El Matador
- April 3, 2014
- Plastic Reality Technologies
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"El Matador" is a first-person shooter game set in a present-day, realistic urban environment. You play as a drug enforcement agent tasked with taking down a powerful cartel in a South American city. The game features intense action, stealth missions, and a variety of weapons to choose from.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features surprisingly good technical aspects for its time, including decent environment assets and competent enemy AI.
- The fast-paced gameplay and bullet time mechanics provide a fun, albeit simple, shooting experience reminiscent of classic action games.
- It's a budget-friendly option for fans of third-person shooters, offering a nostalgic experience similar to Max Payne.
- The game suffers from a lack of depth, with a linear story and repetitive gameplay that can feel like a chore.
- Performance issues and bugs, especially on modern systems, can make the game frustrating to play.
- The AI is often unbalanced, with enemies having pinpoint accuracy while the player's shooting feels inconsistent and unsatisfying.
- story46 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The story in "El Matador" is widely criticized for being clichéd, shallow, and lacking depth, often described as a mere vehicle to connect gameplay sequences. Players note that it features a simplistic plot centered around a DEA agent battling drug cartels, with minimal character development and voice acting that fails to elevate the experience. While some appreciate the game's action and pacing, the overall consensus is that the story is forgettable and serves primarily as a backdrop for the gameplay.
“The story is brief and corny, but the slow-motion acrobatics and mid-00s ragdoll physics more than make up for it.”
“The story follows a protagonist who neither feels fully effective nor distant from the other characters, leading him into more endangerment than previously given.”
“The story is totally b-movie, but the voice acting is well done.”
“The story is non-existent; the main character is the only one with a decent voice actor who sounds strangely close to 'not important' from the game Hatred.”
“The story is cliché, brief, and corny, but the slow-motion acrobatics and mid-00s ragdoll physics more than make up for it.”
“The story is as plain and by the numbers as it seems.”
- gameplay29 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay is heavily inspired by the Max Payne series, featuring similar mechanics like bullet time, but it suffers from clunky execution and stiff controls, leading to a less engaging experience. While the level design accommodates fast-paced action, the overall mechanics feel underdeveloped and flawed, making it a forgettable third-person shooter. Despite its shortcomings, some players find enjoyment in its simplicity, especially at a low price point.
“The level design fits the fast-paced gameplay perfectly, with a change between confined interior areas where the shooting becomes frenetic, and more open spaces on the outside, which provide lots of cover and possibilities to flank the enemies and surprise them from behind.”
“Graphics are obviously dated, but the gameplay is fun, so if you don't mind old graphics and get it on sale, it's gonna be the best 60 cents you ever spent.”
“Gameplay is where El Matador shines, and I highly recommend this to any fan of the Max Payne series or third-person shooters in general.”
“You don’t pay attention to the story; it is just a series of tropes that exist only to string you from sequence to sequence of janky gameplay.”
“A forgettable, uninteresting, unengaging, basic third-person shooter that tries to emulate Max Payne's gameplay in the clunkiest manner, and will be a stuttering mess if you don't download the community patch.”
“Production values are not high; all mechanics feel flawed and underdeveloped, boss battles are broken, but this game gets shit done.”
- graphics21 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered dated, reminiscent of titles from the mid-2000s, yet some players find them enjoyable and functional. While there are notable issues such as graphic bugs and shadowing problems on newer hardware, the visuals are often described as vibrant and adequate for the gameplay experience. Overall, the graphics may not impress, but they do not detract significantly from the fun gameplay, especially if purchased at a discount.
“Imagine if someone took Max Payne 2, but made it in 2006 with then-modern graphic features and tons (and I mean it) of physics.”
“The visuals are really good; I would say they still look fairly enjoyable.”
“The graphics are very functional and vibrant.”
“Graphics are obviously dated, but the gameplay is fun so if you don't mind old graphics and get it on sale, it's gonna be the best 60 cents you ever spent.”
“Very poor man's Max Payne, game runs somewhat bad on a totally overpowered rig with PS2 graphics.”
“But the graphic bugs (huge amount of shadowing bugs) are destroying the whole game experience on newer graphic cards.”
- music12 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the energetic and fitting soundtracks that enhance the gameplay experience, particularly during intense shootouts. However, others find the music to be either annoying or awkward, with some describing it as generic or not worth listening to outside of the game. Overall, while the music contributes to the atmosphere, its quality and appeal vary significantly among players.
“I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
“It has an all-around solid presentation and the graphics, sound, and music are all very decent for 2006 standards.”
“And whoever's idea was it to play bombastic music non-stop during shootouts was the glue that kept this game from falling into garbage.”
“I have no words for the soundtrack, it makes the whole experience incredibly awkward.”
“Music is bad.”
- optimization7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 57 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is severely lacking, resulting in significant performance issues such as stuttering and unresponsiveness, particularly on newer systems. Players recommend downloading a community patch and adjusting CPU core settings to improve performance, but overall, the game's clunky mechanics and lack of optimization detract from the experience.
“I’ll make a final note on the performance.”
“Crazy hard, lots of guns, no map, linear, crazily unoptimized, and no auto save.”
“A forgettable, uninteresting, unengaging, basic third-person shooter that tries to emulate Max Payne's gameplay in the clunkiest manner, and will be a stuttering mess if you don't download the community patch.”
“If this game didn't have such massive performance issues, it might actually have been some mindless good fun.”
“The stuttering makes this game really unplayable.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it infinitely replayable, others criticize it for having a short story and limited overall experience, leading to little incentive for subsequent playthroughs.
“Infinitely replayable (or almost)”
“The game offers some excitement but also some downfalls that include a short story and overall experience with no exceeding replay value.”
“The game offers some excitement but also some downfalls that include a short story and an overall experience with no exceeding replay value.”
“After the first initial playthrough, there is no replay value.”
“Replay value: average.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its over-the-top, trashy dialogue and exaggerated cop clichés, which contribute to a lighthearted and entertaining experience. Players appreciate the comedic elements, including funny physics and awkward character animations, that enhance the overall enjoyment despite the game's lack of polish. Overall, the humor remains a standout feature, making it a memorable and fun shooter.
“One of my favorite shooters of its time, think a less polished Max Payne 2 without any drama or real atmosphere, completely focused on the action, the exotic holiday settings, and hilariously trashy dialogue that tries way too hard to be hard and cool.”
“The textures pop in frequently, the character models look dead, and the lip syncing is absolutely hilarious at some moments.”
“+ Hilarious cop clichés do wonders for the story.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of El Matador is marred by numerous bugs and glitches, leading to a frustrating experience for players. While the game is not completely unplayable and features some decent visuals and storytelling, issues like invisible bullets and inconsistent performance detract from its overall quality.
“El Matador is also full of bugs and glitches throughout.”
“Laggy, buggy, Max Payne wannabe.”
“Bullets are not visible to the eye and fly as straight as the rays of a laser, and the only consolation for you is the buggy opportunity to shoot at enemies through cover.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a focus on action over depth, featuring exotic holiday settings and over-the-top, humorous dialogue that attempts to convey a gritty tone but ultimately feels less polished and dramatic, reminiscent of a less refined version of Max Payne 2.
“One of my favorite shooters of its time, think of a less polished Max Payne 2, completely focused on the action, the exotic holiday settings, and hilariously trashy dialogue that tries way too hard to be hard and cool.”
“One of my favorite shooters of its time, think of it as a less polished Max Payne 2 without any drama or real atmosphere, completely focused on the action, the exotic holiday settings, and hilariously trashy dialogue that tries way too hard to be tough and cool.”
