There are several series that I adore, Star Wars, Marvel, DC and countless more, but there is one series that is so sparingly used that each time it does pop up, I get beyond excited. Tron is that series, there were games after the original movie, but those were quite the rarity, but lately that has been changing. In 2023 Bithell Games released Tron: Identity and while it was more of a visual novel than a game, it seems they were still plugged into the world of Tron and now we are getting Tron: Catalyst. When I got the offer to go hands on with the game, I was ecstatic, because I love the world of Tron, but I also know Bithell Games makes some wonderful experiences. So, how was it?

Short answer, it was good, the long answer will take some explaining. Unlike the studios previous Tron game, this one is very much an action game, as you get to run around, get into fights and even ride a lightcycle. The game started me off very easy, deliver a few packages and that let me get used to how the move around. But then of course, something happened, and we wake up in an office, being interrogated about the events that occurred. Naturally our character, Exo, has no idea what happened and as punishment for not explaining, we are sent to the games. If you have seen Tron: Legacy, the games will be known to you, but if you have not, they are an arena where many programs enter, but only one will leave. After entering the arena, a friendly program spots that we don’t have any combat abilities and tells us to run, but once you enter the games, there is no way out, or is there?

Whatever event took place that caused Exo to wake up in confinement lets her rewind time, to the start of the cycle, which is how she escapes the games. Taking advantage of the Glitch to restart the cycle can be done at any time, but there are times when you will need to do it. The only one I will mention is that after surviving the games, I was informed that some program wanted to meet with me, but they left before I got there. So, rewinding time and skipping the games meant that I could head into the stands to meet them, before they left. This mechanic did give me John Wick Hex vibes, not in any direct comparison, but more that dealing with time plays a factor in what you are doing. There are times when the game would tell me that resetting time was required, but there was also nothing stopping me from doing it anytime I desired, which was nice. I won’t say any more about what happened in the story, because spoilers, but the build was quite a bit larger than I expected.

Something that I did like and can’t wait to see how the full game evolves it, is the visual design. Tron: Identity had a fun style, it was distinctly Tron, but also very not and that same effect is in play here as well. The not Tron effect is not a bad thing, there have been a number of games that are set within the world of Tron, such 2.0, Evolution, RUN/r and a little Disney Infinity, and apart from that last one, they always attempt to recreate the style of the movies. Identity stood out with its unique design and now Catalyst is expanding on that. There are times when the Identity style sneaks in, usually with the character profiles and that is fine. However, when the game lets you lose in the world, things look much grander. You will now see characters just walking about, vehicles moving about the place and of course, a lot of Core doing evil military stuff. At one point I even spotted someone carrying one of those umbrellas and I did that Leo pointing meme at it.

Perhaps the only concern right now is that the game seems to be set on keeping you following a set path, even though Exo can climb through windows, go up and down ladders and of course, ride the lightcycle. There just doesn’t appear to be variety in how you approach things. I had to meet someone, and the game told me where to go via a giant directional arrow on screen, but I just couldn’t go any other way, other than the way they wanted me to go. Now that could just be due to the build being from the earliest part of the game and not something that is so restrictive in the final release, but it has me cautious.

Tron: Catalyst is basically taking what the team at Bithell Games did with Tron: Identity and just expanding it to be even better. Combat is varied and fast, though I am sure in the full game there will be some fights that really test me. The story has laid some interesting foundations and while I won’t say why, it has me intrigued. Fellow Tron fans will log on regardless, but for those who were turned away from Tron: Identities visual novel approach or are concerned about not knowing the movies and tv show history, don’t be. Tron: Catalyst has the right vibes for a good Tron world and the gameplay is doing good things, so I am excited to see what it becomes when it releases in full.

Tron: Catalyst is set to release on June 17 for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.