pigtools
One of my friends really loves SR4 and constantly tells me to play it. But I am reluctant precisely because I loved the first two games for being a hardcore gangbanger's story. I wouldn't even call it a GTA knock-off. What, if GTA was first to make an open world 3D game, everything that came after is automatically a GTA clone? I mean, yeah, that is exactly the sentiment which persist for 20-something years already, but I think that is unfair. Some games have clearly transcended the "GTA knock-off" level, and first two Saints Rows are those games.
I will eventually try SR4, even if just for cool cars that are in that game.
Meanwhile, I have another game. I'm not sure how my peers viewed it back in the day, but reading the reviews on Wiki and whatnot tells me that at the very least the critics were not of high opinion about this one.
I'm talking about Enter The Matrix.
Granted, I'm playing the late release where a lot of bugs and performance issues have been fixed, so that's definitely a thing that should be taken into consideration if you are to read further.
But I really cannot comprehend why the reviews are that bad. Granted the game is not stellar, and the graphics are not top-notch, but aside from that, I think it's pure fun.
The close combat is top notch. The only other open world game of that era where I had similar kick with close combat is True Crime: Street Of L.A. I thought the driving missions would be a chore, but they are actually rather decent. Heck, physics are better than in Watch Dogs. But OK, what can be worse than the Watch Dogs, let's put it aside this time. But I saw dedicated racing games with worse driving physics. Supercar Street Challenge from 2001, for example. Enter The Matrix's driving is quite solid.
Not to mention... Remeber that scene from the second movie where they enter a garage full of classic cars before the (insanely awesome) freeway chase and end up with a surprisingly modern CTS-V? Well, I'm not sure if they just didn't want to wreck a classic car or if they picked a modern one purely out of monetary reasons, but I'm glad that classic cars weren't destroyed in that movie.
But here we have a video game! And so Niobe chooses a freaking 1960 Coupe De Ville, complete with fins and the rest of the jazz. And by God, that car has one of the best engine sounds I ever heard in a video game. Makes me sad that you only drive that De Ville for one rather short mission.
Driving Niobe's Firebird is a pleasure too.
I think the game only really has two weak spots. First: the close combat is rather badly documented, and it is hard to figure out how to pull off a particularly cool move. Second: Niobe and Ghost sometimes get completely identical missions. It would've been way cooler if all of their missions had different paths.
I could go on and on, but I think that's enough to show how much I liked this game. I can't fathom that it was given 6 out of 10 back in the day, if not less. I always say that old games were better, but were they really that good that Enter The Matrix only got 6? Man, as my friend said, if only I knew how good we had it back in the days, I should've ran on ceiling with happiness.
To drive the point down, just before Enter The Matrix I played through the very first Fallout, and I'm having just as much fun with Enter The Matrix... if not more. Probably the best movie-related video game I ever played too.
As a closing word, I will give you the best dialogue that didn't make it into the movie.
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