The Matrix: Path of Neo Interview

By Spencer . November 4, 2005 . 4:38pm

The Matrix: Path of Neo was one of the surprising titles at E3. The surprise was that it looked awesome. After the lukewarm reception of Enter the Matrix, can Path of Neo redeem Shiny Entertainment? We sit down and talk with Benjamin Cholewinski, lead designer over at Shiny about the upcoming Matrix game.

 

Siliconera: It has been two years since Matrix Revolutions came and went with mixed reactions by fans. What makes the Matrix franchise worthy of another game and why release it at this time?

 

BJ: Contrary to popular belief, the Matrix franchise is far from dead. The newly released Matrix Trilogy DVD set remains at the top of the sales charts and for the first time in Matrix interactive history, Path of Neo places gamers in the role of the franchise’s leading character – Neo!

 

Like the Matrix movie sequels, fans reacted to Enter the Matrix in different ways. Some fans liked how it was separate side story with two new characters, but most were disappointed by the title. What changes are made to The Matrix: Path of Neo to make sure it succeeds?

 

BJ: For starters the game is all about Neo; so all content, combat, controls, art, programming, and animation have been redesigned specifically to deliver the experience of being the One. World class mo-cap, fluid multi-opponent combat, new combo system, improved ranged combat, level-up system, flight, and telekinesis are all new features created specifically for Neo.

 

The graphics engine was re-written 3 times during PoN to both improve the visuals and get the game to run faster. The backgrounds are rendered with real-time normal mapping. Normal mapping allows for per pixel specular lighting with a bump map to simulate detail levels not seen on the PS2 before. The game also supports real-time depth-of-field with rack focus for the cinematics, custom Bloom filtering, physics, and 3D distortion for environment rippling. The trademark Matrix bullet trails are procedurally rendered at about 12 million vertices/second allowing for up to 20,000 polygons for the trails alone.

 

The new third person camera system is controllable and zooms in dynamically to highlight killer moves. The right stick can be used to look around while the target lock button allows for new 360 targeting on the ground and in air.

 

The Wachowskis have had a close relationship in the development of Enter the Matrix and since they’re rewriting the story it seems as if they’re playing a large role in The Path of Neo too. What has the experience been like working with them?

 

BJ: Working with the bros. Wachowski has been an experience of a lifetime for many of the people involved with the project. The brothers communicate their vision through voice and text in a way that when a pause between sentences is (finally) reached, you’re left breathless, high, and hungry for more.  No one knows the Matrix like they do. And if you think you know something, think again. In the beginning they hit us like a freight train with some far-out ideas that really had our heads spinning in Matrix goodness.

 

From the start we were like, “are they serious,” “I think they are,” “this is going to be huge!” From the day we received their first outline of the game, our brains and fingers ran with the concepts as if Agents were pursuing us to hard line exits. The Wachowski’s lets us know from the start that they were not going to leave us in the cold with no umbrella and a rain-soaked black and white pamphlet on the Matrix Trilogy. This was an opportunity seized by the bros. and Shiny to go the extra mile, bridge gaps, and deliver as Smith would say, “More, more, and more!”

 

One of the coolest features in The Path of Neo is branching story. Since gamers take control of Neo, they take make each decision. How open ended is this system? Can Neo take the blue pill and never find the truth? Can Neo side with the robot army and wreck havoc on humanity?

 

BJ: You can take the blue pill. As Thomas Anderson you can evade the Agents in MetaCortech and escape on a bike with Trinity. You cannot however side with the robot army. The game follows the trilogy so it many ways it is linear but there are little things here and there that offer gamers choice or a chance to do something different.

 

The Matrix films are known for their great action sequences. How is Shiny translating Neo’s kung fu skills and blending gun combat in the same combat system? Then there are Neo’s superhuman powers like flight, running on walls and bullet dodging. How are these being incorporated into gameplay?

 

BJ: About 60 percent of the game channels martial arts and 40 percent focuses on ranged combat. There are a few missions that cater to one or the other, but on the whole, both styles of combat are merged to give players more battle options. Bullet time (slow mo) mechanics can be applied to all skills even jumping to increase effectiveness and access more powerful abilities such a bullet dodging, soaring to great heights, and running along walls to out-class the enemy. Telekinesis is also used allowing the One to use physics objects and rag dolls as weapons.

 

Melee weapons play a major role too. PoN has three classes: One and two-handed swords and staff types. All of Neo’s unarmed attacks, specials and combos are taken to the next level with weapon in hand. Enemies come in a variety of skill levels and the later ones like the Exiles are also proficient with melee weapons, so it will be in gamers favor to master each type of weapon to survive. Want a tip? Upgrade the Weapon Strip ability and use it often to relieve the Exiles of their steel and turn it against them with blinding speed!

 

The biggest and most innovative combat mechanic is the new multi-opponent fight system which allows gamers to direct attacks, blocks, launchers, finishers, etc. toward enemies that attack from the front, back and sides. And by using the Special Attack button in conjunction with the left stick, Neo is able to ‘link-up’ with two to three enemies simultaneously and execute extremely cool motion-captured attacks that are straight out the films. You have to see them, better yet control them yourself to believe it!

 

There is also Combo Helper Prompt Icons that appear on the screen to help gamer’s link combos and perform cool moves. You don’t have to do what the on-screen prompt tells you to do, it’s more of a suggestion or quick lesson in combo crafting.

 

How is the overall structure of the game set up? Is it mission based with branch points depending on Neo’s choices or is it freeform?

 

BJ: The bulk of the game follows a linear path. After all it is a retelling of the Matrix Trilogy. However, there are two beats in the game that feature a unique interface allowing gamers to decide where and who to fight or rescue in the order of their choosing. There are also a few alternate paths and truck loads of secrets to discover and unlock. The game’s finale has also been re-written for gameplay purposes and is even introduced personally by the Wachowski brothers! The ending is a ‘cannot miss’ for fans of the series.

 

The Path of Neo won a bunch of technical awards at E3 and gathered a lot of attention with the Smith fighting sequence. Shiny has managed to make thousands of Agent Smiths appear on screen for Neo to fight, which looks straight out of the movie. How is this even possible with the current generation of consoles?

 

BJ: We support 19.5 million vertices/second rendering of the background characters. That’s about 8 times faster than the characters in ETM. That means we can have a $#!t load of Smith’s cruising around the park, dancing around Neo all at once without beating up the frame rate.

 

We’d like to thank Ben, Shiny Entertainment and Special Ops Media for taking the time to assist us with this interview. Look forward to playing as the One later this week when Path of Neo is released nationwide.

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