Tron: Catalyst

Tron: Catalyst is an intriguing isometric action-adventure game that throws you into the iconic Grid in an all-new way. The unique mechanics and satisfying combat make up for the occasional slow section, while the tight runtime keeps the somewhat repetitive nature from ever becoming an issue. If you love Tron, this is a great way to spend some hours.

A smart and inventive RPG-lite, and a worthy entry in the TRON canon.

A mega-TRON game, am I right?

Tron: Catalyst is the latest title by Bithell Games, the studio created by Mike Bithell of Thomas was Alone fame. While the developer had previously entered the world of Disney’s Tron with a text adventure experience that mixed a visual novel format and puzzles, this time they have created a 3D action adventure game.

TRON: Catalyst is a solid top-down action-adventure for TRON fans to experience more of the digital world. Despite its back-and-forth nature with the looping feature, it has simple controls, fun abilities, fast combat, and a detailed story to uncover, and of course, it has that precious Light Cycle.

On the whole, Tron: Catalyst feels like a successor of sorts to the classic AA games from the Xbox 360 generation. It's a simple and fun action-adventure game that doesn't have any bloat, but it has a handful of notable problems that hold it back from greatness. Tron: Catalyst is being sold for just $25, and honestly, it’s worth the asking price. It can keep players entertained for a day or two, even if they're a newcomer to the Tron franchise.

I’m a massive fan of TRON, but more specifically, I’m a massive fan of TRON: Legacy. The 2010 sci-fi sequel has been cemented in my subconscious since the day it came out. The world it built has always been so captivating to me, with sleek metal obelisks and neon colorized highlights dancing around in my dreams most nights. It’s all complemented by gripping audio design, from the roar of the light cycles to the zap of a bouncing identity disc and the iconic Daft Punk curated score. Every opportunity I get to revisit that world is a thrill, so I’ve been chomping at the bit to get my hands on th...

I apologize for the delay. It took me a while to get the review for Tron: Catalyst done because the game was simply failing to engross me. Whenever I booted it up on the ROG Ally, I’d get bored immediately after. And that’s terrible, as I was really looking forward to playing a more action-oriented take on Tron, considering how the previous outing, Tron: Identity (which Catalyst is a sequel to), was actually a visual novel of sorts. Now, before I continue, let me preface that this is not ...

Despite a solid set-up and the joys of disc-throwing and lightcycle action, Tron: Catalyst ends up being more style than substance, failing to truly build on predecessor Tron: Identity. It's fun while it lasts, and is visually gorgeous, but an overly repetitive structure drags things out with a story that ultimately falls flat.

A disappointingly drab Tron tie-in that wastes some interesting ideas on dull and repetitive combat and an unequally unengaging story.

TRON: Catalyst gets off to a good start, promising varied gameplay and a neat time-loop mechanic. The trouble is, it soon devolves in a dull affair with way too much repetitive combat, and the time-loop mechanic is mostly wasted.

Tron: Catalyst has an interesting story and world that fans will love, but the combat and exploration come up short of being worthy of the Users.