The Matrix Online --Page 2
- March 18, 2005 00:00 AM PST
Visually the game seems drab and devoid of character. Although it has most of the conventional graphic bells you'd expect, the game falls short in art direction. The outside of buildings look generic, and the insides of buildings look even more cookie-cutter--the first 3-4 missions that took place inside high-rise apartments had rooms that looked almost identical. Despite taking place in a populated metropolis, the city itself seems sparse and deserted; the occasional mobs and NPCs seem arbitrarily scattered across the green-hued urban landscape.
Whether or not Warner Bros. and Sega like it, the question inevitably arises of "how does it compare to World of Warcraft?" While a final verdict cannot yet be reached for The Matrix Online, Blizzard's MMO seems more casual gamer-friendly--the simpler combat system is more intuitive, and the visuals are much more captivating despite it's graphical simplicity.
On the other hand, Matrix's universe potentially caters to a wider audience. WoW turned some away with its cartoonish medieval fantasy universe, and in contrast The Matrix has a more hip charm with its modern setting and suavely dressed characters. With emotes that interact with other players and much wider variety for aesthetic customization, the Matrix Online could potentially reach an audience of non-gamers.
So far we've just scratched the surface of the game--the game so far doesn't seem to reinvent the MMO wheel, but with Monolith set on steadily the story and game, going deeper into the rabbit hole may ultimately bring a pleasant surprise.
