5 Best Matrix Video Games of All Time, Ranked

With The Matrix: Resurrections set to release in theatres next week (December 22nd), gamers all over the globe are suddenly scrubbing up on past video game adaptations, desperate to get a heavy fill before the latest sequel sparks to ignite. And although the franchise has failed to replicate every theatric release for the gaming subdomain, its developed few are still strong and sublime, and enough to inspire countless others to follow in the same footsteps.

But let's talk about the best of the best. Or, more specifically, the few published games, ranked in a particular order. From the most mediocre entry to the chapter with the most acclaim, here are, in our opinion, the best Matrix video games of all time, ranked.

5. The Official Matrix Website: Arcade

Flash games were all the rage once upon a time, and anywhere that stocked them by the truckload would always be the first port of call for both students and gamers alike. And so, as a way to milk the cash cow after the release of the first movie, the teams behind it made the call to embed a bunch of 2D games in its website arcade.

Of course, they were mainly built for the sake of keeping site visitors around for a few extra minutes than anything else, and in no way contributed to the overall structure of the story. But they were, for a short time, nuggets of fun that gave visitors a little extra something to sift through. Nothing overly complex, but definitely a fun little feature to bundle in with the website, for sure.

4. The Matrix Online

The tale of The Matrix Online was definitely a woeful one, and one that didn't exactly have the storybook ending Monolith Productions had envisioned, either. And while it was ambitious in its own special sort of way, with plenty to bring to the table in terms of open world elements and original themes, its gameplay sadly fell short and cast potential players away before it ever really found its feet.

Although the MMO ran fluidly from 2005 to 2009, The Matrix Online continued to lose active players, resulting in an eventual plummet in sales. Come late-2009, and Monolith Productions made the heartbreaking call to shut the servers down and call it a day. And in case you were wondering how many players the game had by close of play, well, let's just say it was in the triple-digits — and half of 1,000. Sad times.

3. The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience

As a way to boost the hype surrounding the latest and greatest Unreal Engine 5, the teams behind it developed a full-fledged interactive experience to help showcase its next-level tech. And although it is made up of mostly crisp cinematics with the odd player choice aspect thrown on top — it is still one of the most visually impressive tech demos we've ever seen.

Of course, the experience itself is only ten to fifteen minutes long, and doesn't require a great deal of work to complete. But it does, however, compel you to repeat the sequence again and again, just to taste the fresh fruits of the groundbreaking Unreal Engine 5. It's a perfect example of how to escalate hype over something and shed light on its otherworldly possibilities. And honestly, having The Matrix front and center for the presentation was one heck of a solid choice on Unreal's part.

2. Enter the Matrix

Enter the Matrix was the first officially licensed video game to hit the market, running alongside the theatrical release of The Matrix Reloaded. And although it didn't technically cross wires with the movie plotline, it did share a lot of events with the Reloaded timeline, only with alternative characters filling the usual spots to help nudge the story along and fill the gaps.

Admittedly, the gameplay wasn't as mesmerising as the movie's action-heavy cinematics, but it did feature a tonne of special content that was specifically built for the game. And with The Wachowski's fronting the project with an exclusive hour of footage and a boatload of connecting story arcs, Enter the Matrix was a sure-fire way to keep fans of the series fully entwined with its nexus of dots.

1. The Matrix: Path of Neo

For years, long-term fans of the franchise sat on the hopes of seeing a complete video game adaptation of the original Matrix trilogy. And as luck would have it, Shiny Entertainment cashed in on that prosperous idea in 2005, bringing Path of Neo to the table for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC.

In a nutshell, Path of Neo was a collection of popular moments that loosely followed the events from The Matrix, Reloaded, and of course, Revolutions. Hand-picked by the directors themselves, the relatively short but jam-packed collection of tales amounted to an overall quality experience, and one we were happy to replay several times over on worn-out hardware.

So, what's your take? How would you rank The Matrix games? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.

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