TRON: Evolution

Posted: 12/14/10

Tron: Evolution, one of several different Tron games released in conjunction with Disney's film, captures many of the signature elements of the futuristic franchise, but only superficially. At its core lies a generic design that relies primarily, surprisingly enough, on wall running and jumping in the mold of Prince of Persia, Assassin's Creed, and Mirror's Edge, but within boring, empty environments. Are the online multiplayer modes and character progression enough to keep the disc spinning after the campaign's glow fades?

You are cast in the role of the appropriately-named Anon, who follows the Master Chief code of being silent underneath his mirrored visor. The storyline, which takes place prior to the events in Tron: Legacy, presents two problems for Anon to solve: Clu's relentless drive to eliminate the self-created ISOs against programmer Kevin Flynn's wishes, and a virus led by a hooded figure named Abraxus that's threatening the grid's stability. There's also a mysterious woman named Quorra who you'll periodically encounter, but you'll be working alone throughout the entire solo campaign. The story is exclusively told through cinematic cut-scenes that pop up at various points during your travels. Since there's zero character interaction within the game itself, the story often feels disconnected from the action. That's primarily because the gameplay involves doing the same few things over and over again in slightly differing areas.

The most irritating aspect of the game's design is how formulaic it is--free running, fight, free running, fight, and so forth. Within the campaign's seven chapters, you alternate between traveling sequences and beat-'em-up-style combat. There are also some light cycle and tank stages, but these are few and far between. Instead, you spend most of your time vaulting over objects, running across walls, and performing the kind of wall-spring jumps that Ryu perfected in the 8-bit Ninja Gaiden games. While the majority of environments offer few distinctive features, you can find your way through each stage by following the glowing icons on walls and sprinting toward them.

All the parkour ends up feeling forced since there's very little in the way of actual exploration. Levels only feature one direct route to where you need to travel, with the rest of the scenery serving as fluff. There are too many sealed off doors, non-climbable walls, and closed off routes. Movement rarely deviates from wall running or hurdling over objects, so you never experience that feeling of accomplishment one gets from figuring out a way through an area.

Many times you'll find that Anon has a limited range of motion, and it often seems the controls or camera aren't willing to cooperate. The developers get around this potentially-frustrating aspect by making checkpoints plentiful, so when you plummet to your death, you are often resurrected right before the spot you fell. Once you've reached your destination, you'll typically find yourself locked in a room with a number of enemies to defeat. Most have weaknesses you can exploit by switching between your character's four disc types. Defeating enemies earns you experience points that increase your character's level and memory that can be converted into character or disc upgrades at stations scattered throughout the world.

You can finish the campaign in roughly six or seven hours, and there's little incentive to revisit past stages since the collectibles are nothing but data or voice files. Beating the campaign will leave your character at level 20 with only a handful of enhancements, which means that in order to reach the level cap of 50, you'll need to engage in multiplayer battles.

The multiplayer component offers more diversity than the single-player game, but the mode selection isn't exactly original. Apart from deathmatch variants, bit runner plays off of kill-the-carrier, and power monger is similar to a conquest mode. Interestingly enough, each game type can be played on foot or in vehicles. The character progression system is a nice idea, but it ultimately means that new players will end up being harassed by more powerful opponents. There's no matchmaking based on level, unfortunately.

Combat in Tron: Evolution becomes boring after a few sequences. Since melee moves are weak and you're always outnumbered, you'll find yourself relying more on hit-and-run tactics than anything else. And since most enemies have a weakness to a certain move or disc type, there's no point in varying your attack strategy.

Though there are times when the game throws out large waves of enemies, you are never in too much danger since all you need to do to replenish your health is run across one of several light pads positioned around the area, which recharge over time. The other phases of the single-player feel like an afterthought. The light cycle sequences, for instance, are not what you'd expect--you're traveling in a straight line while things crash around you. The tank sequences are similar in that you travel along a narrow path, only this time you clear the way by shooting at enemies.

Some unique problems rear their heads in the multiplayer game. Light cycles and tanks handle like feathers in the wind, and the third-person perspective makes trying to corral rivals with your light trails difficult, making it often feel more like luck than skill when you defeat an enemy.

Where other games like it offer precision in control to match the many feats it demands of you, Tron comes off as crude and sloppy. Whether you're talking free-running, combat, or vehicles, the controls are simply not up to the task.

Tron: Evolution's presentation is evocative of the movie, with dark environments punctuated by dramatic lighting effects. Characters all wear suits with glowing blue, orange, or yellow racing stripes, while the outdoor and interior locales feature glowing panels and icons, helping you find your way across the catwalks, energy shafts, and control rooms populating the game. Yet other than the lighting, there's nothing particularly impressive about Tron's world. It's desolate, offers little interaction, and, other than the last chapter set on a ship, everything looks the same. On a positive note, Daft Punk's moody score from the film is included, and the sound effects during combat are excellent.

The first movie's cult status will draw people into Tron: Evolution, but the single-player campaign's repetitiveness and the unmemorable multiplayer action point to a game that's best enjoyed as a rental rather than a purchase. Tron: Evolution isn't a total failure, just a disappointment for fans hoping for something as innovative as the original film was back in the day.

Reviewed on Microsoft Xbox 360.


TRON: Evolution

Release Date:
PS3, Xbox 360
Sci-Fi, Action

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