Neo-Matrix game named, detailed

Atari today made an official announcement regarding the next installment of games based on the Matrix franchise. Dubbed The Matrix: Path of Neo, the game is set in the universe of The Matrix trilogy. Path of Neo will jack into PCs, PlayStation 2s, and Xboxes this coming holiday season. The title is being developed by Shiny Entertainment, the studio behind 2003's Enter the Matrix.

While the existence of an upcoming Matrix title has been known for a while, the name and details of the project were revealed only today. In The Matrix: Path of Neo, gamers will play as Neo, the sci-fi savior set to free humans from their prisons of virtual reality as created by a race of sentitent machines. It will feature gameplay based on scenes from The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, and The Animatrix collection of anime shorts.

The Wachowski brothers, creators of the Matrix films, will be heavily involved in the game. According to Atari, "The path the player takes to resolve each scenario and the resulting consequences will be scripted and directed by the Wachowski Brothers." The game will also feature the likenesses of the actors portrayed in the films, as Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Ann Moss, Laurence Fishburne, and more will be included, as well as footage from all four films of the franchise.

The game is being developed even though its predecessor was little more than a virus on critic's lists. Released in 2003, Enter the Matrix received mediocre reviews. Despite the critical drubbing, it has sold nearly 6 million units worldwide and featured an original plotline that took place alongside the events of Reloaded.

While The Matrix: Path of Neo won't be released for close to nine months, Matrix-mad gamers will be able to jack into their favorite artificial reality much sooner. The Matrix Online, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game that's being published by Sega and Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment, hits PCs March 22.