2023's Tron: Identity brought a unique look inside the world of Disney's tech-heavy universe, as developer Bithell Games told a story of sabotage and subterfuge in a consequence-driven visual novel. The events of the story focused heavily on what the player chose to do, and how they reacted to the consequences of those choices. It was a novel--pardon the pun--approach to Tron, and one that, while not perfect, was effective in expanding the lore of the world.
This year, Bithell Games will bring us back into its version of the Tron universe in Tron: Catalyst, a follow-up to Identity's story with a new set of characters and an entirely new approach. The visual novel format is gone, replaced with an isometric action-oriented format that gives the player more direct engagement with the world. The shift is a gamble, but based on my experience with the first 90 minutes of the game, it's one that has enough promise that it might pay off in the end.
Those who played Tron: Identity may have a set of expectations with Catalyst, but as mentioned above, those expectations need to be derezzed. Catalyst is a vastly different experience, one that encourages exploration and direct combat over heavy dialogue and puzzle-solving. Where Identity felt more like an Ace Attorney style of game, Catalyst gives the same vibes as Supergiant's Hades or, perhaps more accurately given the similar setting, Neon Giant's The Ascent.
Catalyst's heroine, Exo, must explore parts of the city either on foot or riding the series' iconic Light Cycle--the latter of which she can summon at will. Her travels will match her against members of The Core, the neon-orange-tinged aggressors trying to maintain control of the Arq Grid. Fighting them, on the surface, seems simplistic: Exo can swing her disc for a three-hit combo by tapping the attack button, she can charge up a powerful melee attack by holding the attack button down, and she can defend herself through dodges and timed parry abilities.
Why walk when you can Light Cycle?
By aiming with the right stick and pressing the throw button, Exo will throw her disc in an enemy's direction, where it will damage them before returning to her. She can ricochet the disc off of walls to try and hit an enemy from behind--which deals more damage--and eventually, she can immediately kick the disc back at a group of enemies when it returns to her for a quick disc throw combo.
Mastering the disc throw mechanic is going to be the key to success in Catalyst's combat, but it's worth it; landing a hit after choosing the right angle with a disc throw is incredibly satisfying, especially if the enemy is at low health and the hit takes them out. Normal melee attacks are fine, if uninteresting, but coupling them with disc throws makes fighting the Core enemies much more unique.
The new focus on action does not mean dialogue has been completely removed, however. Catalyst will still feature back-and-forth dialogue with key characters throughout the game, and choices will still need to be made. However, this time, the branching dialogue is an element in Tron: Catalyst's most intriguing element: Restart.
If Exo hits a dead end, Catalyst gives her the ability to "restart" the mission she's currently in, while retaining all of the information she's received thus far. While this does technically negate any progress made, it does allow you to approach the mission with a fresh perspective. Maybe the first time through a level, you turned left down a hallway, so this time you know that you should go right. Or, the first time you spoke to a character, you chose one dialogue option and didn't like the outcome, and now you can choose the other.
Catalyst adopts an isometric view.
Both chapters that were available in the preview build made heavy use of the Restart mechanic, showing off its full potential rather quickly. In one mission, I alerted the Core to my presence in the first conversation I had, so I had to continuously fight them off as I made progress in the story. However, just before I hit a dead end, a character gave me the ability to shield important data on Exo's disc from scans, meaning that when I restarted the loop and approached the NPC again, I was able to move freely and no one was alerted.
This looping mechanic is very neat, as it allows you to fully explore a level with fresh eyes as it seamlessly transitions back to the beginning of the area. What's more, if your main mission requires you to restart the loop, the game does not hesitate to tell you--this is important, as it removes the possibility of you aimlessly wandering around the city wondering what to do before realizing you have to restart. It's easy to get lost in this neon-soaked urban paradise, so the friendly reminder is appreciated.
Aspects of Identity's visual novel format are maintained in this sequel.
The Tron: Catalyst preview build only lasted about 90 minutes, but that's all the time it needed to make a powerful first impression. Some may have been dismayed by Bithell Games's choice to move away from the interactive novel approach of Tron: Identity in favor of an action-based format, but in the short time I spent with Catalyst, that shift seems to be paying off greatly. The looping mechanic is unique and interesting, and combat does just enough to be fun thanks to the strategic element of disc throwing. The dialogue elements aren't as robust, but they serve as an imaginative way to inform future loops in a given level.
Bithell Games' previous Tron game seems like the studio finding its Identity in this universe; this new entry is shaping up to be the Catalyst for a new flagship franchise for the studio.
Tron: Catalyst is set to launch for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Switch, and PC on June 17.
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This year, Bithell Games will bring us back into its version of the Tron universe in Tron: Catalyst, a follow-up to Identity's story with a new set of characters and an entirely new approach. The visual novel format is gone, replaced with an isometric action-oriented format that gives the player more direct engagement with the world. The shift is a gamble, but based on my experience with the first 90 minutes of the game, it's one that has enough promise that it might pay off in the end.
A new identity
Those who played Tron: Identity may have a set of expectations with Catalyst, but as mentioned above, those expectations need to be derezzed. Catalyst is a vastly different experience, one that encourages exploration and direct combat over heavy dialogue and puzzle-solving. Where Identity felt more like an Ace Attorney style of game, Catalyst gives the same vibes as Supergiant's Hades or, perhaps more accurately given the similar setting, Neon Giant's The Ascent.
Catalyst's heroine, Exo, must explore parts of the city either on foot or riding the series' iconic Light Cycle--the latter of which she can summon at will. Her travels will match her against members of The Core, the neon-orange-tinged aggressors trying to maintain control of the Arq Grid. Fighting them, on the surface, seems simplistic: Exo can swing her disc for a three-hit combo by tapping the attack button, she can charge up a powerful melee attack by holding the attack button down, and she can defend herself through dodges and timed parry abilities.
Why walk when you can Light Cycle?
By aiming with the right stick and pressing the throw button, Exo will throw her disc in an enemy's direction, where it will damage them before returning to her. She can ricochet the disc off of walls to try and hit an enemy from behind--which deals more damage--and eventually, she can immediately kick the disc back at a group of enemies when it returns to her for a quick disc throw combo.
Mastering the disc throw mechanic is going to be the key to success in Catalyst's combat, but it's worth it; landing a hit after choosing the right angle with a disc throw is incredibly satisfying, especially if the enemy is at low health and the hit takes them out. Normal melee attacks are fine, if uninteresting, but coupling them with disc throws makes fighting the Core enemies much more unique.
Thrown through a loop
The new focus on action does not mean dialogue has been completely removed, however. Catalyst will still feature back-and-forth dialogue with key characters throughout the game, and choices will still need to be made. However, this time, the branching dialogue is an element in Tron: Catalyst's most intriguing element: Restart.
If Exo hits a dead end, Catalyst gives her the ability to "restart" the mission she's currently in, while retaining all of the information she's received thus far. While this does technically negate any progress made, it does allow you to approach the mission with a fresh perspective. Maybe the first time through a level, you turned left down a hallway, so this time you know that you should go right. Or, the first time you spoke to a character, you chose one dialogue option and didn't like the outcome, and now you can choose the other.
Catalyst adopts an isometric view.
Both chapters that were available in the preview build made heavy use of the Restart mechanic, showing off its full potential rather quickly. In one mission, I alerted the Core to my presence in the first conversation I had, so I had to continuously fight them off as I made progress in the story. However, just before I hit a dead end, a character gave me the ability to shield important data on Exo's disc from scans, meaning that when I restarted the loop and approached the NPC again, I was able to move freely and no one was alerted.
This looping mechanic is very neat, as it allows you to fully explore a level with fresh eyes as it seamlessly transitions back to the beginning of the area. What's more, if your main mission requires you to restart the loop, the game does not hesitate to tell you--this is important, as it removes the possibility of you aimlessly wandering around the city wondering what to do before realizing you have to restart. It's easy to get lost in this neon-soaked urban paradise, so the friendly reminder is appreciated.
Aspects of Identity's visual novel format are maintained in this sequel.
The Tron: Catalyst preview build only lasted about 90 minutes, but that's all the time it needed to make a powerful first impression. Some may have been dismayed by Bithell Games's choice to move away from the interactive novel approach of Tron: Identity in favor of an action-based format, but in the short time I spent with Catalyst, that shift seems to be paying off greatly. The looping mechanic is unique and interesting, and combat does just enough to be fun thanks to the strategic element of disc throwing. The dialogue elements aren't as robust, but they serve as an imaginative way to inform future loops in a given level.
Bithell Games' previous Tron game seems like the studio finding its Identity in this universe; this new entry is shaping up to be the Catalyst for a new flagship franchise for the studio.
Tron: Catalyst is set to launch for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Switch, and PC on June 17.
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