This is my first review, but I figure I give it a shot.
User Rating: 8 | The Matrix: Path of Neo XBOX
The Matrix Path of Neo is definitely a great improvment on the horribly rushed and terribly boring Enter the Matrix (which was a huge let down for most fans). In this game you follow in the footsteps of "The One" (AKA Neo or if you're a fan of Agent Smith, Mr. Anderson) as you follow the plot of the three Matrix movies. The game starts off on a high note as you play a similar version of the huge gun fight in the lobby from the first Matrix. You go through different waves of enemies until you're defeated. This acts as an ingennious way to select your difficulty, the better you do the the harder the difficulty. After that you reinact all of the main parts of the movie like the choosing of the blue or red pill and the training simulations(which isn't very similar to the movie, but still enjoyable). I really enjoyed this part of the game and I found the hand to hand combat absolutley incredible. In just a few minutes I found myself dodging bullets and doing some of the most brutal finishing moves I've seen in a game. The action was also fast and furious and I soon realized that just taping buttons wasn't going to win me the game. One part of the game I disliked was the shooting segments. I found it difficult to aim at multiple targets and the hit detection was kind of off. I found myself bull rushing people and waiting to get close enough in order to do yet another lethal and context sensitive move. The graphics are about average, but I was dissapointed in the particle effects and some of the enviorments looked kind of plain. The lighting also was a bit disapointing and at times I was covered in all white. The reflection just wasn't there. The character models definitely show some good detail and react very well with the action going on. At times there was some slowdown in the FPS department but those weren't too obvious. The sound was a big let down for me and I found the pitch to be too unpredictable at times. You could be cranking up the volum one second and turning it doen the next. It was also ashame how my brutal moves weren't met with the same kind of intensity in the sound department as they should of been. Another thing that bothered me was the story. I won't give too much away but at times it makes absolutley no sense, even for a Matrix movie. The cutscenes were kind of cool in the begining, but after a while the gag reels got king of old. The game also clock out pretty quick (about 10 hours), but the replay value is there if you want to practice some more moves and attacks. Never the less though this is still one of the better beat-em-up games I've seen and should be played just for the hand-to-hand combat alone. If you're a Matrix fan and been waiting for a game that gets the basic Matrix concept right than you shouldn't hesistate to buy this game. For the rest of you this game deserves at least a run through, but definitely try it before you buy it. 
