18 years later, Tron mania is once again gripping video game enthusiasts as we gear up for the upcoming long-awaited sequel, Tron: Legacy. In Disney’s effort to cash-in on the current craze they’ve tasked Propaganda Games with creating a key into our wallets (not necessarily our hearts, mind you) by spurting forth the rushed final product that is Tron: Evolution. Evolution attempts to bridge the gap between the original movie and the 2010 sequel, following Kevin Flynn’s eventual elongated stay in his digital world and Clu’s rise to power. You take on the faceless Anon, a monitor installed by Flynn to protect the world inside the game after Flynn becomes suspicious of some happenings in the world. Since Anon is built as an anonymous character for players to impose themselves upon, he/she never becomes an interesting character to play. Anon has no spoken dialogue and is mocked by characters in the game for that very reason on multiple occasions. While the story that Propaganda has formed can be intriguing, you certainly aren’t missing anything by skipping Evolution. While the narrative leans towards one of the lesser components of the game, the actual means of combat and navigation feel strong right from the start. Equipped with a light disc, Anon is capable of pulling off some attacks fueled by parkour. Much like the 2008 Prince of Persia and other games featuring parkour elements, Anon can leap from walls bouncing his disc from enemies in an elegant fashion. The disc upgrades between different forms throughout the course of the campaign using special attacks. The disc can function as a bomb, a means of stunning, or as a way to infect the infected programs. Some of the programs Anon has to fend off are weak against certain properties the disc carries. While this gives the game a smidgeon of depth, the combat quickly becomes shallow as I resorted to using the disc as a bomb for most of my playthrough.
The aforementioned wall running mechanic is also used to run through environments, leaping from wall to wall and bounding over obstacles as a means of catapulting Anon through a mission. I must say, the camera makes all of the maneuvers Anon pulls of look cool, but working your way to a level’s end quickly becomes mechanical. The leaps and bounds over a bottomless hall lose their appeal only an hour into the game, as Propaganda never delivers any real complication to your progression. The only challenge to be found in Evolution’s wall running is faulty controls and a camera that tries to be cinematic but quickly becomes unruly. Evolution defaults into a monotonous trip through the world of Tron as it becomes a routine formula. Run on this wall, bound over that ledge, fight a group of enemies, the journey never deviates from its path. All the gameplay elements pulled me in for an hour, but as I worked my way deeper into Clu’s conspiracy, uninspired repetition becomes the name of the game. Even the unique leveling system in the game is neglected as you gather Megabytes or MBs to power up Anon quickly sour. Anon collects experience from most of the enemies he/she “derezzes” and this can be used for health upgrades, disc upgrades, etc. The issue quickly becomes the fact that Anon only collects 2 MBs per level, and there seems to be no other means of gathering MBs. There is a long list of upgrades, but half of them are dedicated to multiplayer, which for some odd reason can be upgraded during the campaign. The upgrade system is confusing if you haven’t delved into multiplayer yet, as Anon’s multi powers can be upgraded in the campaign. Anon’s upgrades also feel like they carry little weight as enemies become cheap and ledges that Anon can be knocked off of become more prevalent.
Luckily the checkpoint system is well implemented since Anon is easily “derezzed” in the latter half of the campaign. Evolution only draws any level of difficulty off cheap kills and poor control mechanics that sends Anon to a deletion. There were plenty of enemies that landed a one-kill or sent me over a cliff, which in turn lead to my inevitable frustration. Don’t even get me started on the “lightbike” and tank segments that are roughly designed. Every now and again, Anon will hop on his/her lightbike in a glorious display, to then quickly slam into a wall or fall through the track you are racing across. You really get a feeling of speed as you race across a crumbling cyberspace but the speed is always slammed to a halt as a Anon hits a piece of debris. The tank segments are far worse, as the controls and camera suck any enjoyment out of blowing away the rogue programs. Almost everytime I had to take control of a vehicle, I uttered a groan. For a game like Evolution that is built around a sense of speed and urgency, the vehicles always end the breakneck speed. That really sums up Tron’s biggest issue. Propaganda developed a game around Anon being on the run, but there is always an obstacle that brings it to an abrupt halt. When Anon is flying through areas an enemies, I had a blast, but any form of enjoyment is killed by a cheap death or any of the wall-running puzzles that never deviate from the first. As mentioned previously, there is a multiplayer offering that certainly provides a bit of entertainment outside of the 6-hour campaign. Included in the foray are some light disc deathmatch and some lightbike portions that provide an exhilarating break. 10 players can duke it out on a handful of maps, which did deliver more on the feeling of Tron more so than the campaign.
Like most multiplayer offerings, Evolution’s will only provide a meager distraction for a few weeks unless Propaganda deals out some DLC. One of the few high notes that Evolution nails, is the inclusion of Daft Punk. Daft Punk easily pumps out some fierce mixes that intensify almost every segment of the game, but that is of course neutered as the mixes will cut out from time to time if you take too long on a specific segment. Olivia Wilde was also kind enough to lend her voice and face for the character of Quorra, but she her likeness translates poorly into the game. The soundtrack doesn’t quite make up for the poorly rendered cutscenes and ugly character design. Did I mention that almost every level looks exactly the same other than a few color changes here and there? No, well, there’s that too. The only real variation on each level seemed to be neon blue, orange and a green sprinkled in every now and again for good measure. It depresses me to think what Tron: Evolution could have been. That sense of urgency to save the game world is ever present, but it’s hindered by road blocks. The first hour is a strong show, as Daft Punk pulsates and Anon maneuvers like a dream. Hour two quickly becomes the same as hour one, with muddled controls and a janky camera. The story provides a nice setup for Legacy, but a lack of characterization in the form of Anon was discouraging. You’ll find refuge in the multiplayer, but it is hindered by the game’s large list of faults. Tron: Evolution was obviously the best effort Propaganda could pump out in time for the movie, but it quickly becomes evident that the tale of Clu’s uprising is sadly a rushed attempt to nab a fan’s dollars and sense.
