The Matrix Online: MMORPG.com Re-Review

Dana · December 2006

It's been a while, so Staff Writer Donna Desborough takes a peek back at SOE's The Matrix Online in this new re-review.

The name of the game is Matrix Online, world of amazing fights and true heroics. Where everyone can be a hero and leap from building to building in a single fluid leap, fight agents with one hand tied behind your back and look stunningly stylish while you do it. The possibilities seem limitless.

Or so you would think.

From the movies, comics and animated series, the story of the Matrix world is rich and detailed. The Matrix Online is a continuation from the end of the last movie and finally gives us, the viewer, a chance to be part of the story.

The full review is here.

0over0 · December 2006

I think a lot of mmos can feel lonely--even WoW has servers that aren't full and in which many areas are mostly empty.

It's often more trouble to group (finding, organizing, the constant recruitment), but more fun to play when grouped. And while many of us will default to the DIY playstyle as a result, we also don't want to be forced to group even though it might be more fun. In short, the mechanics of grouping just don't seem to be well thought out in any mmo that I've been a part of.

It's up to the player in every mmo I've ever played to really go out and make their experience social...or not. So though you found MxO a "lonely" experience, the same can be said for all mmos depending on what you do as a player and a person.

Mrbloodworth · December 2006

The
missions are mind numbingly repetitive.

Seriously, the only reason this game survives is simple. The
IP.

Tyshalle83 · December 2006

I didn't really find this article helpful at all. Not to be a dick, but it was written pretty poorly and didn't leave me with the feeling that I knew the game any better, I only knew what the writer thought about it. The article was basically "this is how this works, this is what I thought of it. I felt this way about this. This is like this." In the end I know what the writer thought about the game, but there's no real substance there for me to form an opinion about it myself. At best, I can take this review like I would any forumer's opinion, one that is based mostly on taste.

Also it seemed like the writer was really playing up every aspect about the game, except for two or three relatively small things which reduced the whole score to a 6.6.

Anyway, I'm not looking to flame the author or anything, but I didn't find the article to be very helpful, nor well written. And when I say that, I don't just mean spelling or grammar (though there were some grammatical errors too), but I just mean there was no flare or creativity or voice to the article. It was just a series of "This is like this. I thought this about this," etc. like I said above.

Marku · December 2006

not very well written tbh. Could of been better and i think the score is alittle too low considering all the other trash out there with higher scores.

Robbgobb · December 2006

I pre-ordered and still have not opened the box. I keep hoping to see something that will make it worth doing and seems like waiting is still needed after reading this article.

qotsa · December 2006

Originally posted by Tyshalle83
The article was basically "this is how this works, this is what I thought of it. I felt this way about this. This is like this."

Isn't that what a review is? You want extremely detailed mechanics of the game read a fan site or something.

Kyleran · December 2006

Agreed. Somehow the review just misses...doesn't really say anything.... and I really don't know how I feel about the game after reading it...except... ambivalent maybe...

saker · December 2006

I agree with a earlier post that stated

"the score is alittle too low considering all the other trash out there with higher scores."

Xennith · December 2006

I played the matrix online for less time that i played SWG. They managed to take the repetativness of AO, combine that with the buggyness of SWG and stir.

Was not impressed.

Ill admit that it looked great if you were fighting a single mob, but two or more? messy.

Tiller · December 2006

Originally posted by ViarrgosMom

'We've trashed this game since launch, because it's really crappy and no one plays it, but that was before we sold our souls to sony. So now its happy rainbow sunshine land all the time! The matrix online will do your taxes, walk your dog, reverse global warming, and make the statue of liberty dissappear before your very eyes!"
-MMORPG.COM

ROFL

Zorvan · December 2006

Originally posted by Mrbloodworth
The
missions are mind numbingly repetitive.Seriously, the only reason this game survives is simple. The
IP.

QFT

Shatterhand2049 · December 2006

You have GOT to be kidding me.

After reading this drivel, I am convinced she played a completely different version of the Matrix Online than I played for almost two years.

Allow me to shed some light on why I think her review is more than a little :

<quote>Events happen on a fairly regular basis and can give you a needed break of missions and PvP. The stories told in the events bring you into the world and makes you part of it. Large scale holiday events, such as the Halloween event, are server-wide and go on for many days giving everyone a chance to fully enjoy what the developers have put together for the players.</quote>

I laughed out loud when I read this. The "events" that occur in-game have been, for the most part, player-based. While cinematics (which I won't even get into, since my nurse is on a break, and I don't know where she keeps my anti-rage shots) help advance the...*ahem*..."story", very little of that is translated into the gameplay. The mission packs that come with the new cinematics allow the player some LIMITED involvement, and once in a great while, if you're highly favored by the developers or just plain lucky, you may get to interact with one of the characters. But, overall, the events play out like this:

1. Cinematic introduces the next "chapter" of the storyline.

2. Characters show up in-game or make announcements in-game as to what new enemy/change to the Matrix must be dealt with, and/or what special item must be found.

3. Players scramble to obtain the items, oftentimes employing tactics such as killstealing, area farming or reselling items at obscenely inflated prices in the Marketplace.

4. The "event" builds up to a "climax" with the defeat of some significant enemy, or the revealing of the answer to whatever puzzle/question was introduced, one or various characters appear in some form to wrap up the event in a allegedly dramatic fashion.

5. All the players go to the clubs and use /dance emotes for several hours while listening to whatever in-game music stream they enjoy.

Yes, the Halloween event (and the upcoming Winter Event) last many days, allowing players plenty of time to see what the developers have added, but it's several days of the same thing. No progression of story, no increase in intrigue or interest, then it's back to the same old stuff.

BZZZT!!! Aww, I'm sorry, thanks for playing! Enjoy the home game, and this year's supply of car wax.

Yes, the graphics are quite detailed, but after a while, I still felt like I wasn't a part of the environment I was in. The NPCs walk around like zombies, spouting random phrases if you click on them. They don't react to anything going on around them. If they see a fight start in the streets or even in the sidewalk in front of them, they either keep right on walking or stop, expressionless, until it's over and you're out of the way. You can go into buildings and see NPCs standing around, but they don't DO anything. As for the enemy AI, they mainly walk around in various /mood settings, in an attempt to make them look more lively, and if they're aggro'ed, they'll react to your presence and attack.

As for performance, let me tell you this: I have a 3.06 GHz P4, 1GB of RAM, 16X DVD-ROM drive, 300GB HD, and an nVidia GeForce 6200 256MB video card. I'm using Road Runner Business Class high-speed internet, also. Not the highest-end of PCs out there, but not too shabby, either. This game never, EVER stopped lagging. Even at the lowest graphic settings possible, I still suffered unbearable lag in almost every area of the game. And, if I was near a hardline with a lot of people hanging around it, holy crap on a cracker, I might as well have been trudging through quicksand. There was absolutely no excuse for that much lag. I can play Guild Wars, which is graphically superior by leaps and bounds, on high settings and never experience the kind of lag I dealt with in the Matrix Online. Sorry, Ms. Desborough, but I call shenanigans.

<quote>As an extension to the combat system, there is PvP, or player versus player. PvP isn't mandatory and gives players a chance to pit themselves against each other in one on one combat in duels or in group combat against the other factions. This can be a nice break from the plethora of missions and exploring to be done in the game.</quote>

This really helped me to believe Ms. Desborough didn't play the same game. In the MxO I played, PvP was EVERYTHING. Hell, nearly every event centered around it, to at least some degree. You can't go to any hardline anymore without seeing at least two groups of people engaging in random PvP. And, sadly, it's usually because they have nothing else to do, or feel some need to flex their e-muscles and prove some sort of supremacy over another player or group of players.

<quote>The player economy is pretty healthy with this good sized market.</quote>

The economy is a TRAVESTY. The Marketplace is full of ridiculously overpriced items. There's never any maintenance done to the marketplace, no cleanup of unsold items, no price control of any sort. Case in point: I recall a stack of bit-1's being sold for 40 million $info. Trust me, you'd have to be playing a LONG time or purchase $info from a broker in order to afford that.

Finally, as for the community, I will say that many in the community are genuinely friendly and willing to help you out without expecting anything in return. It won't take new players long to be included in some group activity, as well, if they stick around a hardline and ask for help. But, beware the large, elitist clans; they choke the life out of being in-game. From their holier-than-thou attitudes to their plays at in-world dominance, they can ruin the experience for many with ease.

MxO had SO much potential, but alas, I don't think it'll ever reach it. This game is long since dead to me.

3abden · December 2006

reviews doesn't really affect me, reviewers are ppl like us they have thier own taste IMO.

DIoga · December 2006

Originally posted by SirTemplar
You have GOT to be kidding me. After reading this drivel, I am convinced she played a completely different version of the Matrix Online than I played for almost two years. Allow me to shed some light on why I think her review is more than a little : Events happen on a fairly regular basis and can give you a needed break of missions and PvP. The stories told in the events bring you into the world and makes you part of it. Large scale holiday events, such as the Halloween event, are server-wide and go on for many days giving everyone a chance to fully enjoy what the developers have put together for the players. I laughed out loud when I read this. The "events" that occur in-game have been, for the most part, player-based. While cinematics (which I won't even get into, since my nurse is on a break, and I don't know where she keeps my anti-rage shots) help advance the...*ahem*..."story", very little of that is translated into the gameplay. The mission packs that come with the new cinematics allow the player some LIMITED involvement, and once in a great while, if you're highly favored by the developers or just plain lucky, you may get to interact with one of the characters. But, overall, the events play out like this:

Events happen almost every other day from monday to friday. It's a fact. Check the official MXO forum > Live Events board.

1. Cinematic introduces the next "chapter" of the storyline. 2. Characters show up in-game or make announcements in-game as to what new enemy/change to the Matrix must be dealt with, and/or what special item must be found.

Again, check the Live Events board to see how varied the events are.

3. Players scramble to obtain the items, oftentimes employing tactics such as killstealing, area farming or reselling items at obscenely inflated prices in the Marketplace.

Making info is easy. You just don't know how to do it.

4. The "event" builds up to a "climax" with the defeat of some significant enemy, or the revealing of the answer to whatever puzzle/question was introduced, one or various characters appear in some form to wrap up the event in a allegedly dramatic fashion.

Not every event ends like this.

5. All the players go to the clubs and use /dance emotes for several hours while listening to whatever in-game music stream they enjoy.

All the players? I'm impressed that you know all the players. Except me, I hate parties. And I know of a lot of others who don't attend to them.

Yes, the Halloween event (and the upcoming Winter Event) last many days, allowing players plenty of time to see what the developers have added, but it's several days of the same thing. No progression of story, no increase in intrigue or interest, then it's back to the same old stuff.

It's a game. Surely the game doesn't always have to focus on the main story. It are holidays for a reason; to have fun. And these unrelated-to-story-events are definitely a whole lot of fun.

BZZZT!!! Aww, I'm sorry, thanks for playing! Enjoy the home game, and this year's supply of car wax. Yes, the graphics are quite detailed, but after a while, I still felt like I wasn't a part of the environment I was in. The NPCs walk around like zombies, spouting random phrases if you click on them. They don't react to anything going on around them. If they see a fight start in the streets or even in the sidewalk in front of them, they either keep right on walking or stop, expressionless, until it's over and you're out of the way. You can go into buildings and see NPCs standing around, but they don't DO anything. As for the enemy AI, they mainly walk around in various /mood settings, in an attempt to make them look more lively, and if they're aggro'ed, they'll react to your presence and attack.

As for performance, let me tell you this: I have a 3.06 GHz P4, 1GB of RAM, 16X DVD-ROM drive, 300GB HD, and an nVidia GeForce 6200 256MB video card. I'm using Road Runner Business Class high-speed internet, also. Not the highest-end of PCs out there, but not too shabby, either. This game never, EVER stopped lagging. Even at the lowest graphic settings possible, I still suffered unbearable lag in almost every area of the game. And, if I was near a hardline with a lot of people hanging around it, holy crap on a cracker, I might as well have been trudging through quicksand. There was absolutely no excuse for that much lag. I can play Guild Wars, which is graphically superior by leaps and bounds, on high settings and never experience the kind of lag I dealt with in the Matrix Online. Sorry, Ms. Desborough, but I call shenanigans. Lag is indeed an issue. It appears the further you live from the server the more lag you have, or at least thats what I found out. But it's not as worse as you tell us. I can still pvp, my machine is less than yours and I probably live further away.

As an extension to the combat system, there is PvP, or player versus player. PvP isn't mandatory and gives players a chance to pit themselves against each other in one on one combat in duels or in group combat against the other factions. This can be a nice break from the plethora of missions and exploring to be done in the game. This really helped me to believe Ms. Desborough didn't play the same game. In the MxO I played, PvP was EVERYTHING. Hell, nearly every event centered around it, to at least some degree. You can't go to any hardline anymore without seeing at least two groups of people engaging in random PvP. And, sadly, it's usually because they have nothing else to do, or feel some need to flex their e-muscles and prove some sort of supremacy over another player or group of players.

When did you play MXO? There's only pvp at Mara Central these days, most of the other hardlines don't even have people standing around, let stand they're pvping.
PVP isn't everything in MXO. The combat system and the story itself are making this game. It's one of the most unique systems I have ever seen in any MMO. Not only the animations (including bullet time in pvp) are great to watch but also the option to change abilities on the fly truly enhance the gameplay itself. You don't have to roll a new character but you can change your skills in less then a second while you come up for new tactics/strategies for yourself and/or for your team. - Funny that the review mentioned the combat system but not every aspect of it. I think the reviewer didn't play further than level 10, which can be achieved in a few hours, while the game really starts to shine beyond level 20.

The player economy is pretty healthy with this good sized market. The economy is a TRAVESTY. The Marketplace is full of ridiculously overpriced items. There's never any maintenance done to the marketplace, no cleanup of unsold items, no price control of any sort. Case in point: I recall a stack of bit-1's being sold for 40 million $info. Trust me, you'd have to be playing a LONG time or purchase $info from a broker in order to afford that.

While it depends on what you want to buy, 40 million on it's own is easy to get. Although no one would pay it for a stack of bit 1's. Yes, items are overprized but you're not forced to buy them, especially not bits. They're even easier to get as info. 40 million would take me a few days, while a stack of bit 1's would take me 10 minutes.
But I agree, the Marketplace should be more controlled. There are also items, worth about 50 million that are on there for 999.999.999 million. Then again, they're there, but I don't have to buy anything anyway.

Finally, as for the community, I will say that many in the community are genuinely friendly and willing to help you out without expecting anything in return. It won't take new players long to be included in some group activity, as well, if they stick around a hardline and ask for help. But, beware the large, elitist clans; they choke the life out of being in-game. From their holier-than-thou attitudes to their plays at in-world dominance, they can ruin the experience for many with ease. MxO had SO much potential, but alas, I don't think it'll ever reach it. This game is long since dead to me.

Different taste maybe. But most of the reasons you stated aren't true.
The game is easy going, not as addicting as other MMO's. You don't "need" to jack in all together to get 1 special item, it doesn't require team play yet with a team you get things done easier and quicker. But almost everything is solo-able. Which isn't the purpose of an MMO, but I say every MMO needs to have the option to go solo. MXO has a fine balance between solo- and teamplay.

PVP isn't everything. The ongoing story and the unique combat system are everything. And that story includes a lot of RP and a lot of PVP. From an RP point of view there's a lot of interaction between the players, but you also get the chance to speak with characters from the movie and new official characters that were introduced with the creation of MXO. PVP is, due the story, pretty awesome. Besides chatting with imfamous characters you also occasionally get the option to fight them, like Seraph as prime example. Or to fight side by side next to Niobe while you try to defeat a bunch of Merovingian Operatives. The story and the combat system is what keeps this game going and what sets it apart from other MMO's. The combat system itself offers so many different loadouts that when you've become bored of doing martial arts you can get rid off some of your moves and choose for gun-moves instead. You can make tons of hybrids, and save all of them so you can switch skills on the fly. From a tank to a doctor in less than a second. Thus, hitting the level-cap isn't the end of the game, because probably by then, you haven't tried all of the abilities. So instead of grinding again to 50 you can get yourself some more info, code yourself new abilities and try them out on the battlefield.

ParaTrooper · December 2006

Originally posted by ViarrgosMom

'We've trashed this game since launch, because it's really crappy and no one plays it, but that was before we sold our souls to sony. So now its happy rainbow sunshine land all the time! The matrix online will do your taxes, walk your dog, reverse global warming, and make the statue of liberty dissappear before your very eyes!"
-MMORPG.COM

Well someone quite clearly hasn't compared the old review rating to the new one.

docminus · December 2006

Originally posted by Lepidus

It's been a while, so Staff Writer Donna Desborough takes a peek back at SOE's The Matrix Online in this new re-review.

I missed a comment about the combat upgrade or whatever it was called for MxO. Considering this is a re-review....

Also not much comment about gameplay per se - there is not much to do here, all the missions are the same somehow and even though buildings vary the layout inside is very repetetive, this hasn't changed much since the start.

All in all i got so bored in this game, and although I have a station pass, I deleted MxO from my hd, don't see a need to logon, although this was my very first mmo and I miss it somehow.

Edit: I used to play it on a laptop at beta and launch - worked well with 1gb of memory and turning of shadows, so yes, the game is playable on a low spec machine (with 512 mb it was very laggy).

Rattrap · December 2006

Dana

I must say this was a really poor review - let alone rereview

Usualy reviews are rushed , and people who write them (even when they are actually interested in playing the game -which is rare) never have enough time to experience more than the first rush and awe every new game has on us.

Getting really better look takes at least 1 month of active playing. Than the good and the bad become obvious.

My point is

This review didnt really tell me nothing about the game. Just that you more or less liked the graphic and enjoyed the combat.

When you should write and explain this intricate combat system (that used to be quite special) - all you say is "i like it"

Also MXO is litteraly abandned game. There must be some reason for it. You never touch upon that.

To avoid writting to much again

Not informative re-review at all

Crueltylizer · December 2006

Originally posted by Rattrap
Dana

I must say this was a really poor review - let alone rereview

Usualy reviews are rushed , and people who write them (even when they are actually interested in playing the game -which is rare) never have enough time to experience more than the first rush and awe every new game has on us.

Getting really better look takes at least 1 month of active playing. Than the good and the bad become obvious.

My point is

This review didnt really tell me nothing about the game. Just that you more or less liked the graphic and enjoyed the combat.

When you should write and explain this intricate combat system (that used to be quite special) - all you say is "i like it"

Also MXO is litteraly abandned game. There must be some reason for it. You never touch upon that.

To avoid writting to much again

Not informative re-review at all

Sadly i think Ratrrap is right..

Kusya · December 2006

Good review, many valid points. Too bad the game never lived to its expectations

mindmeld · December 2006

Didnt have any problem with the re- review.

Ryowulf · December 2006

I was in beta, but didn't care for the game much. I heard they made big
combat changes and was hoping the rereview would give me some insight
into how it has changed. I hated 'zoning' everytime I agro'ed a mob and
the the symbols didn't seem to do anything.

WSIMike · December 2006

I do agree with many of the points the reviewer makes. And I agree with points people in this thread have made. The missions do feel repetitive - go to building, kill people, achieve objective, get jumped by a couple more people on teh way back to a hardline. Go to other building that's across town but somehow laid out exactly the same (apparently, all the buildings in the city were designed by maybe 3 architects), kill some more people, achieve an objective, get jumped again on the way to another hardline... and so forth. THat part did seem mind-numbingly boring to me as well.

What made the game such a joy for me, back when I first played it, was the community. Hands-down, the best community I've ever seen in an online MMO. Sadly, many left because the game was too buggy, the events were screwed up and the Monolith folks couldn't seem to keep up. To their credit, however, Monolith were trying to do quite a bit more with the community than any other MMO I've played. Having real team members playing the roles of Morpheus, Niobe, Locke, Merovingian and other key storyline characters - actually interacting with other players and furthering the storyline was something I have never seen in any other MMORPG. It was a noble effort and I don't knock them at all for attempting that level of community involvement. I think they simply bit off more than they could chew.

When the bugs began to rack up and the game became more and more unplayable and more people started leaving.. it lost all that.

I tried to come back not long ago and played for a bit, hearing how it had improved. But it felt empty and pointless. Every time I"d log in, the same people, hanging around the same hardline, doing the same thing. I'd go off and do a mission or two.. come back an hour or so later... same people.. same hardline... same things.. Totally stagnant.

Now.. what I don't get about the review is how the reviewer is positive about nearly everything in the game -the graphics are wonderful, the gameplay is wonderful, the fighting system is wonderful... However he couldn't find a good Faction/Crew to join, so he gave it a 6.6. That seems awfully wierd to me.

Rattrap · December 2006

Originally posted by Darkz0r
Before you flame the review, think for a second...which review actually gets written after the reviewer has played for a MONTH ? Get real, I think we all know no review site plays a game for a month and actually touch a lot of stuff that mostly ONLY THE PLAYERS relize, because only *THEY* play the game longer than 1 week. (Actually 1 week is too much, I still doubt any review is based on a 1 week experience..even if they do, reviewers have a lot to do and dont play much Im guessing) So anyway, by my beta experience I would say the game isnt very impressive as said..sure it could be more of an informative review, but isnt that mostly always ?=

Valid point - if we are talking about reviews.

Most sites and magazines just compete to put the reviews as soon as possible. And are often to afraid to bash some game because it could be that due the fact that they played just couple of hours, they actually missed the good parts.

Evidence is plain

NWN2 agreed by most of comunity to be a massive disapointment - got 90% reviews all over the board.

Why?

Simply because NWN 1 - was reviewed to be failure , back in the days. But the obvious NWN1 quality points came to view only later.

So reviewers didnt dare to do the same mistake. And playing NWN2 to the end takes more than month

----

Alas we are talking RE-REVIEW

Meaning - yes review was rushed. But our stuff played the game over the last year, read the forums, seen the rate of patches, talked with people...

And now we bring you the real - ins & outs of the game.

But this is more like review no2.

So why the bother ?

When i see title rereview i expect serious look at the game coupled with amounted experience

Getiz · December 2006

I think Donna's review sumed it up quite well for me. MXO isnt a bad game and I can see why people play it, but it hasnt got that cetain "Unff" factor I look for in MMOGs. Thats just my opinion which aint worth much.

rwyan · December 2006

A Review of the Review.....

For a review, I would give this a C-/C+. The attitude Donna presented is what it should've been, non-biased. I've read too many reviews where the writer has an obvious bias towards/against whatever he or she is reviewing. However, I felt lead on up to the end.

Throughout most of the article, it seemed as though Donna was fairly excited for the game. The only true "negatives" that she pointed out were the sound, service, and activity of players. She appeared to praise the gameplay, the graphics, and all other aspects.

The other thing is, is that its clear MMORPG.com has a particular scoring system with different categories. It would have been nice to make a point to cover each of those topics(graphics, gameplay, lag, value, sound, role-playing, fun, community, and service). I think next time, each aspect should be covered more clearly and specifically. A good example is how Donna talks about the sound. Its hard to explain, and I apologize I can't quite put this to words effectively, but her use of words is "clunky", and it is throughout the whole piece. In reviews, you want to get in to each topic quickly, concisely to better illustrate your point. State your facts on the point, then give your overall opinion.

I don't mean this to be an attack at the writer but more or less a critique.

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The Matrix Online: MMORPG.com Re-Review

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Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV