Tron: Catalyst Introduces a Time-Loop Twist to the Iconic Cyberscape

The original Tron has a particularly interesting place in pop culture, delivering the first movie about video games and the hidden worlds within computers. So it’s a wonder that the first film and its follow-ups still haven’t made that many forays into video games proper after more than four decades since the 1982 original. Thankfully, recent attempts from developer Bithell Games have done more to push the concept of Tron beyond just the imagery of speeding light cycles and fast-paced identity disc combat to offer more of a look into the inner machinations of the Grid.

With Tron: Catalyst, we have a new action game set within The Grid’s neon, grey-soaked setting to uncover a larger conspiracy involving the impending end of the computer world. There’s so much detail to admire that’s packed into Tron: Catalyst from my recent hands-on time, and with an interesting time-loop twist, it carries on the familiar Tron action from a new perspective.

Set after the events of both Tron: Legacy and Tron: Identity, you play as a courier program named Exo, who navigates the large megacity of the Arq Grid to complete her various routines. After discovering one of their packages was secretly a bomb which detonates while in the city, they’re subsequently framed and imprisoned. As she plans her escape, she discovers glitches in the Grid that allow her to roll back time, letting her take information and skills backward in the timeline to a recent point. With a plan set, she seeks out the real culprit of the attack to clear her name and foil a larger plot that will disrupt the foundations of the Arq Grid.

The previous Tron game that Bithell Games worked on was Tron: Identity, a visual novel-style adventure game. Catalyst carries many concepts from its predecessor, particularly its investigation and character interactions. Exo even rubs shoulders with some notable returning characters from Identity – such as the previous protagonist Query. However, Catalyst moves away from the static presentation of the visual novel and into fully explorable environments populated by programs, making sense of the uneasy presence of security programs patrolling the city.

In a similar vein to games like Death’s Door and Tunic, Tron: Catalyst has a balance between narrative-driven exploration and combat sequences within the larger city. As Exo, you’ll be able to interact with a set of other programs going about their time in the town, and when the investigative element kicks in, she can engage in combat, exploration, and rolling back time to overcome the odds.

The combat style in Catalyst does well to capture the sense of precision and patience when using the iconic identity discs, which double as a close-range melee weapon and a long-range projectile that can depress enemies. The combat mechanics, while fairly simple during this opening chunk of the game, offered some fun when it came to carefully taking out squads of security officers. A particularly fun moment I had was nailing a parry and then unleashing some strikes before throwing the disc to finish them off. That said, I am hoping for the combat to really open up properly as the story goes on, as the action sequences can feel a bit one-note after some time.

While exploring the city, Exo can summon her lightcycle to explore and whizz through the streets freely. But with the increased presence of Grid security, Exo is constantly under watch and can easily catch their attention, which launches a GTA-style manhunt for her. While you do have the run of the city, Catalyst is not an open-world game but rather uses its scale to present the different layers of exploration for its missions. Still, exploring the city on the lightcycle was very satisfying, especially taking in those slick Tron vibes.

Much like Identity, Catalyst is propped up by impressive writing that gives nuance to the various characters living in the Grid. As the investigation escalates, opening up new pathways to complete objectives, you can rewind to an earlier point to take a more optimal approach. These moments gave me the same feeling of being Tom Cruise in Edge of Tomorrow, where I could do certain actions to learn some secret motives from characters holding back intel, or gain the upper hand in combat.

Tron: Catalyst certainly nails the look and feel of Tron, and it particularly captures the brighter and more visually alluring style of 2010’s Tron: Legacy. But what I found interesting about Catalyst’s style and storytelling was that its plot and focus on the inner society of the Grid scratch the same itch as the vastly underrated and short-lived series Tron: Uprising, which dealt with a similar storyline about programs within the Grid seeking to overcome an oppressive rule.

So far, Tron: Catalyst is an intriguing step in a different direction from Identity. While the latter game featured strong writing and plot, it lacked a more compelling package to contain its ideas, and I do like this upcoming turn with Tron: Catalyst that Bithell Games has in store. It’s more of a stylish, if modest, action game, but seeing Exo maneuver through the city and fight through the different battles reminded me of some of the more daring moments from the films and animated series. It’s always fun to see Tron showcase its rich and alluring world, which will build up throughout Catalyst’s dive into the world of the Grid.