The Matrix: Path of Neo

This is undeniably a good "movie-to-game" adaptation of the hit trilogy and is also written/ directed by the Wachowskis and edited together by them as well.

It's action-packed, allows the player options on how to advance Neo, you play in training missions set before the film and even when you're playing a level from the movies, it's totally not like the movie. For example, in one mission where you're in a chopper trying to save Morpheus, from the 1st film, the player ends up having to shoot at other people/things besides the Agents like other helicopters and S.W.A.T. team soldiers.

There are tons of missions that explore the vast universe/time line of the films and allow the player to use several "combo" attacks w/ mêlée attacks, guns, swords, staffs, axes,etc. You can even hit people back with your guns, then punch them in slow-motion while they're falling backwards.

The only voice from the series returning is Laurence Fishbourne, but that's not bad because all the voice actors have better voices then the actors that portrayed them in the films ( with the exception of the person who voiced Agent Smith, who is so not Hugo Weaving) !

While I kinda liked "Enter the Matrix" better, this is still a "must-play!"

The Matrix: Path of Neo is a game that successfully transports players into the captivating world of the famous movie franchise. Released in 2005, it was developed by Shiny Entertainment and published by Atari. This action-packed title offers a unique opportunity to step into the shoes of Neo, the iconic character from The Matrix trilogy, and experience firsthand the journey of "The One." Unlike other games based on The Matrix, this one puts players in direct control of Neo throughout his entire transformation from a regular programmer to a savior of humanity.

One of the game's standout features is its combat system, which allows players to enjoy an impressive variety of hand-to-hand combat moves, as well as access to a diverse arsenal of weapons. From executing smooth kung fu combos to wielding firearms with precise accuracy, Path of Neo masterfully captures the thrilling martial arts choreography for which the films are famous. Every fight feels like a well-orchestrated dance, allowing players to feel like they are controlling a true martial arts master. The mechanics of combat, especially the slow-motion "bullet-time" feature, mirror the key action sequences from the films, letting players experience some of the most iconic moments of the trilogy in an interactive way.

Though the graphics may seem outdated by today's standards, it's important to keep in mind that The Matrix: Path of Neo was released at a time when gaming technology was vastly different from what we have now. The game was developed for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC, which had much more limited capabilities compared to modern consoles and gaming PCs. Despite this, the game maintains a certain charm and atmosphere, one that continues to pull players into the digital world of The Matrix. The animations, while not flawless, do a good job of recreating the acrobatic feats and gravity-defying stunts that Neo performs in the films, which remain one of the game's strongest features. The attention to detail in recreating famous set pieces, such as the lobby shootout and the climactic rooftop fight, enhances the immersion.

The game's plot is another key attraction. While it follows the storyline of the films, Path of Neo introduces new, expanded scenes that provide a fresh perspective on Neo's journey. Players are not just passive observers; they get to actively participate in pivotal moments from the films, with a few additional twists and changes that weren't part of the original movie trilogy. This makes the game feel more engaging and offers fans of the movies something new to enjoy. For instance, one of the most talked-about aspects of the game is its alternate ending, which deviates significantly from the film's conclusion. This unique interpretation, while controversial among some fans, is a bold move that gives players an experience they couldn't get from simply rewatching the movies.

Another notable element of the game is its atmosphere, which remains true to the essence of The Matrix universe. The moody, dystopian setting of the real world and the sleek, stylized environments of the Matrix itself are faithfully recreated, making it easy for fans to lose themselves in the game. The soundtrack, featuring both original music and pieces from the films, adds another layer of immersion, amplifying the tension and excitement during action sequences and quieter moments alike.

In addition to the main story mode, the game also includes several side missions and mini-games that help to break up the intense action with some lighter, more strategic gameplay. This variety in content helps to keep the experience fresh, even for players who may not be die-hard fans of the franchise.

Despite its many strengths, The Matrix: Path of Neo is not without its flaws. Some players have criticized the game's camera system, which can be awkward at times, particularly during fast-paced combat. There are also occasional bugs and glitches that can disrupt the flow of the game, though they are not frequent enough to seriously detract from the overall experience.

In conclusion, The Matrix: Path of Neo is an unforgettable journey into the virtual world of a cinematic masterpiece. The combat system, while not perfect, is exhilarating, and the game's faithfulness to the source material is sure to please fans of the films. Though the graphics may not have aged well, the immersive story and atmosphere more than make up for it, offering players an engaging experience that will keep them entertained from start to finish. Whether you're a fan of The Matrix or just looking for a solid action game with plenty of style, Path of Neo is a title that deserves your attention.

I base this on the release for the PC. I'm not ruling out that some of the problems have to do with that, that this was geared towards consoles. Hey, I won't claim that this is all negatives, it isn't. This does recreate many favorite scenes, almost all they could(albeit hardly any flying). It does, of course, expand on them, otherwise this would be even shorter than it is, and not all of this is bad. There are also new levels, the quality of which varies, but, honestly, there are several(not all of them) nice ideas, and done well, to be found in them. At any time, you can replay an earlier one, and twice, you're given a Mission Selector, and can choose the order of the next handful of them. The story-telling is OK, the worst part of it is the hideously, and oddly, cut up and stitched together Frankenstein's Monster of the trilogy that is the series of clips they use(a couple of times, it even seems like they just thought "well, this was funny, let's put that in there"). Don't get me started on the crappy music they put to it. The sound is well-done, though the acting can be awful, and the voices do not always fit. Link, for example, and can someone tell me when The Merovingian became German? The new plot has good to it. The acrobatics, shooting and fighting are probably the biggest attractions to this. They are a mixed bag. There are cool moves, but it is truly sad that they had to be taught how to make a VG taking place in this universe by the new Prince of Persia ones(of 2003, '04 and '05), and incredible that they still managed to screw it up. And the guns are fine, if often useless(and why so few?). Aiming, well, it can be done, they actually put a cross-hair in this time, though the mouse doesn't move right. Now, the martial arts system, when you get past how clumsy it can be, as well as how sluggish and either too fast or overly slow(that's a theme with this one, it hits the extremes, and goes back and forth between them) it often reacts to your commands, it can be entertaining. There are a lot of combos, if you can activate them, with how similar they are to do, and on account of them making up most of the powerful attacks, the Free Form thing didn't entirely work, and you wind up typically taking them on one at a time. There are not enough buttons devoted to it. Meleé weapons range, but tend to be a positive in this. The Bosses... do not. Defending by striking could be fantastic, but it wasn't really, here. The camera is free, with zoom and 360 degree turning. The abilities are decent enough, the main thing here is that each you get is helpful a little, and that's it. The adventure portions are nothing but a method of prolonging this. They were happy to make it possible for characters to be tossed about, and objects(as well as walls) around you to break, so it's happening all over the place, and it quite frankly looks preposterous. This makes the astounding occurrences in the three commonplace, and they lose their impact. The bugs and glitches are all over this, and stability could be better. The graphics are great, with fluid animation, if at least one of the faces(Smith) come out looking ridiculous. Cut-scenes are, with one exception(which is CGI, and gorgeous), in-engine, and fair. This does manage to put a lot of you-know-who's in one place, up against you, lets you squeeze the trigger in the chopper, and features aerial combat. This is either too easy, or annoying, depending on what specific portion you're playing. Replayability is essentially nonexistent. There is bonus stuff, including an extraordinarily unfunny outtake reel. Saving is still automatic, and offering only four slots. The puns are gag-inducing. The altered continuity is reasonable. This takes some of the best moments in the original film and makes gimmicks out of them. Why all the silliness? The changed ending(cheap attempt at getting audiences to purchase this, contact me and I'll let you know what it is), which I actually don't consider to be a poor concept, it's merely wrong for this? My guess would be that the brothers saw the reception the sequels got, and got scared, gave up trying, or perhaps both. Thus they almost invariably(there is philosophy in this, and situations that could really be impeccable) didn't try to make this serious. I would hate to think that they belong in the group of people who refuse to believe that games can be complex and innovative, after what they did to the action flick genre, and reinvigorating the science fiction cinema. A tremendous lot can be achieved in this medium, and the only cause for alarm at these being less than stellar is the sheer fact that done right, an effort of this kind, inside the Matrix universe could be excellent. This, however, is downright stupid. Superficial and empty aren't off the wall as words to describe it. Not to mention ammo for those who claim that the 1999 movie was nothing but a stroke of luck. It's a terrible waste of potential. In case you weren't sure, I've been comparing this to Enter the Matrix(so much that I didn't write where I did so). All in all, I'm sorry, I find that to be the superior title. Less frustration, comes closer to you being able to count on it to deliver, and while both overreach, the result here is at times painful. This has, well, not direct sexuality, but adult material, as well as language, relatively strong, not in copious amounts. I recommend this to fans of the franchise, if you prefer the visuals and battles to the exploration and the food for thought(perfectly acceptable, I simply feel that what the Wachowski's made deserves more). 7/10

I did not really have so high hopes for this game, but still it is always fun to use your kung-fu in slow-motion. Anyway, the game starts of with a challenge that will test your skills and match the difficulty accordingly. I started with Normal,and that was just right for me. Now I'm playing "The one path (Hard)" and it is really hard.

The graphics are pretty cool, although they seem to be an upgrade from "Enter the Matrix", this game would have been really good looking if they had spent more time on the graphic tweaking and so on.

It has some great parts, some boring parts and some mediocre parts.

The worst thing about this game is the sound, i don't think that it is just my computer but the voices seemed so... not alive, and hollow. And some of the final skills, are quite weird. The "Spoon" skill for example, i have never figured out what it actually does, but do not worry you will still get all the other skills.

But still, a fun game and worth playing 2 times, at least!

Go with enter the matrix? That game was worse than Path of Neo. I'm a huge fan of the series and I was very disappointed in both games, but I do like the fact that the movie was recreated in PoN. In fact, it looks like Atari built PoN on the same infrastructure as EtM. Now however, you get to train in the construct (more believable) instead of running through a post office that is 4 square miles (not believable). And don't get me started on the hovercraft or car driving, that was incredibly horrible. Sure PoN fudges the continuity a little, but the overall plot works great. (the helicopter scene was ridiculous though- Trinity takes off on the roof and Neo just stands there. Then SWAT comes out and you have to run and leap onto the helicopter. Why didn't he get on board?)