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.

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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.