While The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience was no doubt an impressive display of how far gaming technology’s evolved since 2003, I’d argue that the true hotbed of gaming innovation comes from the gigachads known as PC modders. Don’t believe me? Check out this Sifu mod that pits Neo against a horde of Agent Smiths and tell me I’m wrong.
The Matrix - Neo (The One Suit Physics) mod, created by Halfmillz, finally gives us the Matrix game fans have been waiting for by placing Neo and Agent Smith into the underbelly of Sifu’s martial arts criminal underworld.
Halfmillz has been uploading a series of Sifu Matrix mods to the video game modding website Nexus Mods since late February. These include Neo and Agent Smith character models from the 2005 video game The Matrix: Path of Neo, combat sound effects from the movies, and ReShade filters that evoke the Wachowski epic’s iconic greenish hues. Halfmillz recently uploaded a stylish trailer showcasing their Matrix mods to YouTube, chock full of cleverly edited scenes in which Neo faces off against bad guys from Sifu that transform into Agent Smith clones.
What makes this mod’s ingenious fusion of the two properties so successful is that Sifu’s level design and crunchy combat already lend themselves very well to The Matrix series’ trippy visuals and breath-taking action sequences. As you can see from this clip of the mod in action, Halfmillz nailed the details in order to bring an authentic Matrix experience to Sloclap’s soul-crushingly difficult roguelike. Witnessing Neo clear a room of Agent Smiths accompanied by The Matrix’s iconic sound effects as well as the “Burly Brawl” track from Reloaded’s Agent Smith clone fight left me surprised by how accurately the mod evokes the feel of the Wachowskis’ long-take action sequences. I personally popped off seeing Neo unleash a rapid flurry of wing chun punches on an Agent Smith like Ip Man.
This isn’t the first time Halfmillz has graced Nexus with Sifu mods. Prior to their Matrix mods, Halfmillz created a series of similar superhero mods, swapping out the martial arts game’s protagonist with Batman, Deathstroke, Spider-Man, and Venom. While these mods have a lot of potential for wacky gameplay, I’d argue that their Matrix mod stands out as the cream of the crop. Sloclap’s design philosophy already demanded players be an army of one against a seemingly endless horde of enemies, so playing as The One against an actual horde of Mr. Smiths lends itself perfectly to Sifu’s brutal gameplay experience.