Tron: Catalyst Hands-On Preview
I’m sure it’s a feeling we all know: a new movie tie-in game gets announced, and you have that feeling. You know the one: that it’s going to be a waste of time. We’ve had a few lately which have shown it’s not always the case, and the announcement of TRON: Catalyst had me wondering if it’d be one of those too.
So I’m glad to have had the opportunity to take a look at a demo build ahead of its release and hopefully put my mind at ease.
TRON: Catalyst puts in the role of Exo, a courier program who gets caught up in some Grid-changing events whilst delivering some packages. She gains the ability to create a Glitch Loop, allowing her to replay events, which becomes incredibly important to the future of this particular Grid.
The demo covered the first two of the game’s chapters, and the setup provided has you working through a series of locations, completing small quests to keep the story moving. I’m thankful said tasks don’t drag out too long, so the game’s pace is pretty nippy as you alternate between chatting with other characters to get assignments, and completing them.
It’s also where the Glitch Loop ability comes into play, as some tasks require you to force one in order to coordinate your next step. I have to admit, as much as I love the concept, I’m hoping that later chapters offer some more involved uses of it with some trickier puzzles to figure out ,over using it to just complete a step in a quest.
You’ll also run into hostile guards along the way, requiring Exo to fight her way out with her Identity Disc in order to carry on. Fights are conducted both at short range with various melee swipes, but also at longer range with disc throws. It’s very much combat in the TRON tradition, and I found it easy to pick up. Thankfully, the game offers an upgrade system which will allow you to pull off those fancier moves like deflecting an enemy’s disc back at them, hoping to make things as fluid as the movies once you’ve fully powered Exo up.
The one feature I really wished I had more of a chance to play with was driving around with your Light Cycle. It came in handy when exploring the city during the second chapter, as you cover ground quickly, zipping about at speed. I was a little bummed there was no chance to fight enemies while riding it, as seen in the game’s trailers, so I can’t wait to see how that will feel with the final release.
TRON: Catalyst’s release is only a few short months away, but my time with this press demo has left me with plenty of positive impressions. I can really see the potential on offer, and though some might decry it for being a smaller indie effort, I feel it’s a better fit for the series than a big AAA effort. Plus, what I’ve experienced of the story so far has got me curious about what’s in store for Exo as well.
Tron: Catalyst is coming to PC, PS5, Xbox Series and Switch on June 17 2025
