The Matrix: Path of Neo Comparison Part 1 [PS2 vs PC]

Complete, in-depth comparison of a somewhat overlooked Matrix game from 2005 and one of Shiny Entertainment's last projects, The Matrix: Path of Neo, comparing the patched PC version versus the Playstation 2 original. I doubt it'll come as a surprise that I decided to work on this video while waiting for the upcoming Matrix 4: Resurrections movie, as I wanted to revisit the trilogy, but also get to see just how lackluster the PC port is (which I unfortunately played first, years ago), which itself is ported off the already inferior Xbox version.

There was a time in gaming history when games would get developed on consoles firsthand, particularly the PS2, known for its massive pixel fill rate and rendering capabilities of some really neat VFX, including lightning and shadows. Then said games would get ported over to Xbox and PC, in worst case by third-party teams, but in this case Shiny themselves were responsible. Yet whether due to time constraints, technical limitations or differences in hardware, the ports look awful, and this is a prime example of an issue that plagued the entirety of 6th gen. I am by no means blaming the developers and neither should you, since the more post-processing effects native to PS2 are involved, the harder it is to maintain them when transferring the game to another piece of hardware, especially if said hardware is incapable of rendering them properly. Hence, if a remastered PS2 game comes out, there is a 90% chance it will still have inferior graphics, some more noticeable, some less (examples of such cases are Silent Hill 2-4, Devil May Cry 1-3, Metal Gear Solid 2, GTA trilogy, Prince of Persia trilogy, etc.).

As for Xbox, since it basically consisted of PC parts and had DirectX 8.1 API, it was much compatible to port over to PC. Seeing these differences, I felt like it was my duty to expose the inferior versions for what they are, and to emphasise the importance of playing the proper version whenever you can. So, I hope you'll enjoy the video, and perhaps spot some details I missed!

The PS2 footage was captured via Elgato HD60 Pro on OBS at highest quality. I used OSSC, since I don't have Retrotink yet.

Levels: 0:00 Logos and menu 1:58 Ever Had a Dream, Neo? 12:13 They're Coming for You, Neo 14:29 He's Heading for the Street 21:42 Kung Fu Training 30:36 Skill menu 31:03 Sword Training 34:46 Winter Training 41:03 Aerial Training 43:06 Weapon Training 47:16 Dojo Training 51:48 Deja Vu "It's a Trap!" 56:59 Storming the Drain 1:01:50 Lobby Shooting Spree ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C4yW0Okju4