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Loading...The Matrix Online
The Matrix Online was a MMORPG set in the film universe of the Matrix films, acting as an official continuation of the story found in the films. The game required a monthly subscription and was set in the sprawling urban Mega City found within the Matrix, home to a schedule of in-game events that progressed the story on a regular basis.
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Publisher: Sega, Warner Bros., Sony Online Entertainment Type: MMORPG Release Date: March 22, 2005 Closure Date: July 31, 2009 Pros: +Dynamic story/events. +Unique combat system. +Fluid class system. Cons: -Riddled with bugs. -Generic gameplay. -Low playerbase. |
The Matrix Online Overview
The Matrix Online was a short-lived subscription-based MMORPG, which received mixed reviews and an increasingly small player base over its four years of service. Players assumed control of a ‘redpill,’ a character who recently awoke from captivity inside the Matrix whose full awareness of the Matrix allows them to fight on a heightened level. The game offered a unique combat system called Interlock, which put players against an NPC or other player in a 1-on-1 battle with four abilities each: quick, power, grapple or block. Choosing the correct ability allowed your character to deal damage, which was portrayed with interactive combat animations that show a real battle as opposed to the back-and-forth combat of typical MMORPGs. Another notable feature of The Matrix Online was its storyline, which progressed on a regular schedule that meant players had to be relatively active to get the most out of the game’s storyline. Main characters from the films were present in the game and were played by game staff, interacting with its player base regularly to heighten the interactive nature of the game’s story progression.
The Matrix Online Key Features:
- Interlock Combat System – Fight against NPCs and other players in a rock-paper-scissors style of combat and activate the iconic Matrix bullet time for slow motion dodges.
- Reactive Fight Animations – Slam enemies into the ground, incapacitate them, and watch them struggle with brawler-esque combat animations.
- Canonical Matrix Storyline – Progress through the story written by writers involved in the Matrix comics and films.
- Three Class Archtypes (Hacker, Coder, Operative) – Change from one class type to another by loading new class abilities; allowing players to specialize in whatever they want.
- Massive Mega City – Explore a huge recreation of the film’s Matrix world, teeming with NPCs and traffic that live on their daily lives.
The Matrix Online Screenshots
The Matrix Online Featured Video
The Matrix Online Videos
The Matrix Online Online Links
The Matrix Online Wikipedia Article
The Matrix Online Wikia (Database / Guides)
The Matrix Online Metacritic (Reviews)
The Matrix Online Music & Soundtrack
The Matrix Online Additional Information
Developer: Monolith Productions
Publisher(s): Sega, Warner Bros., Sony Online Entertainment
Game Engine: Lithtech: Discovery
Director(s): The Wachowski Brothers
Closed Beta Date: June 2004
Release Date: March 22, 2005
Closure Date: July 31, 2009
The Matrix Online was announced on May 22, 2002 at E3 as a joint venture between Warner Bros., Monolith Productions and EON Entertainment. The original Matrix film had been released in 1999 as a massive success, both critically and in the box-office, with its sequel on the way, making the MMO highly anticipated. Ubisoft announced their support to distribute and manage the game in 2003, who backed down from their role as publisher within the next year of development, also backing down from another MMORPG game they had previously announced to support, Uru: Ages Beyond Myst. By this point, the unsuccessful film sequels had been released and doubt rose about the success of The Matrix Online. The game’s release was over-hyped by its publishers, leading to a large public backlash and negative view of the game as it went public in 2005. The game sales were poor and the reviews were low, which was followed by a tumultuous battle with bugs and connection issues that followed throughout the game’s life.
In June, Warner Bros. announced that they were no longer participating in the online gaming business and sold TMO to Sony Online Entertainment, which was followed by server downsizing and the game’s inclusion in SOE’s Station Access program. It was online for roughly 4 years until SOE decided to end its support of the game due to its low amount of players totaling about 500, and planned an epic event that would crush all of the players in the game. The ending event, however, was bug-ridden as was the rest of the game, leading most players to disconnect when it was supposed to happen.
The Matrix Online Private Servers
There is currently one private server/emulation project available for The Matrix Online, but it is still a work in progress and is missing most of the game’s content. Download and install the software at your own risk.