Nearly thirty years after its debut, Tron has resurfaced onto the spotlight. With a high budgeted film (Tron Legacy) in theaters right now, Disney is hoping to snatch a few dollars on that post film release hype. You loved the movie, right? Why not buy the game? Well the answer is plain and simple, because Tron: Evolution is a passable effort of a game.
Tron: Evolution’s story serves as the set up to the films story. If you want to know everything about the Tron universe then this story is crucial; otherwise, I’m sure the film provides that info in some way. You take on the role of a System Monitor who’s task is to stop Clu from launching a virus through the Tron universe. I never actually understood Clu’s motivation to betray Kevin Flynn. Along with Flynn, the new character named, Quorra, is also included in the game. She is portrayed by Olivia Wilde, in both the game and the film. The story isn’t interesting in the least bit, maybe due to having it so closely lead into the films story.
We can all agree that any and every Tron game needs to have light disc and light cycles included in the gameplay. Tron: Evolution does just that, but does it in mediocre fashion. Most of the games combat relies on basic button smashing combo moves. You can throw you disc or use melee attacks to chain combos, but you’re never encouraged to do so by unlocking new combos. Instead you unlock different types of disc like the bomb, corruption, and stasis discs. They all look differently but the all perform the same. There’s also a player progression system that lets you upgrade your disc or increase your health for the multiplayer segment of the game. Platforming is another big part of Tron: Evolution. It was also the only part where I wasn’t entirely bored. Running on walls, jumping off walls and onto other platforms was well done.
The multiplayer options in Tron: Evolution are a miss. Instead of something cool and fun like the thought of a light cycle races, we get Tron inspired deathmatch and territories. You can get into a light cycle during a multiplayer to “derezz” your opponent so there’s some kind of enjoyment there. overall, the multiplayer options weren’t needed in this game. I expect this game to a wasteland in about a months time.
The Tron universe opens up the door to create a graphically stunning world; that does not happen in Evolution. In the beginning, the world may looks pretty interesting but it’s not at all what you’ll see throughout the game. The world of Tron could have never looked so dull. Almost the same could be said for the sound. First of all, where is the Daft Punk soundtrack in this game? Only two tracks from the film score are present in the game. The rest of the music is still appropriate, and well don’t, but Daft Punk’s score would of been perfect. Like I mentioned before, Olivia Wilde reprises her role as Quorra. Jeff Bridges allowed his likeness to be used but not his voice. Either he played this game, or Jeff Bridges is an asshole.
The streak of bad games based on movies continues with Tron: Evolution. The combat is repetitive, and the multiplayer is forgetful. Tron: Evolution doesn’t try to do anything ambitious or fun. Instead, it settles for a passing grade. If you have a room in your house filled with nothing but Tron memorabilia then by all means purchase Tron: Evolution. Otherwise, just go see the movie.
