A Neo-less 'Matrix' game comes home game review

Capatalizing on the rampant success of "The Matrix" and its sequel comes "Enter the Matrix," an inspired yet simultaneously frustrating video game.\nThe game, as "written and directed" by "Matrix" overlords The Wachowski Brothers, serves as a natural extension to the films. Replete with cut scenes and actual cinematics the game is inherently filmic. In many respects this is cool, but it can also be a drawback. Developers rely too heavily on these tricks, as gamers will often watch events unfold as opposed to actually playing through them.\nGamers have the option of playing as either Niobe (Jada Pinkett-Smith) or Ghost (Anthony Wong) -- two peripheral characters from "The Matrix Reloaded." While it's neat that the characters in the game are modeled after and voiced by the actors who played them in the movie, one will often long to play as the likes of Neo (Keanu Reeves), Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) or Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) -- who do nothing more than cameo. One cool feature is differentiated tasks and storylines dependent on character chosen -- Niobe is an expert wheelwoman, while Ghost is a skilled marksman.\nGraphically the game is pretty strong, though character animations are occasionally blocky. The fighting engine, which appropriately enough boasts bullet-time, has a fairly easy learning curve, and serves as a fun means of brutalizing one's opponents. Though, similar games featuring bullet-time i.e. "Max Payne" and "Dead to Rights," are as good if not slightly better than "Enter the Matrix." In many instances the game's a tad too easy, and at others (i.e. taking a chopper down with a single gun à la Steven Seagal) it's too hard. While flawed, "Enter the Matrix" is a trip worth taking.