“I should have just chosen the blue pill.” These are the same thoughts I had when Joe Pantoliano’s character Cypher belted out these words in one of the video game’s movie cut-scenes cleverly dispersed throughout the game. I could feel his frustration as he moved through an alternate world where fighting evil continued to be a daunting task. It left me as frustrated as the ending of the trilogy did, but for some reason still wanting more. The Matrix: Path of Neo does a fabulous job of capturing the action and the movie in a blurring action packed storyline. This game is good, very good but only if you are “The One.”The Matrix video game is a journey through the movie of the same name. This action adventure does a great job in letting the gamer play the role of Neo (Keanu Reeves character) through the many different paths he takes in the movie, including some alternate games along the way. The graphics do an outstanding job of recreating the environment that is the matrix, and the live movie clips only add to this feeling of playing the movie. These play perfectly along with the game and give this video game an added advantage of having real cut scenes, straight from the movie. It is a fun way to remember the paths and decisions that Neo had to make along the way. The sounds of the game were above average, and the short loading times after dieing were a nice change for such a complex game.
But as much as I loved how the game gave such a great feel of actually playing the Neo character, it did have some down sides to it, one of the main ones being with the controllers. Many expert gamers might not agree with me (remember, my dexterity and time playing games has diminished a bit as I get older) but the controls were a bit overwhelming. Being able to slow down the action around you was incredible, just like in the movie. But being able to master the many moves that Neo needed was frustrating. It worked well with the game, but I did not pick up on the learning curve as quickly. Many maneuvers required multiple button sequences and I found I just did not use enough of them as needed. Because of this, I don’t think I was able to take full advantage of what the game had to offer. If you are quick and can pick up the moves, this game will play as close to the movie as any person would like.
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The game is interesting in that any person would play through it one time. By using bits of the real movie as well as continual upgrades of Neo, you really felt part not only part of the movie, but the action that went along with it. By getting Neo to the various checkpoints and using special moves to continue to beat the many Agents the game throws at you, the game pressed your mental capabilities. I can see starting out at a lower, easier level of play and working to a much harder level might be interesting, but this game took a long time to play through from the beginning and I am not sure I want to go through the many levels over again. Especially since I played a few many more times than I wish I had. I did feel apart of the Matrix world and was totally caught up in the moment of the game. The designers did an excellent job in capturing the essence of The Matrix.
The Matrix: Path of Neo is a game that I found to be extremely challenging and very frustrating. But like an ugly dog, I just couldn’t take my eyes off of it and put the controller down. Many times I would be extremely close to finishing a scene and end up dying in some cruel, fumbling of the controller way. This game is hard for the average gamer, and will challenge your finger reflexes. I did like the whole concept and set-up of the way the game is played. You honestly get the feel of the movie as you slow down the action around you and take control of the situation. Many simple maneuvers can be mastered easily and used throughout the game, but I feel that just misses the point of playing the game. This game will take you on a roller coaster of emotions, if you have the time take a ride.
I played my first video game in 1976 which was a pong game plugged into our black and white TV to keep me busy while my mom took my brothers and sisters to school. I was 4. I played games growing up in the arcade and at friend’s consistently after school, many times missing dinner. I became completely addicted during a long night stretch of Kung Fu on Nintendo. I had to get one and get one I did. I love the old school games, never forgetting my roots. Many a memory I have growing up and conquering games with friends, sacrificing sleep for the thrill of victory. I can play with anyone in Nintendo or Sega games, and yes, I was one of those Sega Hockey freaks who did very well. When game systems changed to the types you see now, I did not immediately jump on the gaming scene. The internet was more important and computer gaming was large. Now, home gaming systems have caught up and you can do all the online gaming you want. I am a big sports game fanatic, love baseball, hockey and now enjoy playing the football games. Though I played different types of shooter/strategy games, the FPS games are now of interest to me (even though my skills are no where near the typical high school gamer). It is fun to get together and play with people who are out having a good time. Though time is a bit tight these days, sacrificing sleep for playing is all part of the game. I enjoy the outdoors, but competition keeps bringing me back to games, and now that they are smarter, makes it even more challenging
