If you were like most videogame players, you were disappointed by the lackluster Enter The Matrix game Shiny released about two years ago. While it was neat to be playing a kind of side story with Niobe and Ghost, gamers really wanted to sink their teeth into playing Neo. Here was a character that could stop bullets in mid air, fly around like superman, and fight off Agents with his bare hands. Shiny listened to complaints and has now released The Matrix: The Path of Neo. It's nothing like the Enter the Matrix game you’ve probably played before, but it has its own flaws that prevent it from being a great experience.

This time around you aren’t any supporting character, you are Neo. That means everything that Neo did in the movies, you will get to do at some point. The game starts out as Thomas Anderson gets a mysterious phone call at his workplace, and Morpheous offers to guide him out of the office building and down to the street level. In a nice nod to the concept of the films, you can change the outcome of the story by actually making it out this time, instead of chickening out. Alternatively, you can choose to follow history and get caught by police. While the result is the same, it’s nice to have a choice. Unfortunately, this is the only place in the game where you are given a choice to skip some gameplay.

What follows next is nearly an hour's worth of training levels not seen in the movie. While some complain these detract from the overall storyline flow, they are fun and necessary ways to learn the combat system. Neo has a large number of moves at his disposal, despite only having an attack, grab, jump and dodge button. By the time training is over, you will be able to pull of his most complex attacks, wall moves, and bullet time dodges with ease. The fun doesn’t stop there. Much like in the movie, Neo starts out as just another soldier in the war against the machines, no better than anyone else. As the game progresses, however, you will gain new techniques. Things like bullet dodges and six-person grapples will become second nature, as will gunplay and bullet stopping. By the time you get the ubiquitous Burly Brawl vs 100 Smiths, it will no longer be about pulling off moves, it will merely be about surviving.

The game also has a great sense of play balance. If you acquire or have the option to acquire a move, the chances are you will need it for the upcoming stage. If there is a weapon lying around, you can be sure it’s not a crutch, but a necessary tool for your survival. A good example of this is in the Burly Brawl. While it's possible to defeat the whole horde of Smiths with just your hands, there are metal staffs in the stage you can use to even the odds somewhat.

Not all of the additions to the Matrix plotline are great. While its nice to see tribute levels to classic movies like Hard Boiled, Iron Monkey, and Samurai (the black and white level is especially enjoyable), some additions are confusing. For example, there is an entire level set in the Merovingian’s castle that’s ludicrous. In it you wander through an illogical maze battling various forms of giant ants and corrupt programs. The new ending, much touted in the commercials of the game, is really atrocious. An option to follow the original ending of the movie, instead of the Giant Smith fight, would have made a more pleasant experience.

In fact, you will find yourself deviating from the movie plot all over the place. The first level extends the office escape scene from the first movie over a half hour. The rudimentary stealth system used in that stage is never seen again (and good riddance). Neo no longer falls during his first focus jump, and the part where Morpheous is captured during the first film turns into a stage where Neo must make his way alone. By far the most confusing addition is another Smith encounter during the Reloaded time frame. The hallway that Neo, Morpheous, and the Keymaker encounter Smith turns into a twenty-minute run for their life.