves. As you follow the path of the one you get new moves and can upgrade them. The moves that you can upgrade and any new moves you want to pick up are predetermined by the game. At times you do have a choice of two moves but whatever move you didn't choose will still be available for the next level. There isn’t a lot of choice when it comes to upgrading Neo which is a bit of a shame. Another issue with the game is that it’s easy, perhaps too much for its own good. There are no challenging enemies in the game and agents are complete pushovers. For example in a few levels you fight alongside allies. In some of these missions agents will appear and you will have to take them on. Most of the time I usually fought two agents while my ally fought the third and my ally took down half the agent’s health before I got to him. If my npc character can take on an agent then I think the game is a bit on the easy side. The games’ fighting is good but there are some animations that you can't break out of and those can be quite long. The combat sometimes looks a bit sloppy and it doesn't have a nice flow to it. When the battles are intense and debris is flying it can be a bit difficult to see what’s going on. The game really doesn't add anything new to the fighting genre and it doesn't do anything exceptionally well to set itself apart from the rest.
Now to the most important part of the game: the controls. The game features a simple yet innovative setup that does offer some depth. The games features only one attack button (triangle) that also doubles as your block button. By properly timing when an enemy attacks you can block and then setup your own attack. For example if your enemy has a four hit combo and you have a five hit combo then you will do four blocks and your fifth move will be a hit. You can stun enemies by pressing circle to set up more elaborate attacks which require timed button presses similar to God of War. Players can use focus (L1) in combination with the attack buttons to unleash devastating moves that if timed right can take out groups of enemies. The fighting controls are very simple and are easy to get a hang of and are very satisfying. However the gun controls don't fare as well as the fighting controls does. Players draw their weapons by holding down R2 and fire their weapons by pressing R1. Targeting is handed by flicking the right analog stick. The controls just feel cumbersome and it’s difficult in the beginning to use the focus moves while taking on a group of enemies. The camera also makes it a bit difficult especially in small rooms when dealing with groups of enemies which are always the case. In the end the fighting controls are spot on while the gunplay could've been fine tuned some more.
The sound of the game is fairly good despite some problems. Fans maybe disappointed to hear that Laurence Fishburne is the only actor from the films to reprise his role in the game. The other characters in the game are voiced by very good actors who an admirable job of sounding like their celluloid counter parts. The music for the game features new music mixed in with music from the films. Overall the music captures the tone and feeling from the films while being a bit different. One problem with the game though is the sound design. The sound in the game seems a bit flat and it doesn't capture the punch of other games out their. Sometimes things seem like they are too low and this is despite playing the game on a 5.1 sound system digitally. The game is in an odd predicament since it has good voice acting, a good score but weak sound design.
The Matrix: Path of Neo is the game that Matrix fans have been wanting since the first film came out in 1999, a game that lets them play as the Neo as he goes from average hacker to the one. The Path of Neo is a fun game for Matrix fans to play some of their most memorable scenes from the films. The game probably would've been perfect if a bit more polish was put in. Fans of the film may like the game for the chance to play out key scenes from the film but the technical issues may disappoint some. At times the game feels like you're playing a Matrix mod someone made. The controls are too simple and the fact that it gets boring after awhile does greatly hamper the experience. This game is only for the hardcore Matrix fans out there if in fact there are any.