The Matrix Online Reviews

A fistful of new reviews for Warner Bros. and Monolith's The Matrix Online have been posted, although they're mostly on the negative side. The first is at RPGamer with an overall score of 2/5:
Although the promises of The Matrix Online still linger, Monolith has proven that inexperience in RPGs truly can harm a franchise. With an uninspired mission system, an absent storyline, overly difficult beginning levels, and an incomplete feel to graphics, The Matrix almost seems like a bad dream. Add in constant maintenance time, unstable servers with crashing zones, and live story events that play out slowly, and the result is a game even the most optimistic of RPGamers cannot overly praise. This game is a must pass for any serious MMORPG lover, and while Matrix fans may find their fix for kung-fu action fulfilled temporarily, the bad taste is not worth the wasted income. In the end, the powerful system of the Matrix seems to need a virus scan, and The Matrix Online is that virus.

The second is at Game Vortex with an overall score of 70%:
At this point, The Matrix Online is more about potential than product. Obviously, fans of (The Matrix) will probably be able to overlook most of the game's flaws and somewhere beneath it all is a very unique experience that can only get better as Monolith irons out some of the more glaring flaws. Of course, this is what makes MMOs so hard to review since what you're playing one month could possibly be better or worse the next. As it stands now, The Matrix Online doesn't really stand out as one of the better MMOs out there. Just as some (Star Wars) fans have stuck to Galaxies, Matrix fans will probably be more willing to take the red pill now and wade through the flaws. Those looking for a new MMO may want to wait until some of the dust settles before seeing how far the rabbit hole goes.

The third is at Console Gold with an overall score of 86%:
MxO deserves to be judged on its own merits, and not the skepticism of those who hated the sequels. While some might have a difficult time getting past their own prejudice, those that can will find a largely enjoyable experience and an interesting continuation of the story.

The fourth is at GamesFirst! with an overall score of 3/5:
Who will hate it? RTS or fighting game lovers may not like MO. It looks fast, but the fighting mechanics are slow enough to be frustrating to many such players. Also, some cultish devotees of the Matrix movies could be very disappointed by the differences in MO and the films.

And the fifth is at GameBattles with an overall score of 5.8/10:
Cypher, played by Joe Pantolione, had it correctly when he stated, "Ignorance is bliss." What feels like an ambitious project simply ends up shooting itself in the foot with poor mechanics and even worse camera-work. The intuitive, if a little stereotypical, skill-tree is the only saving grace of a game that simply continues the tradition of shoddy games related to the Matrix.