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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.
El Matador

Mixed or average reviews
Based on 24 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 10 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game >
Game Info
Publisher: Cenega Publishing
Developer: Plastic Reality Technologies
Genre(s): Third-Person Action, Tactical Action, Shooter
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: RP (Rating Pending)
Release Date: September 29, 2006
Summary
El Matador is a third person, tactical action game, where the player takes on the role of a DEA agent, whose aim is to bring down the narkomafia, an organised crime syndicate in South America. Driven by revenge for what the narkomafia did to his brother, the player will progress through a story which weaves its way throughout the adventure, combines all the essential features of surprise, unexpected twists and dramatic developments. It is a tale of corruption, revenge, moral ambiguity and ultimate justice. The game features a wide varieties of essential gadgets which facilitate completion of stealth based missions, allowing the player to slip unnoticed through enemy lines. [Cenega Publishing]
Also On The Web: GameSpot Impressions Official Website
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Jolt Online Gaming UK
Everything about the game is over-the-top, including the story, and in our book that’s no bad thing. Like diving around and shooting bad guys in slow motion? Buy this.
Read Full Review >Pelit (Finland)
A run-of-the-mill shooter with nothing new to offer. It does not even do the old stuff well enough to rise above the ranks of mediocrity. [Oct 2006]
RewiredMind
Sometimes, try as you might, you can’t put your finger on what makes a game fun to play, and this is one of those occasions.
Read Full Review >GamingExcellence
The storyline in the game is great, and although the game length may seem a little short for the more advanced players, overall it strikes a great balance.
Read Full Review >GamingTrend
If you're into single-player FPS titles and enjoyed the Max Payne style but were looking for a little more action, then this is a great pick. El Matador has its downsides, but it can be a fun, but bumpy, ride.
Read Full Review >Armchair Empire
Hardcore action players will be able to blow through El Matador in six or seven hours because the gameplay and level design are very straightforward; it can't measure up to the most current titles or the promise of upcoming titles like John Woo Presents Stranglehold.
Read Full Review >PC Format
Brazen plagiarism it may be, but this shooter is a worthy tribute to its forebears. [Nov 2006, p.103]
AceGamez
Despite the lack of depth and bullfighting, all of the action is pretty fun - this won't be the most fun you have playing a game this year, but the set ups and environments work pretty well at delivering tense moments and engaging gun battles.
Read Full Review >VideoGamer
The biggest and most infuriating problem comes from your team-mates' seemingly predetermined locations to take cover.
Read Full Review >Worth Playing
El Matador isn’t necessarily a bad game, just a frustrating and unoriginal one.
Read Full Review >PC Gamer
With improved AI, reworked story and dialogue, and less restrictive level design, this game could've been stellar. [Jan. 2007, p.71]
Gamers' Temple
Horrendous AI and frustrating gameplay kills all the fun, and that’s no bull.
Read Full Review >IGN
If you've never played Max Payne 2, and are looking for some (otherwise) unique 3rd person action, with a lame story and decent controls, then give El Matador a try.
Read Full Review >PC Gamer UK
Your enemies are so blindingly accurate, and damage so extreme, you're often slowing time merely to peek around the corner. [Dec 2006, p.99]
GameSpot
It's fast-paced, it's gritty, and it's got style to spare, but El Matador is also one of the most infuriatingly unbalanced shooters in years.
Read Full Review >1UP
El Matador's story, characters, and gameplay add nothing new to the shooter genre. There's nothing here that's stupendously bad, but nothing good that's memorable either.
Read Full Review >GameZone
Extremely derivative and half-baked, El Matador fails to bring anything new to the table.
Read Full Review >Digital Entertainment News
For hardcore FPS players looking for a way to keep their skills up while playing by themselves, El Matador might be worth picking up at about $10.
Read Full Review >PC Zone UK
Everything about it feels floaty and disconnected, slowing down time makes you feel really sluggish and inaccurate, and you can forget about hitting anything while driving as your crosshair is jerked about rudely like a pogo-stick at a sexy bikini photoshoot. [Dec 2006, p.80]
Games Radar (in-house)
El Matador may be fine to play for a few hours but it's not worth a long-term or full-price commitment.
Read Full Review >Eurogamer
El Matador is an unsophisticated action shooter which might have been a decently average blast - there are elements of simple fun to be had in its running and gunning - but it's all messed up by the transparently scripted and static enemies, patchy AI and poor clipping detection.
Read Full Review >Computer Games Magazine
It's a bullet-ballet rail ride with decent graphics, passable physics, horrible character animation, and an uninteresting world. [Feb. 2007, p.69]
What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this game is 4.1 (out of 10) based on 10 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Tom M. gave it a0:
Ok good/average grpahics... it stops there. I played it for about 15minutes, felt ok, after an hour I was bored. The game reminded me so of Max Payne II, so I ended up playing that instead, even though I know it in and out. End of story.
Christopher S. gave it an8:
Created using the Max Payne engine, El Matador is an unapologetic over the top action shooter. I found it a lot of fun to play and absolutely beautiful to look at, its quite simply one of the best looking games released this year. At a street price of 10 bucks you'd be fool to pass it up.
Patrick W. gave it a0:
This game sucks complete a**. You can't move anywhere without getting hit. They ripped Max Payne and made the controls awkward and crappy.
Samuel G. gave it a2:
Clearly rushed out before being finished, full of bugs and glitches. Uninspiring and unoriginal gameplay, deeply lacklustre graphics, terrible voice-acting. Avoid.
Colt 1911 gave it a6:
Graphics 9.5/10 Sound 6/10 Gameplay 4/10 This game lacks a way to take cover, greatly needed in the intense gunbattles with multiple enemies. You are left to either strafe to/from cover, or charge into battle. I read that this was a 'tatical' game. Well it isnt. The gameplay is very arcade-like given that it takes a billion bullets to kill you. And tho I havent played a 'stealth' mission, I can already tell that the gameplay is not designed for duck-and-hide. There isnt even a walk, with no movement speed control how are you supposed to be 'stealthy'? The AI is really plain vanilla, they just kind of take cover and dig in. anyway this game only got a 6 because of the graphics, if the graphics wernt so clean it would get a 3 overall.
