Tron: Catalyst

Tron: Catalyst competently gets the job done as an action game, but it's rarely more than just good.

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

Tron as a franchise has too many tabs open.

If you're a fan of the franchise, then TRON: Catalyst is a title you won’t want to miss. Bithell Games has massively expanded the scope and ambition of its title from the first time out, and the results are mostly successful.

Tron: Catalyst isn't a terrible game, but it is definitely in the wrong genre. Its engaging setting and excellent time-travel mechanics carried me far beyond the point where I got bored of the shallow combat system and frustrating vehicle sections. Despite the visuals and story feeling very Tron, it doesn't capture the same feel of the movies. Honestly, if you can't make a light cycle fun to ride, you have no place making a Tron game.

The combat and look of the game are boring. The atmosphere and music are detached and out of alignment with the story. The light cycle is fun, but you’re very restrained in where you can use it. And ultimately, while the time loop makes the story and progression more interesting, that arguably worthwhile story is attached to a fairly humdrum action game wearing all of the expected components of the Tron aesthetic.

Tron: Catalyst brings Bithell Games once again to Disney's Tron universe, this time in an action-adventure experience.

Tron: Catalyst is a solid, but flawed, action-adventure game that can be enjoyed even by players who aren't familiar with the Tron franchise.

TRON: Catalyst is a comeback worth celebrating. It offers stylish action in a world that fans of the series love, while also introducing enough innovations to appeal to new players as well. Despite minor shortcomings in the side activities and a limited RPG system, it’s a solid action experience that’s entertaining from start to finish. If you love TRON or are looking for an action game with exceptional visual style, you shouldn’t miss Catalyst.

I’m not sure that it was ever intended to be any of that, though; I think it’s doing exactly what it was designed to, which is to be a more feature-rich vehicle for the story Bithell Games wanted to tell, and to that end it succeeds. It’s a fun ride, I liked the story, and I’m always happy for any excuse to spend time in the world of TRON. I would love to have seen TRON: Catalyst push even more though, as I think the potential within it is greater than what it delivers.