To be frank, while the video games adapting and even continuing the narrative of popular late-90s/early-00s film franchise The Matrix could be considered ambitious, unfortunately, none stood the test of time and were lost to the ether among thousands of other games. Some like Enter the Matrix were perceived to be buggy and unfinished, while the ambitious MMO The Matrix Online had an enticing plot but has been shut down for longer than a decade now. Calling this a shame would be an understatement, as the Matrix universe lends itself to some ambitious concepts. While no new projects are known about at this moment to coincide with the upcoming movie, Epic Games has partnered with Warner Bros. Entertainment, the films cast, and various other individuals and companies to deliver The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience.
Tech Demos are not uncommon with the launch of many video games and game development engines. However, most of these are confined to show floor demos or a heavily cropped together marketing video showcasing the best bits. If lucky, you may see a playable version on the PC every so often on the PC. Bucking that trend, and promoting the currently in-beta release of Unreal Engine 5, Epic Games has recently released The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience on not only the PC, but PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S storefronts as well. Putting the demo experience in the player’s hands, especially given the latter part of the experience, was bold on the part of Epic. However, I think it paid off, and the general consensus agrees with this sentiment.
The main meat of The Matrix Awakens consists of an approximately 10 minute “Chase” section. This starts off with a 3-minute section in the white void, where Thomas “Neo” Anderson (Voiced by Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Voiced by Carrie-Anne Moss) discuss current-day technology and showcase some neat visual effects. What is most impressive, though, is that while there are some tell-tale signs that this is computer generated (namely, things are a bit too… perfect…), it is never apparent you are watching something filmed or CGI.
The second part of the ‘Chase’ features an approximately 5-minute gameplay section. You are involved in the titular car chase, in the shows of a new Zion Operative, fighting against agents in a first-person view as Trinity steers you out of danger. The gameplay is minimalistic and the experience is again is focused more on the visual effects and audio design possible when a project uses Unreal Engine 5. Therefore even if you loathe first-person shooter gameplay, you shouldn’t expect any sudden GAME OVER screens or anything. The third and final part of ‘Chase’ is a three minute hover over the city the demo takes place in, outlining features of the engine, including Mass AI Visualisation, Nanite Visualisation, and much more. Some more of the technology used/featured in this demo can be found HERE. The latter section may appeal more to those in the industry, but it is fascinating to get a real-time demonstration of cutting-edge technology.
You may feel that the large download isn’t worth it for a little more than 10 minute experience. That is when the demo’s second mode comes into play. Dubbed ‘Explore City’, it does exactly what it says on the box… you are put into the city that the ‘Chase’ demo takes place in, a sizable one at that, and given free rein to travel around it at your own leisure in a third-person viewpoint. Sadly, no Matrix-style super jump abilities are available, but a rudimentary driving system is available to get you from Point A to Point B. But what I love most is the Photo Mode, which allows you to change various camera/simulation settings and take screenshots from around the city. You are not limited to just head level either, and can fly high and take some fantastic screenshots with or without the iconic Matrix-green filter. Is it something I would go back to? Probably not, but the half an hour I spent taking photos was certainly time well spent. Even if there wasn’t much in the way of city landmarks, the photo opportunities were plentiful!
While I was left hoping for an announcement like The Matrix Awakens comes to the PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S in 2023 that never came, combining one of the most notable science fiction film franchises of the 90s with the technology of the 2020s and beyond was a clever choice. We finally have the technological capacity to deliver a faux simulation of The Matrix that is aesthetically realistic, and I am stoked that Epic Games realised the opportunity in this around promoting their new engine. Much more than that, The Matrix Awakens does what it clearly sets out to do as a technology showcase, and sets high expectations for what their latest engine will do to video gaming soon.
This article is based on the PlayStation 5 version of The Matrix Awakens, now available to download on the PlayStation Store.
