The Matrix Awakens was the first new Matrix video game in 16 years when it dropped back in 2021 – and then it vanished. So, where can you download and play The Matrix Awakens?
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Can You Still Download The Matrix Awakens on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S?
No, The Matrix Awakens isn’t available for download on PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S anymore. Epic Games de-listed the Matrix Resurrections tie-in title on July 9, 2022. As a result, both The Matrix Awakens‘ PlayStation Store and Microsoft Store product pages are missing the download button.
That doesn’t mean The Matrix Awakens is completely inaccessible, though. On a now-defunct promotional webpage (per Gamespot) Epic Games assured fans that anyone who downloaded The Matrix Awakens by July 8, 2022, would retain access to the game, even if they deleted it. “Download [The Matrix Awakens] before [July 9] and you’ll still be able to access the demo going forward – or re-download it if you’ve deleted it from your console,” Epic Games’ message said.
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What’s more, PC gamers can also jack into The Matrix Awakens‘ virtual world – they just can’t play the actual game. Epic Games released The Matrix Awakens‘ urban environment as a free Unreal Engine 5 demo project, aptly named “City Sample.” As City Sample’s product description explains, it “consists of a city, complete with buildings, vehicles, and crowds of MetaHuman characters.”
City Sample is a fun way for Matrix devotees to play tourist in a stunningly accurate recreation of the franchise’s distinctive cyberpunk setting. It’s also a handy springboard for those looking to make a Matrix game of their own. But anyone keen to fight Agents alongside photorealistic recreations of Neo and Trinity like in The Matrix Awakens will be sorely disappointed by City Sample’s limitations.
What Type of Game Is The Matrix Awakens?
Ostensibly, The Matrix Awakens is a small-scale, open-world action game. In practice, it’s more of a tech demo than a fully-fledged game. Epic Games never tried to hide this, either. On the contrary, The Matrix Awakens‘ full title is “The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience,” and promotional materials clearly labeled it “a technical demonstration,” rather than a game. Plus, The Matrix Awakens was free, which was a pretty big clue to its true nature.
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Even so, The Matrix Awakens contains at least one conventional gameplay experience. Playing as hero character IO, you take part in a freeway chase reminiscent of the one in 2003’s The Matrix Reloaded. Best of all, Keanu Reeves’ Neo and Carrie-Anne Moss’s Trinity are right alongside you as you fend off a swarm of Agents hot on your tail.
The Matrix Awakens is no longer available to download.
