Got it, here it goes:
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So, here’s the thing — Tron kinda baffles me. For a franchise that’s like, woven right into the fabric of gaming culture, you’d think it’d be all over today’s scene, right? Yet, despite having over 10 games in four decades, most of them (think Discs of Tron, Tron: Solar Sailer) feel like relics from another age. Weird, right? They nailed the look with that neon-glow-y virtual thing — seems so spot-on for a game. But nah, only a handful really got it right. Enter Tron: Catalyst. This one? It actually nails it. Mostly.
A little background: Tron: Catalyst is this 2.5D isometric, action-adventure deal. Bithell Games teamed up with Disney and Big Fan Games (under Devolver Digital, no less) to make it happen. While a ton of Disney games go big or go home, this one? It’s kinda chill. Linear, pretty scoped-out, maybe takes like 10 hours to power through. And honestly? It’s fun. Totally gets bonus points for not being one of those 50-hour epic journey grind-fests.
Alright, you don’t need a doctorate in Tronology to dive into this. You’re Exo, this fierce courier in the Grid’s capital city, Vertical Slice. But when a delivery goes kaboom in her face, she’s yanked into a time loop and — surprise! — she’s got these wild “Glitch” powers now. Long story short, she’s gotta figure out this time mess and deal with Conn, this shady guard with his own sketchy plans. And even if you’ve never even glanced at Tron before, you’re golden. There’s this handy codex doing all the heavy lifting, explaining characters and places like a champ. Game’s user-friendly, even if you are as clueless as a fish out of water about Tron.
Catalyst is set in the Arq Grid — no, not that Grid from the movies. Companion piece to Tron: Identity, but doesn’t really expect you to have read its prequel like some obsessive book club participant. I barely knew anything, but with the codex’s help, I was onboard. The plot? Solid. Nothing earth-shattering, but easy to latch onto. Yet, here’s where it stumbles a bit: the way it tells the story. Static sprites for dialogue, sparse animations. Feels a tad flat. Was it just me, or did the characters not leave much of a mark? Voice acting though? Pretty top-notch.
Combat? It’s nice and tidy. You get the Identity Disc, and that’s it. Sometimes one weapon sounds like a bummer, but the depth’s in the details, truly. Use the disc however you like — melee it, boomerang it, parry with style. Unlocking abilities with data shards changes the game. Shards live everywhere — search the environment or complete challenges to find them.
Still, no beating around the bush: balance issues exist. Long-range attacks with the disc? Practically just tickling the enemy. Meanwhile, parrying is like cheating with god mode — boom, enemies gone in a blink. Makes boss battles almost laughably easy, really. The world itself? Explore four big areas on foot or Light Cycle — no side quests cluttering the map unless you look around. Found myself a cute Byte buddy via a side quest. Did feel some repetition from the time loop shenanigans, but the pace saved it from being a slog. Oh, and the game? Barely buggier than a windshield in summer.
Wrap-up time: Tron: Catalyst gives me major nostalgia vibes — like those old Xbox 360 gems. It’s straightforward fun without the filler, but not without quirks that make you wanna shake your head a bit. 25 bucks though? Gotta say, solid deal. You’ll get a couple of days of fun, no matter if you’re a Tron rookie or a dyed-in-the-wool fan. Give it a whirl.
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There you go.
