Tron: Identity Reviews

Mike Bithell’s writing, as it often is, remains on point as his team establishes new colours within an already riveting sci-fi world, not by replicating what came before—as appropriate as that may have been thematically—but by taking the franchise in a bold direction. It’s a shame this thrilling plot against the archives is derezzed, and perhaps doomed to obsoletion, by a string of confoundingly dull puzzles.

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Taking established fictional universes in new directions is an idea we should all be behind. Too often, licensed games hew too close to established characters or scenarios, and those beloved fictional frameworks are never given a chance to grow. With Tron: Identity, Bithell Games takes the venerable Tron franchise and tries something entirely different – a visual novel with a light touch of puzzle gameplay. The novelty alone is worth some enthusiasm. However, despite a valiant attempt at a fresh take, this bite-sized release falls short in some key areas.

Tron: Identity’s mystery has a strong foundation, but there’s just not enough meat on the bone. There’s a lack of places to go and people to see; this rendition of The Grid looks the part, but it ends up being too one-dimensional due to its short length.

Set over 2000 years following the events of 2010’s Tron: Legacy arrives Tron: Identity, a new video game entry for the cult sci-fi franchise. Developed by Thomas Was Alone and John Wick Hex creator Bithell Games, it’s yet another wonderful example of the team flexing their creative writing muscles. Better yet, it does so with impactful grace, bringing more light and excellence into a frankly underrated franchise that’s been sitting dormant for a decade.

“Tron: Identity is a smart and respectful use of the classic series, turning it into a gripping sci-fi detective story.”

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Tron: Identity is an entertaining, but short, visual novel mystery. It uses the history and atmosphere of Tron in pleasing ways to create an interactive story that fans will enjoy the first time through. It looks pretty and reads easy, and the only other obvious stumble is with a non-challenging mini-game that players will quickly grow bored with. Despite its confined exploration, fans of the Tron universe that like visual novels will enjoy the decision-making of a story set far away from the usual digital and non-digital protagonists.

Its focus is rather admirable. There’s no voice acting, the graphics are rather basic, but everything comes together wonderfully to get the job done. Fans of visual novels have been eating great recently, and Tron: Identity is another great morsel to dig your teeth into. Even if it’s not the most transcendental experience, it’s hard not to be charmed by the amount of love that’s been put into it.

Tron: Identity's trip to The Grid is more bloatware than killer app.

Tron: Identity weaves an interesting detective story that expands the franchise mythos. While those invested in the lore will enjoy diving deeper into this universe, newcomers would have benefitted from a bit more exposition. Despite that, Tron: Identity’s branching story, puzzles, and visuals make it quite an enjoyable visual novel.