14-Dec-2005 It's not that The Matrix: Path Of Neo is bad, it's that it's sooooo bad, no really, really awful... It's not that The Matrix: Path Of Neo is bad. It's that it's sooooo bad. Really, really awful. There are amateur Matrix-themed game mods out there that are better. Supposedly taking you through all three films, but mostly just taking you through the fights, the game follows Neo as he slowly becomes The One and learns how to hit people in slow motion.
And it's appalling. Truly appalling. Yes the fights can be action-packed, but the effect is totally destroyed when the camera swings around behind a wall and obscures your view whichever way you swing it, or you have to fight through a tiresomely protracted and boring level just because the save checkpoints are stupidly placed, or as soon as you see the shocking, shocking graphics for god's sake... And don't get me started on the all-new ending. In fact, save yourself the effort and download the movies online. Yes it's real and yes, it's that, that bad.
The whole package screams 'rushed' at you, although for what reason I can only guess. It's a bad console port that feels as though it's been chucked out the door with no thought, care or consideration. Why do I have to choose my language and reset my key configurations every time I load up (we have hard drives that let games remember that sort of thing)? Why do I have to mess with an .INI file in the installation folder to change the video resolution?
HERO TO ZERO What I find funniest/most heart-breaking about this whole scenario is that I've been reading reviews elsewhere and everyone seems to be going out of their way to be as generous as possible while still listing all of the above problems. Mid-table scores, occasional seven out of tens (and even a reprehensibly misleading 9.5/10 from one website - once again proving that game reviews should be left to the professionals) - 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.
Paul Presley
// Overview
Verdict
Shitetrix: Path of shite-o
Uppers
Fighting is fairly thrilling and action-packed
Downers
Visually shite Editing is shite Camera is shite Controls are shite New ending is shite
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Fighting is fairly thrilling and action-packed
