For a franchise that’s, like, super famous among gamers, you’d think Tron would be all over the gaming scene today. Weirdly, it’s not. More than 10 Tron games over 40 years, yet folks mostly remember old ones like Discs of Tron. Seriously, Tron screams video game setting with all its neon madness, but few games have truly nailed it. But hey, Tron: Catalyst? This one’s doing it better than most.
Tron: Catalyst — yep, that’s the game we’re into today. It’s an isometric action-adventure, all 2.5D and cool, by Bithell Games partnering with Disney and Big Fan Games. It’s not like those sprawling Disney game universes—pretty simple, really. Takes you about 10 hours to run through, not a lot for do-overs. Now, don’t get me wrong. It’s a blast and kinda gives your brain a breather from those never-ending RPGs.
## Tron: Catalyst’s For Everyone, Really
You step into the shoes, err, circuits of Exo, a courier zooming around Vertical Slice—a city in the Grid world. Nothing too odd, until—boom—she’s caught in a loop and ends up with these wild “Glitch” powers. She teams up with some pals to end the loops and tackle Conn, the bad guy lurking around.
Sure, you’ll bump into some jargon, but fear not! There’s a codex packed with all the explanations you need. You can dip into it anytime. Super handy to figure out the who’s who and what’s what, trust me.
Set in the Arq Grid, a different spot from the movies, Tron: Catalyst ties into another game, Tron: Identity. But no sweat if you missed it. Even without knowing the lore, the game’s story is manageable, thanks to that friendly codex. Sure, maybe the story won’t blow your mind, but hey, it’s decent and straightforward.
Cutscene addicts might be a tad disappointed, though. Not much moving around, more like talking heads. It’s fine, just wish they showed a bit more emotion, and the characters could use some sprucing up. On the bright side, the voice acting hits the spot.
When it comes to the combat, wielding the Identity Disc is plain fun. Toss it, smack it, or use it like a shield. You only get this one weapon, so no arsenal envy here. But with a bunch of mechanics to spice things up, it stays fresh. You grab data shards to boost your skills, scattered around the world.
Speaking of combat, balance could use some work. Throwing the disc? Meh, kinda weak. Parry system’s a different beast. Snag all the upgrades, and you’re a one-hit wonder, making bosses feel more like mini bosses.
Exploring’s fun, with Light Cycles and feet for traveling. There’s even some side stuff to do, like finding a cute little Byte buddy that tags along. Even with the inevitable loop-induced déjà vu, the quick moves keep it from dragging.
Stability? Mostly good, a few hiccups like getting stuck between stuff, but autosaves had my back.
So, Tron: Catalyst nods to the good ol’ days of simpler AA games. It’s fun, sans fluff, but not without a few hiccups holding it back. At 25 bucks, it’s a neat little escape, even if you’re new to Tron.
And that’s a wrap! Tron: Catalyst’s out on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and PC. Game Rant snagged an Xbox Series X/S code for this review. Enjoy the ride!