Considering some of the lousy games that I've dropped fifty bucks on (usually based on misguided reviews), Tron 2.0 makes me feel guilty. I waited until this gem cost twenty dollars before finally picking it up, and it was worth four times that price. Meanwhile, Deus Ex: Invisible War burned an undeserved hole in my wallet.
Tron 2.0 is the out-of-left-field sequel to Tron, a movie that nobody has thought much about since it faded from radar back in the eighties. I'm not sure who decided it would be a good idea to resurrect this dinosaur, but they have some serious brass, and I'm damned happy they did. The original Tron came about at a time when video games had just hit the scene. The story is largely set within the stylized innards of a computer system, where programs are represented by humanoid characters. The movie's imagery, dashed with an obscene riot of primary colors, is vintage 80s, and looked as if it were lifted directly off the cover of an Atari 2600 game. But somehow, through the cheesy and dated surface, an evocative world was created. Against all odds, this world has been successfully translated and presented in Tron 2.0. The end result is one of the finest gaming experiences available for any platform, despite a handful of flaws.
Graphics:
I begin with graphics only because they are so central to Tron's legacy. The original movie was such a visually distinct creation that no purported sequel could survive without honoring what had been done before. Unfortunately, the world of Tron was painted in an era of snap-bracelets and skating rinks -- garrish nineteen-eighties neon which would look asinine today. Sets were built out of flat-shaded vector graphics. Characters were laced with goofy irridescent circuitry, in stark contrast to the ashen-faced actors. Somehow, with Tron 2.0, the basic visual theme has been retained without sacrificing aesthetic tastes. The scenery is still decked out in flaming colors. The characters are still enrobed in blazing streaks of light. But it all looks... right.
Monolith software should be proud. Their only inspiration was an outdated cult 80s flick, and they managed to forge a setting which retains the proper feel, but seems modern all at once. While most games strive for ultra-detailed reality, Tron 2.0 tries something different. It builds a unique world that has never been seen in a game before. And it succeeds.
The characters are generously supplied with polygons, and their circuits are embued with a fantastic glowing effect which needs to be seen in motion to appreciate. Surfaces are graced with a reflective sheen, and the scenery is generally comprised of multiple layers of varying transparency. The designers clearly put most of their polygons into the characters, but the low-poly environments make sense, and give the false impression of detail due to sheer artistry. The game, regardless of its technical merits, is a visual marvel.
Gameplay:
Tron 2.0, unlike older games in the series, is a first-person shooter. It shares more in common with Deus Ex than with Quake, owing to its relatively deep inventory and upgrade system. Jet, your character, has a defined set of characterstics which can be upgraded as he earns experience points. His skills can be further augmented by "subroutines" -- the Tron version of Deus Ex's biomods, providing new weapons, armor, and peripheral abilities. These power-ups can be installed on the fly, so there are never any disastrous choices to make. You can keep every subroutine you discover in your inventory, and load them into action when needed. Of course, you can only have a finite number of subroutines running at a time, so there is still some strategy to be found.
At times, Jet can upgrade his subroutines -- making them more powerful, and "optimizing" their code so that they occupy less room in his inventory. This allows him to equip more features at once, becoming significantly more powerful. This also allows the player to have a hand in customizing the character without generating too much stress in choosing which features to keep. It's a nicely balanced system -- rewarding and strategic without feeling restrictive. Impressive.
Jet has a nice variety of weaponry ranging from his standard boomerang energy disk (a Tron staple) to energy cannons and "viral" grenades. Some reviewers feel that the disk is the only weapon really needed, but they have clearly not taken the time to learn the other arms. Every single weapon serves its purpose, and there are circumstances when one is certainly better than another. Weapons are generally satisfying to unleash, and provide a strong sense of combat. There is a certain allure to hurling that energy disc at the head of some rogue program, and it is captured flawlessly here.
All the upgrades and options result in a fairly hard-to-grasp interface. Standard game conventions (like your inventory...) are Tronned up with new terms (...is now a subroutine library). The instruction manual reads like the user guide for a server. To be fair, it doesn't take long to become comfortable with the setup -- but that first hour will be a little queasy as you adjust to the game's "clever" computer terminology.
The main game is punctuated by "mini-game" sorts of things, which are essentially upgrades to the orignal arcade games. Tron 2.0's strongest suit in this regard are the light-cycle races. The light-cycle sequence was perhaps the most memorable part of the original movie, and the thrills are nicely reproduced here. Light-cycles are, basically, a sci-fi version of Rattler-race, in which each bike produces a long, persistent "wall" of light. Other racers are destroyed if they run into your wall (and vice versa). The goal is to trap the other racers in these walls of light without getting all tangled up yourself. The light-cycle games are made somewhat frustrating by some camera issues, but with enough practice, you'll adjust. Happily, you can play the light-cycle races separately from the main game, allowing for some quickie arcade fixes when needed. It is an ironic footnote that the races look considerably more impressive here than they did in the original movie.
Challenge:
Tron 2.0 is hard. Really hard. On the "normal" difficulty setting, it will occasionally make you very angry. Enemies have excellent aim, are nearly impossible to dodge, and their weapons do large amounts of damage. Health refills are limited, and even small amounts of damage become cumulatively lethal after two or three battles. Bad guys have a tendency to sneak up on you at strange times, and begin attacking without warning. By the time you've swung to face your assailant, your health is decimated.
Luckily, the game seems designed with this in mind. A press of F5 activates a quick-save feature at any time. I suggest you use it often. Tron 2.0 is blessed with transparent background saves and lightning-fast -- almost instantaneous -- reloads, so the constant death/try again/death/try again cycles are actually rather tolerable. Even the most dire situation eventually reveals itself to be surmountable, and the persistent player will succeed. Lesser players will cry foul and stop playing. But it is, ultimately, required that you perform near-perfection in order to prevail. Good luck.
The copious platform elements should also be noted. Many levels are marked with precarious jumps, often considered a no-no in FPS games. I have no problem with them, but to others, these segments will be anathema. You're warned.
Performance:
I'm playing this thing on a high-end system (3.2 GHz P4, Radeon 9800 256MB, 1 GB RAM). Performance was flawless. Your mileage may vary. That said, I suffered no crashes or strange quirks.
One matter of convenience -- maek sure to download all applicable patches BEFORE playing. For some strange resaon, all Tron 2.0 patches will render your previous saves obselete. I've never seen this before in a computer game, but I have been unable to upgrade my copy because I had progressed too far before realizing the problem. Oh well.
Overall:
Tron 2.0 is an impressive feat. The original movie is a curious little creation -- more a fascinating nostalgic confection than a legitimately impressive film. That said, this sequel expands the Tron universe in magnificent ways, manipulating the central ideas and images of the film into a gripping and enjoyable modern game. Considering how many ways this project could have imploded, Tron 2.0 is a shocking success. Highly recommended.
Tron 2.0 (Mac Games) Brought to you by your friends at UbberGames.com Product Description Tron 2.0 retains the look and feel of the films environment,...More at eBay
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