Pros: true to the original movie (just better), finally a franchise that delivers (big time)
Cons: can be very difficult, somewhat confusing light cycles game, (requirements)
The Bottom Line: Die-hard fan or not, Tron 2.0 is an extremely worthy interactive upgrade to the original movie. Awesome graphics, good controls and captivating game play. HIGHLY ADDICTIVE!!!
The most anxioulsy awaited game this year finally became available. (Judging from the promotional material, it just had to be awesome ... even if you're not a die-hard fan of the 20 year old movie.) Finally on August 26th: Here it is!
And it could not be more up-to-date after a week that has been called the 'worst in virus activity ever' (Symantec). One of them is even called Blaster.worm, how fitting is that? Here you go, do something about it. With Tron you can get into your computer and do it yourself. Don't send a program to do a man's (or woman's) job!
In a nutshell the movie was all about video arcade owner Flynn who tries to prove that his former employer ENCOM stole his video game programs. He hacks into the computer system but the entire system is under the watch of the Master Control Program (MCP), an insatiable watchdog created by the villainous ENCOM executive named Dillinger.
The MCP shutdown causes problems for current ENCOM engineers Lora and Alan (creator a security program he calls TRON to monitor every aspect of ENCOM, even the MCP). Together with Flynn they break into ENCOM after hours and hack into the system from inside. The MCP finds Flynn at a terminal and digitizes him into a billion electronic parts. Flynn is now in an electronic world where programs take on the humanlike form of the Users who created them, all ruled of the MCP and his murderous henchman SARK.
Flynn is taken into custody sentenced to do battle on the game grid. Flynn meets Alan’s alter ego program TRON. Together, Flynn and Tron escape the game grid and set off to sabotage the MCP...
Twenty years later the game picks up... Alan Bradley has finally replicated the technology needed to successfully digitizing a human being into the computer inclusive the correction algorithms required to safely restore one to the physical world.
Future Control Industries (fCon) is interested in Alan's technology for their own nefarious purposes. By digitizing specially trained hackers codenamed DataWraiths, fCon plans to infiltrate the world’s computer networks from the inside.
Alan suddenly disappears under mysterious circumstances, his son Jet discovers a plot spinning out of control that threatens to corrupt one reality and forever transform another. And you guessed it, YOU become Jet in your process of being digitized. Hence it's YOU who has to save the world....
// Key Features:
How does all that translate into a good game? Well, this first-person action shooter features over 30 levels in single player mode. On top of that, a multiplayer mode (which I am not going to review ... yet)
The Single-player mode is split into to 2 types of gameplay. Normal mode is the somewhat standard 3D world where hostile programs try to prevent you from completing your task and pretty much disintegrate you. The other mode is the action-packed 3rd person light cycle racing transparent grid. The idea is great, but certainly takes some time to get used to steering the cycle which only goes straight and in 90 degree turns. The bikes were re-designed by film concept designer Syd Mead (TRON, Blade Runner and Aliens).
The game's weapons, I mean subroutines, start with the updated disc that 'slices and dices' virtual enemies as well as can be used to block their attacs (if fast enough). There is 3 more basic weapons, but so far the disc appears to be the most usable of them all. However, the disc for instance gets confiscated and then rod for instance has to do until the disc has been recovered. Or in order to solve certain puzzles the power of the blaster subroutine is needed. In normal combat, the disc seems most effective in the first few levels. All 4 categories (disc, rod, ball, mesh) are upgradeable as the game continues which makes it a total of basically 12 weapons.
Tron2.0 sort of departs from the super realistic rendering of the very latest games and creates a somewhat surreal feeling with the very techno environment. The LithTech(tm) Triton System signs responsible for the amazing glow effect that surrounds pretty much every object and is part of the reason for the steep hardware requirements. The new 'TRON glow' effect has been specifically designed for TRON 2.0 and by nobody less than nVidia themselves.
In Multi-player mode up to 16 players can compete individually or in teams. This certainly adds to the value of the game especially due to the sports like character of some arenas. The cycle game is 'limited' to 8 players simultaneously.
// How does it play?
Even though the installation requires to enter the serial number from the disc, the game still insists on Disk 1 as a dongle in order to actually run. (The game's whole 2.4GByte, however, are stored on the hard drive.) Sure, there is software to bypass this under the sacrifice of additional disc space, but the annoyance for normal users remains.
Setup has many options to tweak the game regarding available resources and I simply chose to enable every effect with maximum quality. Pleasant surprise: The game ran very smooth in 1280x960 on my Radeon 9700 Pro, even with 4xAA enabled. (The marketing clearly favors NVidia's boards due to the close cooperation in developing the game.) Anyway, no visible issues arose on the 'alien' ATI board.
Graphics are simply amazing in their perfection despite the departure from realism. Tron2.0 glows like no other. Characters are very detailed and excellent animated. Add amazing transparency and great detail and this may be one of the most innovative games of 2003. (The other one that comes to mind could be XIII which was released in November 2003.)
Controls are standard PC and very similar to Unreal Tournament 2003. Different from many other new games, TRON2.0 actually supports a joystick or gamepad, however the implementation is rather half-hearted. It only works for the analog axis' but non of the buttons can be configured in the game. Especially annoying since for tasks other than running and looking (i.e. throwing the disc) one still has to reach for either keyboard or mouse. (see end for update)
Enemy AI is tough and one will quickly find out that there is more to survival in this mainframe than just running around and shooting. On will find code pieces in order to upgrade the own program. Though difficulty can be adjusted to either easy, normal, hard or insane, I just played Normal so far and it's still a good idea to save often. Mainly because one has to upgrade armor from 0% and enemy discs are painfully deadly at that 'protection' level.
The gameplay is streamlined and story driven. In fact it feels so much like the movie from a 1st person point of view, that I consider it one of the first really interactive movies (that happens to be a game). This impression is supported by many reference to the movie and the time inbetween throughout the game.
The major departure from most 1st-person shooters, however, is the complexity of the inventory management ... here called memory config (since we're a computer program). Capacity is not limitless and one has to make decisions between different upgrades and actions due to limited spaces and available energy. Further, most routines absorbed must be processed (converted, defragmented or disinfected) before being useable. Optimizing upgrades effectivity and compresses routines to allow keeping more of them active (in RAM). However, optimization routines are hard to come by and single use only, so one must choose wisely. In this regard it's more of a RPG than a (pardon me) 'dumb' shooter.
The progress can be saved at any time, which certainly helps since hostile programs have little to no mercy and initially it takes some time to master the blocking / fighting technique. Afterall, in normal mode there is not much forgiveness to expect and the screen goes dark every so often. (Tron2.0 utilizes the shut down effect known from old tv tubes for the event that you're eliminated. Don't worry if you don't know what I mean, you will see it quite often.) Using the Quickload, one is back in the game within seconds.
Sound matches the graphics and is of very good quality. It supports EAX, though that's something I am writing on good faith since I only have 2 speakers and would not know the difference anyway.
The remainder of the game, however, is not that different from other 1st-person shooters in the way how to navigate the room and fullfill objectives. Jump, run, hide, shoot, survive, discover, solve and interact are the basic activities.
// But, are YOU worthy?
As other games (i.e. Enter the Matrix ) already indicated, the minimum requirements are shifting lately to allow developers create better looking games. T&L hardware is one requirement that pretty much cuts out older hardware than a GeForce or a Radeon, but allows handling more more complex models and effects.
My system is a P4 (2.4GHz, 533FSB) with 1GByte RAM (DDR333) and a Radeon 9700 Pro. Not top notch anymore but still quite a bit above the minimum requirements ...
- Windows® 98/Me/2000*/XP*
- Pentium™ III or AMD Athlon™ 500Mhz
- 256MB RAM
- 32MB Direct3D-compatible video card
- Hardware T&L
- 32-bit color
- DirectX™ 9-compatible driver
- 2.4GB free Hard Drive Space
- 8X CD-ROM
- 16-bit DirectX™ 9-compatible sound card
- Multiplay: 56k modem, DSL, Cable Modem or LAN
- 100 BaseT LAN connection for Light Cycle Multi-play
- DirectX™ 9 (included)
While this will do for a basic game, it certainly goes up with increased details. To play with medium detail level requirements increase to a 1GHz P3 with 512MByte RAM and at least a GeForce 3 with 64MB video RAM. Another notch up, the high detail level bumps the needed CPU up to 2Ghz P4 and a GeForce 4 Ti with 128Mbyte video RAM. On top of that a Sound Blaster® Audigy 2 sound card and for Multiplayer at least DSL or Cable Modem.
The game's documentation lists actually a GeForce FX as the recommended card but rest assured, even 'lesser' graphics boards can run this game smoothly (judging from a Radeon 9700 Pro @ 1280x960). However, the game insists on T&L hardware and will not run on any board that does not have it. Despite having NVidia develop the glowing effects, they will look just as good on an ATI.
The list of the supported chip sets includes NVidia's GeForce FX all the way to GeForce 2 as the minimum. ATI's list goes from a Radeon 9700 down to a Radeon 7000 but it can be assumed that newer boards like the 9800 should not have problems either. The only other supported chip manufacturer is Matrox with either the Parphelia or the Millennium P750. (Note: Hercules, Elsa, GigaByte, Asus etc. often use ATI or NVidia chips.)
If these requirements are too steep, check out XIII since it does not require T&L hardware and should run on a broader basis than Tron2.0.
// Finally
Despite the discrepancy between most hype and the reality (called game play) for most franchise based games (i.e. Enter the Matrix), Tron 2.0 actually delivers and is a worthy successor of the original movie. (Forget about half-baked games that came inbetween.) Another sort of franchise based game that rocks is Midnight Club 2, but that's another story ...
Overwhelmed by the amazingly detailed computer world and awesome glow effects, I may barely remember the original movie (yeah right the classic of computer generated movies) but I am about to be digitized and assimilated by TRON 2.0, the funny thing is, that I even consider it a good thing.
System requirements are steep and rewarding at the same time. Then again, I mentioned before that the game industry has to do that in order to gain an edge over the so successful consoles. One thing is for sure: This will become the rule rather than being an exception. (Exception: XIII)
Anyway, the game is easy to learn but somewhat hard to master. It leaves enough variety and complexity to enjoy this game for a long time. Computer nerds, like me, will get a kick out of the technology related metaphors used throughout the game, like "it's good practice to save your progress before engaging in battle" or "have a nice microcycle".
What was missing in Enter the Matrix, is certainly done right (and then some more) in Tron2.0. Despite the limitations regarding hardware and controls, this is one of the best games I came across ... ever. (It's also hard to believe that Tron requires only half the disc space compared to mentioned coaster.)
The developers showed a great sense of humor and technical expertise in creating Tron2.0. One can tell they had a lot of fun generating the techno-lingo and explore the computer world from the inside.
Check out http://www.tron20.net for more info.
If the game proves too tough, here a few cheat codes that might help you out ...
mpkfa - All weapons, full health, full energy.
mptears - Repeat effect of above cheat.
mphealth - Restores full health
mpgod - God mode
mpmaphole - Level Skip
(Careful with the 'excessive' use of the god mode, the player profile might become corrupted. When this happens no energy can be recharged or used. Try to revert to the previous saved game, if that doesn't work one might have to create a new player ... and loose all progress.)
// Update (29-Aug-2003):
Monolith just released an update v1.02 that allows to skip the light cycle game in SinglePlayer and apparently fixes some issues with the Radeon 8500 and 7500 series. (Have not seen it on my 9700.)
Note: In current version 1.02 don't skip the light cycle race in the antiquated server level. There is a known bug that will cause you to loose ability to replenish energy (similar to the excessive use of god mode - see above).
As far as the light cycle game goes, it actually grows on me. The (very) digital steering is certainly something to get used to, but at least initial enemies are not too tough. Arenas, however, are interesting and the transparent grid looks great.
Note: Pricing of the 3 vendors listed on Epinions simply has to be a mistake (especially bits.com with $69). The list price is $49.95 and BestBuy sells it right now for $39.95 (+tax).
// Update (17-Sep-2003):
Made it all the way to the old server level (4.8.3) until I realized that despite consciously selecting Normal difficulty it seemed to have chosen Insane instead. The trigger was the boss in this particular level that just seemed indestructible. Tron2.0 allows to change difficulty in the game, and setting it to Easy finally allowed me several tries later to pass this level. (I preferred the 'honest' route since cheat codes don't give you the satisfaction of actually defeating the rogue programs.)
In light of this discovery, I have to soften the criticism about the extreme difficulty of the game. After all it just did what it thought it was told ... and Insane is truly what the setting implies. (Easy, however, is not necessarily child's play either.) Having gone 'Insane' for a while, I am actually addicted to that difficulty level. Something doesn't seem right if I don't have to save every 10 seconds anymore. ;-)
// Correction (29-Sep-2003):
Game pad support is actually better than previously stated. While documentation does not cover this issue in reasonable depth, I just found out that other functions can indeed be assigned to the respective button on a gamepad.
The game pad configuration section in the options menu just covers pad specific axis' while the buttons are assigned under normal config. (By default only keys are pre-assigned.)
However, I have gotten so used to the excellent mouse/keyboard control, and I am not going to change half way into the game. (Jet5.6.8 just discovered the secret of the TRON Legacy code.)
// Update (10-Oct-2003):
Patch v1.03 has been released: "...
- Skipping the light cycle single player maps will no longer result in problems with energy transfer or sub-routine use.
- The multiplayer exploit allowing players to access weapons other than the disc in Disc Arena and Disc Tournament is no longer possible.
- Intel 865G integrated graphics chipsets are now accepted as a valid chipset by the game.
- Disc Arena 2 contains some additional blockers preventing face-to-face combat in all arenas."
// Update (20-Nov-2003):
Multi-Player game has been significantly updated (1.04) but since it's not compatible to SinglePlayer games saved under previous versions, it will have to wait until I finished my missions. (... which are even at about 78% into the game as captivating as before.)
Story-drive action adventure featuring over 30 levels of gameplay Multiplayer Light Cycle racing over online for up to 16 players 12 weapons, includin...More at Amazon Marketplace
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