For a franchise that’s been on ice for the last decade or so, Tron has come back in a big way in the last few years. With Tron: Ares due for release in a few short months, 2023’s Tron: Identity, and now Tron: Catalyst, Tron fans have plenty of opportunities to spend more time in the Grid. Bithell’s second crack at a Tron title is markedly different from their first, abandoning the visual novel framework of Identity in favour of something a bit more action focused. While this gamble maintains the sharp writing and characterisations of the prior game, the gameplay leaves a little something to be desired.
Even though Tron: Catalyst does tie into and reference Tron: Identity, this is an entirely new story that can be enjoyed on its own terms. It’s centred around a program named Exo, a courier who’s unexpectedly thrust into chaos when a mysterious package explodes. The fallout leaves Exo impacted by a glitch – one that locks her into an inexplicable time loop. The Arq Grid’s governing body aren’t too fond of this, giving chase to Exo and all those involved with the explosion. Now wrapped up in something far bigger than herself, Exo sets out to uncover the truth behind the time loop and the Arq Grid.
Much like Identity, Catalyst’s narrative is its most engaging aspect. Mike Bithell’s regularly fantastic writing and character work is on full display here. It’s a world ripe for conflict, but also one for tragedy, which is where a majority of the focus is placed in Catalyst. It delves into what it means to be complacent under oppression and how authoritarian rule can beat even the most rebellious into submission. It isn’t all doom, gloom, and hopelessness, though. Tron: Catalyst also slingshots to the other side of that spectrum with some truly satisfying conclusions to its numerous character arcs.
It’s also very fleshed out in how it presents the events of its narrative through different perspectives. There are many factions within the Arq Grid vying for control, each with storied histories and motivations detailed in the main story and ancillary sources. It goes a long way to establishing the Arq Grid as a longstanding and historied grid within the Tron universe. It’s entirely authentic in all the right ways, without needing to lean on pre-existing material or nostalgia bait to get there.
While Bithell’s ambition in switching to an action-adventure framework is admirable, the end result is a bit of a mixed bag. Combat is simple and does the job for the most part, but unevenly distributes new tools and mechanics for you to engage with. Repetition sets in early and the whole thing can be easily circumvented through parrying, which is absurdly powerful when upgraded. It’s only after the halfway point that the game starts rolling out interesting new ideas that shake things up a bit, but it does settle back into that repetition again.
You’ve got a simple three hit combo, charge attacks, and of course, the ability to hurl your Identity Disc. Landing hits will empower your Identity Disc throws, incentivising you to get into the loop of charging it with attacks instead of tossing it out haphazardly. You’ve also got the aforementioned parry, and eventually the ability to steal enemy code to borrow their move set for a brief time. It’s initially robust but inevitably devolves into button mashing and waiting for parries.
No Tron game rooted in action is complete without a Light Cycle, though. Once unlocked, you can summon the Light Cycle at will in open areas. It’s a wicked way to traverse the Arq Grid, letting you zip around neon soaked streets in style. You can boost, dodge, and even emit your own Light Wall when you get into the odd vehicle-based altercation. It’s a really enjoyable part of the game and it’s endlessly satisfying to watch adversary programs get Derezzed as they collide with a streak of well-timed Light Wall.
The adventure part of that action-adventure tag is where Tron: Catalyst finds more success, though it does feel like it could’ve achieved more. The time loop stuff is initially quite interesting, allowing you to restart the loop at anytime, which is handy when an objective is inaccessible because of current events. The only real issue with it, is that the game spells it all out for you. Instead of finding your own way, almost every single objective is marked and you’re explicitly told when you can’t complete a goal and need to reset.
It holds your hand way too much, robbing the experience of any kind of non-linearity when it comes to the main progression. It’s a shame because these kinds of experiences can be the most rewarding to piece together, but Tron: Catalyst just ends up feeling like it railroads you for a vast majority of its five hour runtime. The time loop does result in some great moments, though, particularly in the final chapter as you revisit previous areas and characters from your journey in a tightly paced victory lap.
Even though you aren’t incentivised to explore and venture off the beaten path, there’s a lot here for those who want to learn more about the Arq Grid. There are loads of NPCs you can chat with to learn about the world, the part of the Arq Grid you’re in, what goes on in their lives, and so much more. Combine this with crates you can find scattered about the landscape to net some extra upgrade materials, there’s a lot worth uncovering – especially for those who love worldbuilding.
What Tron: Catalyst doesn’t have in raw visual fidelity, it more than makes up for in art direction. The Arq Grid maintains Tron’s distinct visual identity with bright contrasting colours painted against darker tones. What’s most impressive is the way this visual language is interpreted differently in each chapter. You’ll visit a variety of locations in Catalyst and each one feels remarkably unique without abandoning Tron’s eye-catching aesthetics. It also runs great on PC and the whole experience feels polished aside from some occasionally quirky enemy AI.
As a sophomore attempt at a Tron game, Bithell Games has produced another fantastic narrative that doesn’t quite have the gameplay chops to match. For Tron fans, more high quality narrative is going to be worth the admission price, and even for those who have yet to delve into the grid, this is a story worth experiencing. There’s no denying that Tron: Catalyst could’ve been something more, but it’s a title worthy of its predecessor and the world that it hails from.
