#Tron Game

[calvincell]

Coming away from 2+ hrs of playtime with the recently released Tron Catalyst - the latest Bithell Games-helmed Tron game; playing via my Steam Deck & I have to say, I’ve genuinely been enjoying myself and itching to endorse the game.

For any unaware, the game is a semi-open world action game played from a top down isometric perspective similar to Ruiner & Supergiant’s Hades series. Those examples also apply to the gameplay mechanics in particular where fights are hectic & swift encounters of strikes, parries & Identity Disc tossing.

Premise & plot wise (very low spoilers), the game is set within the continuity of Bithell’s previous Tron project: Tron Identity - a mystery solving puzzle + visual novel/adventure game. Despite that, Tron Catalyst doesn’t require having played Tron Identity previously. In Tron Catalyst you play Exo, a courier program who gets caught up in a serious conspiracy when one of her deliveries explodes nearly derezzing Exo at the same time. Though she survived, the question of her delivery puts major suspicion on her, landing her in the hands of the ruthless security programs gripping nearly the entire Grid in their fist. Aided by the discovery of Exo’s sudden ability to rewind time seeming caused by the strange contents of the exploded package she endured, she manages to escape incarceration and must search the Grid for answers all while being a hunted program.

As I mentioned before, combat in Tron Catalyst is definitely hectic in the same ways as Hades (less overwhelming enemy hordes but still) with the addition of a parry mechanic. So far the parry has been hard for me to proc however there is an upgrade to increase the window which I’m saving points for.

Disc combat is genuinely fun IMO especially with the inclusion of abilities to recall it, ping it off of multiple enemies & parry it on return to smack it back at enemies again.

The plot & VA work are also great so far with the central mystery being earnestly intriguing.

As far as gripes with the game, though I don’t mind the camera distance too much so far, I honestly absolutely see why others might be unable to stand it. If the functionality can be patched in, I truly feel that the devs definitely should prioritize including an option to zoom in or a handful of locked zoom distances for players to choose from.

Overall, I’m personally definitely hooked on Tron Catalyst & don’t regret buying it if for no other reason than being a fan of Tron, Bithell Games & Devolver Digital makes me happy to support the whole. I genuinely feel that any fans of Tron in particular should at least check the game out through some YouTube gameplay vids since sadly, like with so many other games these days, the demo was axed once the game proper launched.

[fights4users]

Something I love about the classic Tron posters is how the tag lines really tell you a lot about the world? Funnily enough it helps me to understand the world better than I had with my countless rewatches and re reads of the novel. Short, quippy and striking. It’s a little romaticised and dramatized but it’s true.

“Where energy lives and breathes”

“Video game battles are a matter of life or death”

“Trapped in a world he helped to create”

They absolutely slap. I also like how the designs and changes in tag lines and titles really show how long this movie was in development and it’s changes. It’s neat.

Honestly I’m really sad about the lost art of poster making in general, beautiful paintings and snappy tag lines that told you exactly what you were going into. It wasn’t just a advertisement it was a promise, a explanation - a summary. This isn’t to say there isn’t the occasional good poster design in the modern day but it’s really a lost art.

[calvincell]

Absolutely terrific insight & analysis! It speaks to how rich the franchise can be in good hands and earnest worldbuilding efforts

Side Note: I’m honestly glad that a fellow Tron fan also has reservations regarding Tron Ares. In my case though, something about Jared Leto in the leading role just tanks my optimism for the film even more so than the movie itself being in development hell for so long to start with 😅 I’ve just soured so much on Leto in recent years so there’s absolutely some bias on my part lol

Don't think Ares will be that good (hopefully I'll be pleasantly surprised), but I do like how the aesthetic of the Grid changes depending on who made it.

The ENCOM Grid is low-poly and very simple, both an indication of its age, but also makes sense given that this one was likely the only one created by an artificial intelligence, the MCP.

The Tron System Grid is full of sleek shapes and glowing lines, looking vastly different - Kevin Flynn created this Grid as a mirror of the real world, and probably would have taken into account aesthetic considerations.

The Arq Grid is very similar, and this makes sense - it was also created by Kevin, and thus shares many of the aesthetic choices. And yet, it's also evolved on its own, with elements not seen in the Tron System Grid - much like the ISOs that inhabit it.

The Dillinger Systems Grid clearly takes elements from both the Tron System Grid and the ENCOM Grid, likely being a copy of the Tron System Grid created by the ones who made the MCP. It's similar to the latter, but harsher, and has Dillinger's branding all over it if Ares's triangular Identity Disc being engraved with their name means anything - something I suspect is because this Grid was made for a profitable purpose (perhaps military?)

[giddlygoat]

i thought it would be funny if turbo tried to take over tron first, but after very nearly getting mortally obliterated on day 1 he decided to cheese it outta there fast af

[animasmagic]

[mitskiluvr]

this dialogue with akechi is set up the same way as the dialogue you get with all ur lady confidants right before you date them Do you know how funny that is. “I need to give him a serious answer…” as if he’s just proposed to you on the streets of kichijoji

[calvincell]

They put out a 3rd Archive now too:

Definitely a Day One purchase for me! The game looks fantastic

Two new Tron: Catalyst trailers:

Archive/01 INITIALIZATION

--

Archive /02 DISRUPTION

It's looking so damn cool.

[acquired-stardust]

Mega Man Legends Playstation 1997

[redxdesign]

[kasztanek86]

Little Sansa doodle, because I love her so much <3

[tamara-kama]

I never thought of it myself. But it actually makes sens to have Nine Inch Nails do the sountrack to the new Tron film at this point. Personally I've grown up fans of both things and NIN have had a long association with electronic music and video games even scoring some video games in the past!

[fights4users]

The sounds of Tron-

Something that is often looked over is the fact that Tron not only has a connection with early computing but with early gaming as well. Not just because one of the characters makes games and runs a arcade, video games are absolutely integral to the world. In fact they make up a good portion of how the system looks and functions!

For example most of the transport, ships, and weapons we see come from video games, mainly Flynn’s but extends into encoms catalog. In the vernacular it’s common to mention it as well “video game warriors” “Gonna make you play video games” “video game simulation” etc. but you didn’t need me to tell you this.

The way video games impacted and shaped the digital world of Tron absolutely plays a hand in how seamless it translates into the two tie in Arcade cabinets. Though heavy on the grid bugs they’re beautifully decorated and similar to the games as we see them on screen/would translate in real life. The music stings come straight from Wendy Carlos’s work for the film, to the extent the game contains the entirety of Anthem. [Listen]

Sound cue’s and combat-

Part of what makes the sound and style of the game so accurate to the movie is the sound design. Like in old games there is a sound for everything. Every movement has its own sound, it sounds silly as things in real life also have noise but if you’ve ever played any retro game you know what I’m talking about.

One of the best examples of this is when Flynn is tossed into the cell and stumbles around, there’s a metallic echo to his footsteps. In combat it’s the same thing —very distinct sounds to go with every action. A lot of what older games are is pattern recognition- both visual and audio, certain music loops or sound cues help you get better at the game. Another good example is Tron casting his disc, blocking throws etc- if you know what a disc sounds like you can better dodge etc. I also like how they have almost a ceramic sound when Ram plays with his.

Nothing is more video game than De-resolution itself! The death cry and slowly breaking into bits before getting reabsorbed. You can hear the noise off screen and know what happened, game over.

Apart from video game comparisons I do have such a genuine love for the sound design of the film and how much it fleshes out the world. The blips and bloops of energy flowing through the system. The sounds of a working computer. There’s a dial up esc noise when Flynn is beamed in and judging by the guards reactions it’s not different from a how a regular program would enter/travel between systems. Programs get to make funky little computer noises in my heart 💕(another inhuman attribute I think they deserve, they’re like us in so many ways but then… aren’t.)

I know it’s probably just because it’s older recording equipment but occasionally programs will get a grainy feedback/radio style grain to their voice. I’d like to think it’s intentional- especially considering Legacy does this too (going so far for it to be what some sound like all the time)

The way sound is utilized in the movie is a incredibly underrated aspect of what makes the movie so good.

[elven-sisters]

A warm day at Casterly Rock 🏰 Guess who's that little bookworm down there 🙃

Started reading 'The song of fire and ice' recently and I'm afraid I've got obsessed lol

[fizztapp]

Played through Mike Bithell's Tron Identity earlier this month. Started playing Tron 2.0 from Monolith for the first time this past weekend. Both have blown me away.

Cleaning up those corners of Tron I haven't touched yet. I think there was a comic published at one point I need to hunt down. The world of Tron really is peak

[what-bot]

Big yawn

[stone-cold-groove]

Cindy Morgan as Lora Baines. Tron - 1982.