In 1982, Disney captured young sci-fi lovers’ imaginations with its release of the movie TRON. It was a film that depicted an inside-your-computer domain called the “Grid,” where players could interact with or play as human-like programs.
In the 40+ years since, that fictional digital domain and its electronic-music-underscored vibe has inspired a number of real-world video games, including a very popular ‘80s arcade title.
The latest entry in that gaming list is the new action RPG called TRON: Catalyst.
Gamers play as Exo, a courier program who’s trying to finish off her daily data pack-delivering duties. But her usual grind is radically interrupted when one of her packages explodes. Though she barely escapes the resulting destruction herself, she’s grabbed by authorities and accused of being connected to a subversive terrorist group.
Exo finds herself incarcerated and scheduled to be derezzed altogether in the arena, a battle stage where programs are sent to fight to the death. However, that digital detonation she experienced also gave Exo a “Glitch” ability, allowing her to step into an electronic loop that slips her back through time.
It’s up to Exo to use this time-manipulating power to gain skills and abilities, take on missions, clear pathways and uncover clues. She’ll need to discover who the players are in this political cat-and-mouse conspiracy and somehow foil the threat and clear her name.
Battle wise, players enter bird’s-eye-view skirmishes against groups of enemies, using timed melee attacks, ranged throws, dodges and parries. Exo also mounts a light cycle for some of her combat exchanges, as well as transportation across the Grid. She faces soldiers, resistance fighters and other programs like herself, each with their own attack patterns and weaknesses. And stealth mechanics are also introduced.
TRON: Catalyst is a single-player game and it does not require an internet connection other than the initial digital download.
Gamers play as an innocent program-turned-hero who’s called upon to help save her world from unjust authoritarianism and potential terrorist destruction.
The game itself is visually appealing and fun, and it’s not all that difficult for younger players (seasoned gamers may find it less than challenging in spots). This is also a game that can be played in short segments, with a total runtime in the neighborhood of 10 to 12 hours.
In her travels, Exo is sometimes required to manipulate other programs and lie. And there are lots of battles with enemy programs—though nothing too messy, since foes simply disappear after defeat.
A local bar where programs are said to be “nursing a drink” is a common meeting place for Exo.
Though there is no profanity in the gaming mix, there are some words that could be interpreted as substitutes for crudities. For instance, the word “frag” is used as a potential f-word substitute, such as in, “I’ve been to every fragging floor!” And the domain’s creator, Kevin Flynn, (along with the players themselves) are sometimes used as “god” substitutes in exclamations, such as “user-forsaken,” “userspeed,” and “Flynn Outside!”
TRON: Catalyst recaptures that old, familiar, neon-lit, light cycle-riding, electronic-musicvibe in a game that’s pretty kid friendly and pretty fun. The game won’t have anyone flashing back to 1982, but it might offer a connection point between older fans and newer ones as they await the upcoming TRON movie.
After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.
