In the early 2000's, The Matrix franchise was at the top of its game. Ushering in a new era of technology, specifically the rise of the internet, the themes and concepts explored in the series were extremely relevant and engaging. Now, almost two decades after the third film, a follow up called The Matrix Resurrections is set to hit movie theaters in a matter of days. Alongside this return to the big screen, the sci-fi epic has also recently made waves in the video game industry with the stunning Unreal Engine 5 demo titled The Matrix Awakens.
This brief but sensational glimpse of what the next few years of gaming will look like is a mind blowing tease of things to come. Character models and animations are eerily lifelike, while the amount of onscreen destruction and chaos rivals many Hollywood films. Many gamers who checked out the demo may have left it with an itch for a brand-new game set in The Matrix universe. While this would definitely be exciting, a project like this should be taken a step further and serve as a gap to fill in story threads between The Matrix Revolutions and The Matrix Resurrections.
Looking Back at Enter The Matrix
The creators of The Matrix franchise, The Wachowski twins, are avid fans of video games as much as they are of film. This can be seen in much of the visual design in The Matrix, and even the general concept of logging into a virtual world in which the user can perform death defying stunts. This passion for interactive entertainment was taken to the next level when The Wachowski's decided to not only produce but direct a canonical video game tie-in called Enter the Matrix.
Released alongside The Matrix Reloaded in May 2003, Enter the Matrix took place at the same time, with its own plot points eventually leading into The Matrix Revolutions. Unlike many other movie tie-in games, which simply adapted the plot of the film, Enter the Matrix was a far more ambitious project in this regard. For fans of the franchise, and anyone wanting more details on this universe, playing the game would help fill the gaps and provide more context in a way the movies could not.
The Matrix films generally average around two hours long, but video games as a medium can go far beyond that, allowing for more information and exploration of a world. This unique advantage could be tackled again in a new video game based on The Matrix.
Expanding on the world of The Matrix
With this in mind, there is so much that can be examined in a new game if it were to bridge the gap between The Matrix Revolutions and The Matrix Resurrections. The last time audiences saw this franchise, Neo had sacrificed his life so that humanity could be freed from the machine's reign. Evidently, this may not have completely panned out, as based on the trailers for the fourth film, Neo is brought back into action and something sinister seems to be brewing in the background. The Matrix Resurrections will likely touch upon why this is happening, but as stated above, a movie's time is limited, whereas a video game can be liberal with its length.
As proven by the stunning Unreal Engine 5 demo, even more is possible going forward with gaming technology. While the lifelike graphics and animations lend themselves to more polished action sequences, the capacity to build larger, more interactive worlds would help benefit a new game set in The Matrix universe as well. Perhaps opting for a fully open action RPG, in which players can move freely between Zion and the digital world of the Matrix, could lead to an incredibly immersive experience.
Taking Advantage of Unreal Engine 5
One need only take a few moments to look at The Matrix Awakens to be left in awe of its amazing achievements in graphical prowess. It may not seem like it, but The Matrix Awakens was allegedly developed in a short amount of time with a relatively small team. If the end result is what was produced under those constraints, it begs the question what would have been possible with years of development time and an entire studio hard at work on the project.
While Enter the Matrix may feel clunky and outdated in terms of its graphics and combat, the way in which the storyline connects itself seamlessly into the events of The Matrix Reloaded is the right idea. The Matrix Awakens demo captured the feel and slick look of the films, something that would only help further enhance the feeling of being immersed into the fictional world. These new advancements will blur the line even more between game and movie, helping to sell the notion that a new video game tie-in is just a piece of the bigger story.
It remains to be seen exactly what awaits Neo and company when The Matrix Resurrections hits theaters next week. However, with the franchise back in full swing and a tech demo showing the potential of a new video game, it may be a lucrative opportunity for developers to chase after. Whether with a brand new character or a player-created avatar, there has never been a better time to jack back into the The Matrix and all of its intriguing glory.