Tron: Catalyst Reviews
TRON: Catalyst leverages the mythos of its long-running setting for an intriguing premise, one hampered by middling combat and objectives.
TRON: Catalyst proves that there are still plenty of stories to be told on the Grid, even if it never fully realises this potential itself. Its narrative is well-written and engaging, it faithfully captures the aesthetic of the films and has perfectly function combat and exploration, but its repetitiveness and inability to fully take advantage of the possibilities of TRON's 'discfu' leaves it feeling like version 0.8 rather than 1.0 when it comes to taking advantage of the possibilities of this series.
TRON: Catalyst is a solid top-down action-adventure for TRON fans to experience more of the digital world. Despite its back-and-forth nature with the looping feature, it has simple controls, fun abilities, fast combat, and a detailed story to uncover, and of course, it has that precious Light Cycle.
TRON: Catalyst is a lot of fun. The mechanics of it mean you don't have to fear being derezzed (though depending on your difficulty setting it might get frustrating) and the fact that starting again (though not exactly from scratch)… adds a nice twist to what might otherwise be a fairly standard isometric action game. Certainly if you are a fan of TRON and like the idea of the wider TRON universe, give it a look.
What could have been a truly compelling experience ends up feeling like a festival of missed opportunities and half-baked ideas. With a shallow execution of its concept and a short runtime of about six and a half hours, Tron: Catalyst disappoints. Both the franchise and the players deserved better.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
TRON: Catalyst gets off to a good start, promising varied gameplay and a neat time-loop mechanic. The trouble is, it soon devolves in a dull affair with way too much repetitive combat, and the time-loop mechanic is mostly wasted.
TRON: Catalyst is a fun, futuristic game full of disc battles, Light Cycles, neon, and time loops. It's a title to try out for yourself!
TRON: Catalyst is a good adventure game set in the TRON universe. The looping mechanics are interesting, as is the combat. However, overall, it is a short, simple game with a reasonable story.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
TRON: Catalyst is a game that delivers solidly across nearly every aspect: from the length of the adventure to its combat system, from the art direction to the soundtrack, and even its fair launch price. But this very consistency - without major highs or lows - is both its greatest strength and the factor that holds it back from true greatness.
Review in Italian | Read full review
This title fails where it matters most; its core gameplay loop is broken. The art/story deserves better, but they can’t redeem such flawed mechanics. A rare ‘do not buy.’
Review in Persian | Read full review
Bithell Games was overly ambitious with its time-loops idea, resulting in several poorly implemented mechanics. The combat is mediocre and the exploration somewhat repetitive, but Tron: Catalyst has a very good story with relevant themes, intriguing lore, and a great setting that may make it worthwhile for fans of the series.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
As a gamer who grew up when so many movies were relegated to shlocky video game adaptations, I can confidently say TRON: Catalyst is not that. But even though this is a faithful and creative game experience, it’s also one that’s not always well balanced and feels a bit too padded out for this gamer. That said, diehard fans of TRON will probably find plenty to enjoy in this neon-hued adventure.
It’s not that Tron: Catalyst is a disastrous game plagued by bugs, poor design choices, and technical hindrances. Nah. Technically-speaking, it’s all sorted out, and the presentation is, at least, quite good. The cycle rewind system is also a fantastic idea, reverting me back to the good old Majora’s Mask days. But it’s just a painfully boring game, as PLAYING it isn’t very interesting. You can put the blame on the crappy combat system, and the fact this is probably the least exciting Light Cycle implementation in any Tron game – nay, product in general, period.
TRON: Catalyst nails the vibe and tale - but repetition, unevolving combat and reliance on series language and lore ultimately hold it back.
Anyone who loves "TRON" and was also won over by the last film, "TRON: Legacy," will find plenty to fall in love with in "TRON: Catalyst."
Review in German | Read full review
With TRON: Catalyst, the iconic Disney license finally gets another video game spin-off, which is only natural given the scenario. The game does a very good job of recreating the world, especially visually and acoustically, so the license is put to good use in this regard. But beyond the beautiful facade, TRON: Catalyst unfortunately fails to fully convince. On the one hand, there is the very slow narrative style of the story, which simply fails to generate any real tension. Generic characters without any real unique selling points contribute to the fact that it is difficult to really identify with the story. On the other hand, the basic gameplay fails to ignite. The mix of exploration and combat is fun in principle, but ultimately all the components are very superficial. Both the combat and upgrade systems offer little depth, so that the passages outside of the dialogues feel just as tedious as the story progression. At first glance, TRON: Catalyst certainly shines with the typical TRON look and feel, but it fails in the areas that are actually important for a game of this genre. In addition, some serious bugs mar the experience. As a self-confessed TRON fanboy, I can only say: It's a shame, because there was certainly more potential here.
Review in German | Read full review
TRON: Catalyst is a visually stylish game that respects the essence of the franchise and delivers an interesting narrative, especially for fans of the TRON universe. However, the gameplay experience falls short of its potential. The combat is functional but simplistic; the glitch mechanic, despite being promising, is underutilized; exploration is shallow, with no real incentives, and the main campaign is short and lacking in challenge.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Tron: Catalyst is a solid action-adventure game that Tron fans will definitely appreciate. The pacing can be a bit jittery, especially towards the end, but the exciting combat and intriguing story make this a worthwhile trip to the Grid ahead of Tron: Ares later this year.
Tron: Catalyst could be a gateway for newcomers to this type of game. The story is entertaining, but it requires you to pay close attention because it seems like there isn't much desire to tell it. There are no cutscenes, not even in-game animations to liven up the text; everything is based on static images, with no dynamism whatsoever.
Review in Spanish | Read full review