Anyone who has played the game Max Payne surely knows what Bullet Time is. For those of us who don't, it is a special feature that slows the game down, making all of the moves slow-motion. Enter the Matrix has this same feature, though it is called Focus, instead of Bullet Time. When in Focus you can perform an insane variaty of moves, for example, when you are next to a wall and press the kick button, your character will run up against the wall and kick the enemy in the side of the head, rendering him unconsious. With this Focus, your player can actually run on the walls. Also, if you are in Focus mode and run straight toward a wall, your character will run straight up it and flip around, back facing the wall. Now that's what I call awesome.

 

You can choose between one of two players: Ghost and Niobe. Niobe is a piolet, so on any of the driving or flying missions, she drives and Ghost usually shoots out the window. Having two differnet playable characters makes it seem almost like two different games: About half of the total missions for Ghost are different for Niobe (Ghost has harder levels tha Niobe does; I would recommend starting out with Niobe).

 

Th levels range from flying the hovercraft Logos to destroying a reactor  to stabbing evil vampire-like creatures in the chateau. The game loads about every five minutes; each time you can come to a loading point you have completed the current mission. Sometimes the missions are simply walking to the designated points, and sometimes there are no enemies nearby. No this puzzles me. Why would there be a level of just running around, with no one the knock unconsious? I counted more than fifty missions in the enire game for Niobe; I have yet to complete the game with Ghost. But I had a chance to see the last mission as Ghost; if you are Niobe, you are flying the Logos, if you are Ghost, you are shooting at the machines drawing nearer to you. The thing that surprised me about this level was that it was almost too easy. I didn't feel as if I had completed the game. Now, this could either be a bad thing or a good thing. It would be bad if they left the game ending like this, with no real fell of total victory. But it can be a good thing: There might be a sequel! Yay! Of course the Matrix Online should be a fun way to explore the Matrix, I would be almost willing to bet money that another sequel is on its way.

 

The gameplay is so simple it just blows me away. The O button is kick, the X button is jump, the Square button is dodge bullets, and the Triangle button is punch. Pushing the kick and punch buttons together can make your character perform a combo, which I always enjoy. Also, if you are holding the Focus button and have magchine guns ready, you press the jump button while running forward, and your player will dive forward, flying through the air like a bullet, shooting down all of the opposing forces on the way. If you are experienced with this move, by the time you hit thte ground, there should be no one left standing but yourself.

 

Overall, Enter the Matrix is one of the best fighting/action games I hae played. To be honest, before Enter the Matrix, I did not care for the particular genre, but this game has brought me to enjoy it.