The Matrix Online review:4 stars (If you're a Matrix fan, this might be for you. Otherwise....) - If you're a fan of the Matrix, you'll appreciate that this game is about as close as we can come to bringing the movie to life. Hundreds or thousands of people, all connected to the same virtual environment - in essence, "jacked in" to the Matrix.
Without going into enormous detail, let me just say that the world of the Matrix is huge and there are many, many different things to do and explore. The system of movement and (especially) combat is difficult at first, but after a period of adjustment, it becomes very easy to operate.
The best part is that you can participate in the continuation of the Matrix story. If you didn't find enough resolution at the end of the third movie, this is your chance to find out what happens next.
Now for the bad news. The MegaCity in the Matrix is rampant with street gangs. At first, ALL of them are tougher than you. This tends to restrict the areas you have access to. As you progress in the game, you earn experience points which will eventually raise your character to a higher level (you start at level 1 and max out at level 50). The higher your level, the tougher your character. This isn't really the bad news.
The bad news is the incredible amount of time it takes to raise your levels. They go quickly at first, but soon it takes several hours of committed gameplay to raise yourself even one level. That in itself wouldn't be such a problem, but you can't really participate in the major live events unless you attain a very high level.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
The game will be a rewarding experience to fans of the Matrix who won't mind the level of commitment required to progress in the game.
Those who don't care about the story of the Matrix are likely to become frustrated early on.
However, if you're curious about the game, it's only $30 and that comes with a free month of gameplay. A month is plenty of time to find out whether or not you're willing to pay $15 per month to continue.2 stars (Be ready to cancel your subscription) - At $29.99 the game is a good deal for a couple weeks of fun. In a top-of-the-line computer, the Matrix really does comes to life. You need lot of cars on the street (they actually obey traffic lights), people walking around oblivious to the illusion around them. A martial art fighting is nicely choreographed and very believable. The production value of Matrix Online has got to be one of the highest in gaming history.
The game is all dressed up but has nowhere to go, unfortunately. All the wonderful shops, restuarants, and clubs are just there without a purpose. You can't do anything in them other than to sit. The designers had failed miserably in making use of the environment and storyline. Missions, beyond the initial few, are boring and purposeless. The gameplay starts to sag as you level up, because of game imbalance--combat becomes you overpowering the enemy or he overpowering you. And the constant running from point A to point B feels more like a chore when the surrounding environment no longer impresses you.
The Matrix Online is also very buggy. It has actually become buggier three months since launch. The last "live event" was nothing but trouble. The game was unstable. The servers were unstable. Missions were bugged. As though to crown it all, the cut scene depicting the death of Morpheus suffered from major clipping bugs.
If you a big Matrix fan then you're enjoy this game despite its flaw--for a short while anyway. Just don't expect to be playing long term. After the first month you will likely want to cancel.1 stars (Buyer Beware) - Watch out. I bought this at (...), and when I attempted to install it, it proclaimed in a somewhat demeaning fashion, "WRONG DISK INSERTED." Bullsh*t, I said, it was disk 2. I called the Customer Service place and asked to speak to the highest ranking guy there. He said, "Oh. Ummm... yeah. We've heard of this happening. That's a defective disk. You should return it." I do so, and get another defective one. I call again. "Hmm. The store probably got a bad lot of them. You can send it to *whatever address it was* and they should fix it." Well, It's now been a month or two with no response let alone a replacement. I double-checked that I DID send it to the right address, and I did. Just be careful when you buy this. And if you're thinking of being an employee at SEGA/Monolith or whoever, be sure youre an ***hole, and that you dont mind sending ou screwed up CDs knowingly, then laughing at the poor SOB who wasted 50 dollars... I feel sad now...
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![Science Fiction (Sci-Fi screenshot [Click to enlarge]](http://godmoon.com/S/The-Matrix-Online.gif)
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