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Matrix: Path of Neo, The

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7.4 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 17 critic reviews
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Based on 14 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Atari

Developer: Shiny Entertainment

Genre(s): Third-Person Action

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: November 7, 2005

Summary

Set in the Matrix universe, The Matrix: Path of Neo enables players to play as Neo, the central character, and relive his most important and memorable scenarios from the complete film trilogy, including the original film, "The Matrix." Throughout the game, the path the player takes to resolve each scenario and the resulting consequences are scripted and directed by the Wachowski Brothers. The likenesses of all of the films' key actors -- including Keanu Reeves ("Neo"), Laurence Fishburne ("Morpheus"), Carrie-Ann Moss ("Trinity), and Hugo Weaving ("Agent Smith") -- are featured in the game, which also includes footage from all three feature films, as well as "The Animatrix." [Atari]

Also On Metacritic

FILM: The Matrix The Matrix Reloaded The Matrix Revolutions

GAMES: Enter the Matrix The Matrix Online

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: 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...

Stuff

Shockingly enough, is actually pretty damn good. Sure, it looks uglier than Ernest Borgnine in a tutu, and trying to use the controls is like operating the Space Shuttle while wearing oven mitts, but once you get the hang of it, beating the Stove Top stuffing out of agents is terrific fun.

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Cincinnati Enquirer

An interesting re-imagining of the Matrix story in the form of an action game with OK controls and annoying camera.

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IC-Games

Fans of the three movies will probably love everything that the Path of Neo throws at them. Essentially it’s just a basic brawler with some pretty linear missions thrown in; but every now and then you cant fail to be impressed with some of the fighting sections you get to play out.

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Cheat Code Central

A Matrix game that FINALLY got it right. You're able to pull off all the cool moves and abilities that Neo possesses, including fighting off hundreds of Smiths at once, pole and all. With great graphics and great controls, this title will definitely impress with the first and second play through.

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The New York Times

After spawning two mediocre sequels, a collection of dull cartoon shorts and a couple of forgettable video games, there is some life left in the Matrix franchise after all, as this game proves.

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Total Video Games

Expanding upon Neo’s story could have been a compelling opportunity for any Matrix fan out there; unfortunately the haphazard approach to the design and storyline are likely to offend the fans the most, leaving a mildly enjoyable beat-em-up at exactly that.

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GameSpot

A good brawler at its core, but the PC version is seriously lacking in comparison to its console counterparts.

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GameZone

A half-baked game that only die-hard fans of the Matrix will truly appreciate.

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PC Gamer

This game doesn't take itself too seriously (especially the new surprise ending), which is either a credit or a fault depending on how seriously you take the movies. [Feb 2006, p.35]

IGN

The PC version doesn't offer enough of an advantage over its console counterparts to warrant a pick-up over those, and even if you're a PC-exclusive gamer its clunky controls, poor gamepad support, and huge install (More than 5GB!) probably won't be worth it.

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ActionTrip

Path of Neo *is* better than Enter the Matrix... for whatever that's worth. It's just that the omissions like the AI glitches, frame-rate drops, flimsy visuals, coupled of course with the abovementioned gameplay issues, do not justify the game's $50 price tag.

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Gamer's Hell

After a few levels in Path of Neo your mouse clicking finger will hurt from the button mashing. Even the biggest fans of the trilogy should think twice before going down with Neo in this path.

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Computer Gaming World

Decent but dated, this is best for the die-hard Matrix fans who still believe. [Feb 2006, p.70]

Gaming Target

An overly simple combat engine combined with clunky controls, a clumsy camera, and marginal graphics bog down the idea of playing "god" in the virtual matrix.

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Edge Magazine

As chaotic and unrefined as it is, however, it motors on with a definite sense of purpose and provides a solid sense of fulfilment, if not necessarily one of accomplishment. [Christmas 2005, p.110]

Computer Games Magazine

The lack of polish is most obvious in the awful pacing and terrible controls. [Feb 2006, p.62]

Computer and Video Games

It's like people just can't bring themselves to accept the truth here: The Matrix: Path Of Neo is an irredeemable abortion of a game that Atari, Shiny, the Wachowski brothers and anyone even remotely associated with it should be ashamed for ever thinking about releasing in this form. [PC Zone]

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 7.4 (out of 10) based on 14 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Chetan A. gave it a10:
Cool game, I love this game very much. in this the Neo has great powers. i liked his wall run, gun fighting and everything. Just play this game, this game really rocks!

Wachowski gave it a4:
This is another bad game in a line of bad matrix games. This has all the trademarks of a console dub; it's assumed a 12yr kid is playing it, a poor interface that avoids using a mouse, unmanagable controls which degrade the game into a mindless button bashing fest, lack of proper control means the linear levels are frustrating to complete, sub-standard graphics even on serious hardware, and don't forget... BUGS BUGS BUGS! Even with the latest 1.1 patch most of my vocals & SFX dont come through the speakers, and theres numerous graphical & animation glitches. There is NO EXCUSE why any Matrix game should have poor animation or textures with all the motion capture done for the films & the high-resolution textures of each actors face for Special effects. (watch the Revisited documentaries) It seems the developers have deliberately tried to pee of the players and slow the game down to make it boring & frustrating. There are an endless supply of pop-up "tips" and "combination sequence keys" screens, and cut-scenes that pop up at the start of every level & during fight scenes - some which repeat for repetition's sake - followed by more "tip" pop-up screens for good measure. If i could have a dollar for every time the "matrix load screen" appears I could buy a game worth playing. :p And to stop you from actually playing the game even longer, there is chopped up recycled footage from the movies -- which any matrix fan who has watched the movie 20 times doesn't need to see. They just highlight how crap the ingame graphics look. Although they are more watchable than the scenes re-created using the graphics engine... that is just dreadful to look at. The most enraging aspect of the game is how it digresses so badly from the movie's. [SPOILERS] For example, you are met with 3 waves of SWAT teams in the lobby scene; in the burly brawl you destroy all the buildings surrounding the park to stop the smiths... and u do this by fighting the smiths. :rolleyes: After the subway fight with Agent smith, you then 'escape' by falling through the floor to run through the sewers?!?! And just when you're thinking "WTF?!?!" get this -- after the chateau fight, you end up in Space?!?!?! I know -- What the !??!?!? To cap it off, this game uses "We Are The Champions" in its soundtrack.... did somebody at Shiny even listen to the Matrix soundtracks? It is so badly out of place - that music belongs in a Waynes World film. Excuse the novel here, but people need to know: THIS GAME IS BAD. But i give this game a generous 4/10 because there are some small positives -- 1] the ending is better than the 3rd movie (not hard though if you think about it), 2] most environments are extensively destructable, 3] some moves do look cool... when you can finally do them, and 4] there's a level unlocker on gamecopyworld.com so you dont have to drag yourself through each frustrating level. If you have read this far, thank you. Next time you see a product with "made by the Wachowski brothers", that's a warning sign NOT to buy. I've been in denial for so long but now I am enlightened.

K Dep gave it a3:
BOOOOOO!!! Atari ruins another potentially great game. I actually really liked Enter the Matrix, a few years back, but this game absolutely stinks. The graphics are severely dated, it looks like the same engine from ETM. The controls are terrible, and there's no option to change the mouse sensitivity, so you'll constantly be wondering what the heck you're doing because you can't center the mouse. The moves are decent, and the guns are okay, but the focus abilities have a lot to be desired. You'll spend the whole game doing focus moves on every enemy, which gets very tired after a while. I've played about half way through, and I can say that on a number of levels, I've stopped for a second and just thought "What the heck is this crap?" I'm sorry, I like the Matrix, I like ETM, but I can't like this game. Do not buy it until the price drops dramatically, it is NOT worth it.

Rustman gave it a4:
Quite possibly the laziest console port to PC that has ever existed. Buggy graphics, sluggish performance on even a decent system and a fight-control system designed to kill your left mouse button. The Middleware software devkit used to create these console ports is not in the least optimised for mid-range PC systems and makes a £1000 rig feel cheaper than a second hand PS2. If you MUST buy this game on the strength of the positive reviews (console reviews in the main) then don't get it for your PC. You will mightily regret it. Or your button-mashed mouse will first.

Schylar P. gave it a10:
This game is very well put together, the visuals are amazing. while playing this title i actually felt like i was apart of the matrix universe. Atari has taken a step in the right direction, after there previous failures.

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Matrix: Path of Neo, The

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