TRON: Catalyst Review – A Beloved Franchise in a New Wrapper

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This franchise goes in loops. Taking it from a video game to a movie, to another film, to another video game, with a story far from the “protagonists” of previous installments. We already had the chance to play the demo of TRON: Catalyst, but this time, we could dive into the grid to review the depth of everything the game offers. It’s like a breath of refreshed cyber-air, with a new perspective, but in the same neon world many of us love.

Here We Go Again

Unlike movies or other games, in TRON: Catalyst, the players are not Users, the humans who enter the cyberworld of TRON. Instead, they take the place of the program EXO, a simple courier who makes deliveries all over the grid. However, working in the digital version of UPS is not as simple as it seems when someone thinks of sending a packaged glitch catalyst. It is precisely the danger posed by the package and a courier who does not know what she will deliver or how carefully they should carry it that causes the catalyst to destabilize. It all leads to an explosion in the middle of the city, affecting EXO.

But it is here that EXO ceases to be a simple program because when she wakes up, Conn, one of the members of the “authoritarian police,” is already interrogating them. Conn tries to convince EXO to tell him everything they know about the loop, even though they have no idea what she is talking about. All this is to help Conn win the favor of his bosses. This marks the first loop, where EXO refuses to help and, therefore, must die in the arena since she doesn’t even know how to fight. Just when EXO’s story is over, she “respawns” when Conn is in mid-monologue, so this is EXO’s chance to do things differently.

EXO realizes that she has the power to repeat cycles at specific intervals and that she must make the best use of it to survive and escape. For example, one of the first things is that instead of going directly to the arena, EXO talks to one of the coliseum champions, who gains access to the training area, allowing EXO to learn how to fight and avoid death in their first battle. This leads to a series of loops where we gather information, interact with other programs, and open passages to escape from Conn, which resembles a cat-and-mouse chase, albeit with a rewind button.

The deeper you get into the story, the more you discover how the characters and situations have significant connections to the plot, even after advancing too far. However, I can’t reveal more so as not to give away any spoilers. Overall, TRON: Catalyst delivers a strong narrative that many fans of the franchise will love. It is also an interesting take on the time-traveling shenanigans we see in other media, which, surprisingly, is combined quite well with its gameplay system.

The Combat Needs an Upgrade

It’s not that the combat is bad per se. It’s fast and straightforward, and learning the skills or combos is not challenging. With the isometric view, you can see the groups of enemies approaching. You can even see the enemy’s level appear on top of them to know how difficult they will be to defeat. As for EXO and enemies’ attacks, they can throw their discs in the pure style of this franchise. There are also basic and charged attacks and parries that you must see well when to use, depending on the enemy. Other small programs utilize a cyber sword that launches slash attacks, while larger enemies employ charge attacks with a sledgehammer; however, these are not particularly challenging.

There is a chance for players to improve their repertoire of skills, so they should forget about looking for chests in the world to get credits and buy upgrades. However, I didn’t feel that there was a fundamental change. All in all, it’s not bad if you want more straightforward and faster combat to focus on the narrative, but it is a missed opportunity.

Another of the things I was most looking forward to in a game from the TRON universe is the use of motorcycles, but it wasn’t as flashy as I would’ve liked. The bike resembles the ones from TRON: Legacy, which is a significant point for fans of that film. Although you can use the light trails to eliminate opponents, the truth is that it’s only a short section and not particularly exciting. The glider section was more entertaining, reminding me of some classic arcade air shooter games.

An Easy but Enjoyable Game

TRON: Catalyst appears to be a good way to view the franchise from a different perspective and, above all, to have more original stories from other Users or programs on the grid. From the moment you start the game, it’s like crossing the screen and being in the RGB neon universe that new or veteran players love so much.

Although the combat is not as flashy, the truth is that for casual or not-so-hardcore gamers who hate stressing out in video games, this is a great option. Of course, TRON: Catalyst also makes up for “simple” combat with an intricate narrative once players understand how much their actions affected their first playthroughs.

TRON: Catalyst (PC Reviewed)

7.5 Very Good

TRON: Catalyst perfectly captures the franchise's world setting and introduces new and interesting characters. It's a good game for those who want to revisit the grid without worrying too much about the combat, but the loop system is, without a doubt, the highlight of this game.