You'll end up traversing the virtual world of Shadowrun's version of the internet quite a few times during your adventure.

In the world of Shadowrun, the Matrix is what replaced the internet after the great crash of 2029 destroyed it. It's a virtual reality space that Deckers interface with using Decks, and in the Shadowrun Trilogy, this takes the form of a digital space that you can tackle with avatars.

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Combat and exploration in the Matrix is very similar to combat and exploration in meat space (ahem, the real world) - apart from in the Hong Kong campaign, where stealth elements and a code-breaking minigame are added, making it a far more involved part of the game.

To access the Matrix, you'll need to find a jack-in point. These are always denoted clearly in-game and can be used by anyone who has a Deck equipped. Once jacked in, the character used will be unavailable in the physical world until they jack out again.

If the character in the Matrix initiates combat, it will play out just like combat in the real world - turn-based. If there is also combat occurring in the real world, the two different combats will happen simultaneously.

Entering the Matrix has a number of uses - you can acquire Paydata, unlock doors, or confront other characters who may be in the digital space.

As you persist in the Matrix, your Trace will increase. This tracks how known you are to the system you're infiltrating through the digital space. In the first two campaigns, your trace will increase gradually as you spend time in the Matrix, but it's actually very hard to reach higher levels of alarm. In Hong Kong, however, trace increases whenever you fail at the stealth sections, get attacked in battle, or fail at the codebreaking minigame - so it's easy to inadvertently make the trip harder for yourself.

The Deckers that the campaigns provide you with are more than adequate at their jobs, so it's not necessary for your main character to invest in Decking. That being said, there are a few times in Dead Man's Switch and a single time in Dragonfall where you will be without a Decker teammate, so there are specific benefits to being a Decker.

In addition, while Blitz and Is0bel are good Deckers, a dedicated Decker player character will almost inevitably be better at navigating the Matrix and its challenges.

Combat in the Matrix is, as previously mentioned, turn-based, with similar mechanics to regular combat. Here are the main differences:

One round of combat in the real world is equivalent to three rounds of combat in the Matrix. These three rounds will play out sequentially before returning to the real world.

If you're looking for the most success in Matrix combat, here are some recommendations:

The vast majority of enemies you face in the Matrix will be White IC (or White Ice), programs that defend the target of the day. They will deal IP damage to your avatar. Eventually, you'll encounter Black IC (or Black Ice). These programs can do damage to your avatar and your real body in meat space. Deal with Black IC as soon as you possibly can - they are the highest value targets.

The Matrix in Hong Kong is set up quite differently than in previous campaigns. Here, you're dealing with stealth mechanics.

The vision radius of your foes is denoted by white squares on the ground, and the enemies will travel in set patterns. It's up to you (or Is0bel, if you don't create a Decker character) to get through the sections unbothered.

If you get caught, your Trace level will increase by 20 and you'll be thrust into a battle with whatever caught you, possibly alongside some other generic IC. Every time you get hit by one of these enemies, your Trace will increase by another five. It's important to end fights as soon as you can.

While the combat is turn-based, the other patrolling enemies will continue on their path, joining the fight if you're caught in their sights.

Also new to the Matrix are Blockers - large walls that must be bypassed to reach your goals, whether they're guarding security controls or Paydata. There are two ways to get past a Blocker:

The codebreaking minigame is a combination of two puzzles. On the left side of the screen is a keypad. When this puzzle is activated, a series of keys will start lighting up and you must enter the code that flashed up exactly - like a game of Simon Says. The game starts with a series of four digits, ramping up to seven. Each time you complete this part of the puzzle, you'll get some extra time added to the codebreaking game in general.

The majority of the screen is taken up by two lists of codes. When you activate this half of the minigame, the tickers at the top of the screen will variably and randomly flash parts of the correct code to you. Your job is to remember which symbols are in which positions of the code and find the one that matches in the list.

Picking the wrong code in the list will add 20 Trace. You can also brute-force a Blocker, but this will increase Trace by 50.

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Ryan Bamsey is an Evergreen Editor at TheGamer. He loves games, baking, and manta rays, and has a degree in clinical psychology that he has never used. You can contact him at ryan.b@thegamer.com.