El Matador

 PC
Metascore
54

Mixed or average reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 24
  3. Negative: 5 out of 24
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  1. Digital Entertainment News
    49
    For hardcore FPS players looking for a way to keep their skills up while playing by themselves, El Matador might be worth picking up at about $10.
  2. PC Zone UK
    43
    Everything about it feels floaty and disconnected, slowing down time makes you feel really sluggish and inaccurate, and you can forget about hitting anything while driving as your crosshair is jerked about rudely like a pogo-stick at a sexy bikini photoshoot. [Dec 2006, p.80]
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  3. GamesRadar+
    40
    El Matador may be fine to play for a few hours but it's not worth a long-term or full-price commitment.
  5. Eurogamer
    40
    El Matador is an unsophisticated action shooter which might have been a decently average blast - there are elements of simple fun to be had in its running and gunning - but it's all messed up by the transparently scripted and static enemies, patchy AI and poor clipping detection.
  6. Computer Games Magazine
    20
    It's a bullet-ballet rail ride with decent graphics, passable physics, horrible character animation, and an uninteresting world. [Feb. 2007, p.69]
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Awards & Rankings

82
#82 Most Discussed PC Game of 2006

User Reviews

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User Score
5.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 46 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 46
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 46
  3. Negative: 16 out of 46
  1. CrusherTM
    Dec 25, 2012
    7
    Well, i like this game. El Matador isn't as good as Max Payne, but this game gives a fun. Can not recommend to everyone, but for sure forWell, i like this game. El Matador isn't as good as Max Payne, but this game gives a fun. Can not recommend to everyone, but for sure for people who do not require more than a decent shooting.… Full Review »
  2. Chroma
    May 30, 2012
    6
    I got El Matador from a $20 sale on all 1C games on Gamers Gate. I say this just in case it may affect how I regard the game and how you mayI got El Matador from a $20 sale on all 1C games on Gamers Gate. I say this just in case it may affect how I regard the game and how you may regard it's worth. Not much to say other then it is a Eastern European game.

    Story:

    The story involves you as a DEA agent who is sent to Columbia to take down a drug cartel. That is literally the story. The game does give you back-story on why you are in each location but other then that there is no additional story until the beginning of the final two levels in chapter 6. It's weird as it feels like the game was meant to have a bigger story due to how they introduced the characters in the first three chapters, but then the rest of the chapters don't do that. It feels kind of trolly as it gets you interested but fails to take off. Just imagine the exciting moment of a launch of a shuttle except it never takes off when the announcer says liftoff. It's a shame as the story could have been interesting with all the pieces of characters and settings they had.

    Game-play:

    El Matador is a third person Max Paine clone that is old school style. It was literally made with the Max Payne 2 engine and has the same weapons. This means there is no hand holding, no recharging health and armor, controls well, responds quick, and it's tough on hard. The game is made up of 7 chapters that are made up of 2-3 levels. You travel to locations and kill all enemies. Along the way you will encounter bosses that can take a lot of damage but are relatively easy since they keep their distance for the most part. It's fun though it does have flaws. The game is is fair with reasonably placed enemies in the first 4 chapters and in chapter 5. Chapter 4 and the last 2 levels of chapter 6 though are not done well. Chapter 4's is not bad but the way enemies will spawn at certain distances is noticeable and annoying due to the big environment. Chapter 6's problems is that the challenge makes a big jump with everyone throwing grenades, poor enemies placements, death traps, and a ridiculously hard final boss. These problems can be mitigated though using the slow down which recharges by killing enemies. It feels like they kind of became lazy with the last 2 levels and made it hard for the sake of being a hard finale.

    There is a minor issue of practically all guns are worthless except for the assault rifles due to them being overpowered. Assault rifles have the best range, accuracy, minimal recoil, high damage, use the same ammo, plentiful, and latter you get an assault rifle with a scope that makes the assault rifle perfect. It's a shame that other guns are not useful as their are so many guns to use. The game will take relatively about 20 hours to complete. It's a decent game that I enjoyed playing.

    Graphics/Sound:

    Graphics are nice and detailed with no real noticeable flaws. It's not going to blow your mind with cinematic looks of the console games of 2006 and beyond but that is fine. It kind of feels refreshing compared to the brown, bloom saturated graphics of today, that feels all the same to me. It looks like a 2005 game that can do wide-screen resolutions. Sounds through the game are good. The voice acting ranges from sounding South American like, to really lame accents though it's rare that they are bad. There is new music in almost every level except the last which reuses the some of the prologues music. The music is nice action movie rock style that gets you into the mood of combat.

    Conclusion:
    El matador is a decent, solid, Max Payne clone that I had fun playing. The game play is good through most of the game with it only becoming bad in the last two levels. The game really lacks in story but the fun makes up for it. I can't recommend it but you can buy it at Gamers Gate for $10.    … Full Review »
  3. ChristopherS.
    Feb 22, 2007
    8
    Created using the Max Payne engine, El Matador is an unapologetic over the top action shooter. I found it a lot of fun to play and absolutely Created using the Max Payne engine, El Matador is an unapologetic over the top action shooter. I found it a lot of fun to play and absolutely beautiful to look at, its quite simply one of the best looking games released this year. At a street price of 10 bucks you'd be fool to pass it up.… Full Review »
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