Enter the Matrixwas the very first majorMatrixvideo game. It was released during a time when licensed games were very popular, where new titles based on movie properties were being released regularly. The franchise was a cultural phenomenon with its film releases and a game adaptation seemed inevitable to a lot of fans. Commonly, the licensed games of the time were loose adaptations of the movie source material.Enter the Matrixdiffered in this respect.
Licensed games are somewhat different in modern gaming than what they used to be. In the early 2000s, it was commonplace for blockbuster movies to receive gaming versions of the same story. More recently, licensed gamestake the form ofMarvel’s Spider-Manand theBatman: Arkhamseries, which feature original stories based on existing properties.Enter the Matrixwas unique for its time in that it didn’t retell the events ofThe Matrixmovies, and instead, it added to the mythology.
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Enter the Matrix Is Canon
Enter the Matrixdoesn’t retell the events ofReloadedandRevolutions,instead, it fleshes out the events of those movies through the experiences of side characters. Players take up the role of Ghost and Niobe, side characters in theMatrixuniverse and crew members of the ship named Lobos.Enter the Matrixtakes place roughly around the same time asThe Matrix Reloadedand features the full cast from the movies in some capacity.Enter the Matrixis considered to be canon, much likeThe Animatrixanimated film. While many licensed games of the time sought direct or loose adaptations of their film counterparts,Enter the Matrixadded to the overall lore by leveraging the second and thirdMatrixmovies.
It Was Created At The Same Time As Reloaded and Revolutions
Enter the Matrixwas produced at the same time as theMatrixsequel movies. While the Wachowskis were busy crafting the sequels, they also found time to contribute in a big way toEnter the Matrix.The game not only filled in the blanks of events concurrent toReloadedandRevolutions,but it also featured original live-action footage directed by the Wachowskis. These cutscenes featured some of the cast from the films. Many considered this to be going a step above and beyond what was required for the game. While the title wasn’t especially well-received by critics, the Wachowskis work onEnter the Matrixhelps it stand out as unique inThe Matrixcatalog of games.
Enter the Matrix Brought a Cinematic Feel
ThisMatrixgame has often beencredited for feeling like a cinema-going experience. Other than the quality of the Wachowskis original cutscenes, the audio quality was lauded at the time by critics, in addition to some of the featured combat choreography.Enter the Matrixwasn’t particularly highly rated by critics, but it received a lot of credit for bringing a cinematic look and feel to an interactiveMatrixenvironment. Many gamers and critics appreciated this harmonious relationship between the game and the movies.
It Was Treated As a Companion Piece
Enter the Matrixisn’t considered to be one of the worstlicensed games, but it did receive some middling reviews. Despite this, the game was developed as an important project. It has been reported that the game saw members of each depart ofReloaded’sproduction team involved.Enter the Matrixalso used motion capture for the cast members, in addition to their voices. This is more commonplace in modern gaming but would have been ambitious for the time. The story was treated as part of the overallMatrixlore and not just a tie-in, which was part of the Wachowskis plan to tell the story using multiple forms of media.
Enter the Matrix,along with the film trilogy andAnimatrix,is commonly considered to be part of the overall arc and not just a spin-off. Unfortunately,Enter the Matrixfaced a rushed production, as there was a desire to see it released on the same day asThe Matrix Reloaded.Reviewers thought it to be unfinished and rushed, but it still went on to sell several million copies. WithThe Matrix 4set to release in late 2021, somefans are hoping that a newMatrixgame could be developed.
Enter the Matrixis available on PC, PS2, Xbox, and GameCube.
