The Matrix Resurrections Weirdest Video Game Reference

Matrix Revival unafraid of its video game influence. At first, Thomas Anderson was being forced to make a sequel to his groundbreaking game Matrix, a simplicity and parallel meta starring Lana Wachowski in the film. But between all the corporate speeches and the arrival of Christina Ricci, there is a more subtle mention of games.

It is incorporated into a montage of Neo’s monotonous, time-loop waking life; it’s a treadmill. It is even mentioned in dialogue a few times, a symbol that represents the illusion of progress. It’s about the futility of nostalgia, and the crushing cycle of capitalism, and learning to see when you’re really not going anywhere.

It also represents the first, most basic animation created for many video games; walking cycle. Most video game characters begin their lives walking non-stop across the game developer’s screen. This is the most common animation you will see in a game, so it should look good.

But humans have a strong sense of what real human walking looks like, and there are a lot of pitfalls animation falls into, from over- or under-animated, to slipping, and more. Walking animations go wrong in many ways, but at their peak they can help define who the character is supposed to be.

Watch the video above to learn more about how a hike goes wrong and what game developers do to make sure they look good.