Enter the Matrix is a game built to sit beside The Matrix Reloaded, and it mostly succeeds at that one job. Developed by Shiny Entertainment and published by Atari under the Infogrames label, the game puts players in the shoes of Niobe or Ghost, two characters from the film’s supporting cast, as they fight, hack and dodge their way through a story that runs alongside the movie’s own plot. It sold 5 million copies and ran concurrently with the release of The Matrix Revolutions, sharing production time with both films. This review weighs its strengths against its weaknesses, judged on its own terms rather than those of the films it borrows from.
Niobe and Ghost
Niobe and Ghost are the only two playable characters, and the game splits its story between them. Niobe is a master fighter and pilot, quick with her hands and fast in the air. Ghost is the weapons expert, deadly with a gun, and his sections of the game lean more heavily on shooting than on hand-to-hand combat. Both characters move with grace across walls, ladders and pipes, and both face Agents, Sentinels and other enemies with the same blend of stealth and force.
The two characters share a similar world but offer different ways of moving through it. Niobe tends toward agile, close-quarters combat, while Ghost leans on distance and firepower. That split gives the game some replay value, though the core systems remain largely the same between the two.
The Wachowskis and Their Cast
The Wachowskis wrote and directed the game’s original footage, and the cast of the film trilogy appears throughout. Jada Pinkett Smith plays Niobe and Anthony Wong plays Ghost, with other actors from the films filling out the rest of the story. The footage runs to over an hour in total, and it was produced exclusively for the game rather than lifted from existing film material. That dedication to the project shows in the quality of the cutscenes, which carry the weight of the narrative between levels.
The game’s story is set at the same time as The Matrix Reloaded, and it follows Niobe and Ghost as they retrieve a package left behind by the crew of the Osiris, a ship destroyed by the machines. That package contains a message warning Zion that the machines are massing an army of at least 250,000 Sentinels. Niobe and Ghost are tasked with rallying the other ships and preparing for the coming assault, a mission that leads them into meetings, fights and encounters with familiar faces from the films.
Bullet Time and the Focus System
The game’s signature feature is its version of bullet time, called “Focus.” Players can slow down time to aim, dodge and strike, much as Neo does in the films. The system is functional but not revolutionary, and it works best in one-on-one martial arts fights rather than in the open chaos of a battlefield.
Fighting against a single opponent is where the game finds its clearest identity. These duels let players chain combos, time attacks and react to counters in a way that feels distinct from the shooting sections. The focus system adds to that precision by letting players slow time to react to an enemy’s attack, though it is limited to certain situations rather than available at will.
The Hacking System
Beyond fighting and shooting, Enter the Matrix includes a hacking system that rewards exploration. Players enter codes to unlock new skills, weapons and hidden content, including a two-player versus mode. This layer gives the game some depth beyond its action sequences, though it is not central to completing the main story.
The hacking system adds a layer of discovery to the game. Entering the right code can reveal a new weapon, a shortcut or a secret path, rewarding players who look past the obvious route. It is a small addition, but it gives the world a sense of depth that pure shooting alone could not provide.
The Machine War and the Merovingian
The story climaxes around the Merovingian, a program from the early days of the Matrix who now runs an illegal smuggling operation. He steals a key from Niobe and Ghost, a key meant for Neo, and the pair must chase him through an abandoned skyscraper and later through Chinatown to retrieve it. The Merovingian destroys the key, but the Keymaker saves the situation by realizing the key was not ready to be handed over yet.
That plot thread ties directly into the larger war between man and machine, with Niobe and Ghost acting as scouts and messengers for the ships of Zion. Their mission to rally the other ships and prepare for the Sentinel attack gives the story a purpose beyond personal revenge or simple adventure. The stakes are large, even if the individual levels rarely feel that way.
What Works
The game’s strongest moments come from its cinematic presentation. The Wachowskis’ direction and the cast’s performances carry real weight, and the game’s cutscenes are a highlight rather than a footnote. The story moves quickly between action and dialogue, giving players a steady stream of new information.
The third-person shooting and fighting are competent rather than outstanding. Enemies fall to gunfire and fists, and the player’s movements through the world are fluid enough to support the game’s action sequences. The difficulty curve is gentle, which means the game rarely tests a player’s patience with repeated failure.
What Falls Short
The game’s pacing suffers from repetition in certain stretches. Some sections rely heavily on walking, shooting and running, with little variation between missions. The hacking system adds some depth, but it is not consistently applied across every level. Some areas feel like filler rather than meaningful progression.
The lack of multiplayer options beyond the hacking-based versus mode is a notable absence for a game released at that time. A cooperative mode or a competitive shooting mode could have extended the game’s life beyond its solo campaign, but neither is present.
By the Numbers
- Developer: Shiny Entertainment
- Publisher: Atari Europe, Infogrames
- Platforms: Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 2
- Story: Written and directed by the Wachowskis
- Cast: Jada Pinkett Smith as Niobe, Anthony Wong as Ghost
- Original footage: Over an hour, directed by The Wachowskis
- Sales: 5 million copies
- Release: May 2003, concurrent with The Matrix Reloaded
Final Word
Enter the Matrix succeeds as a companion piece to The Matrix Reloaded, offering a deeper look at Niobe and Ghost’s roles in the war against the machines. Its cinematic presentation and cast performances carry the weight of its story, even as its gameplay mechanics feel familiar rather than groundbreaking. The game is a solid, if modest, addition to the franchise, worth playing for its story and its performances rather than for its innovation.
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