Tron: Evolution

The game plays out a lot like the good prince of persia games so if you like them you'll like this. The controls are great and are not complicated. You actually have to think about what you are doing and how to traverse the environments rather than it be on rails, again much like Prince of persia. If I have fallen off and died its my own fault for not doing what I should have and no fault of the games design. The combat has been deliberately designed to make sure you keep moving and not just stand there and button mash. To be more powerful you need to use acrobatics and disc moves to dominate your opponents. The lightcycles require getting used to as you need to memorise the level. It's very easy to fall off and die. These sections can be tricky but they are a lot of fun. The game also supports Playstation Move for the lightcycle sections (PS3 version only) for added immersion.The tank levels are fun as you feel very overpowered compared to the competition.

I haven't tried the online yet as I have been focusing on the singleplayer but it does look very impressive. Any experience points and upgrades you unlock online can also be used in the single player mode.

The graphics in the game are great and despite a limited colour scope (black and neon colours). The lighting and reflections make things seem real in a unreal world. Speaking of Unreal it uses the Unreal engine and holds up very well. The backgrounds make the scope of the environments look epic. The cinematics can look brilliant at times but sometimes it looks worse than the ingame graphics. This is mainly because the game looks so sharp and vibrant that the cutscenes look soft by comparrison. The game can also be played in 3D on compatable televisions (PS3 version only).

Sound design is top notch and the voiceovers are very accurate. Not all the cast from the new film lent their voice to the game but the stand ins fit perfectly. The music matches the mood of the game and sounds a bit retro (like the 80's film). The game also supports DTS audio (PS3 version only) which is better than the standard Dolby Digital.

The story is quite essential if you like the Tron universe. It is basically the second part of a trilogy. It links directly into the new film, and the film does reference events that happen in the game, and believe me there are big events that happen in this game. The Tron universe is represented very well.

So for fans of the film it is essential. It plays great, looks great and has an essential story. For non fans it is a great game that you will enjoy. It also serves are a good introduction to the new enhanced Tron universe that will be in cinemas in December 2010.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

This review only applies to the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game. The versions on other platforms are not the same and I have not played them. Both the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions are exactly the same with the exception of 3D graphics, Motion control and DTS sound which are exclusive to the PS3 version.

I read through previous reviews about the game being the Prince of Persia in Neon and they're completely true, but I loved the Prince of Persia games and when I first started playing this game I really enjoed it too. But there are those moments that make you switch off the console in annoyance. For example the first time you take on a tank - I nearly threw my controller at the TV - but once you go past the annoyances it's actually a brilliant game in my opinion. The storyline is a decent link between the two movies and it's actually quite enjoyable to watch the cutscenes just to find out what's happening. Controls can be a little annoying leaving you shouting at your character. I have Playstation Move but have no idea how to use it in this game. Online play is pretty impressive and it's fun to just hop onto a light cycle whenever you want. Soundtrack is the same soundtrack used in the new movie and it's fantastic! It adds to the fantastic use the developers put the enviroment to, even though it's a limited colour range, it still looks beautiful.

My son [14] always liked the original sequel Tron PC game 'TRON-2' dating from 2003 [a sequel movie was on the cards back them, but only that visually outstanding PC game was created]. Tron 2 was a first person shooter and if anything the visual style of that old game is even better than this second sequel 'Tron evolution' and Tron-2 actually starred Bruce Boxleitner reprising his role from the original movie as Alan Bradley. It's not that this new game doesn't look great, but its third person gameplay does affect the graphics a tad. Still there's plenty of cool dropships, tanks and light cycles, and here you can switch to the light cycle anytime, plus there's both campaign and on-line gaming where your laser disc still has its uses. Predictably Tron: Evolution is also set inside the computer and all the imagery is familiar to any who have seen the original 1982 movie [my son had already seen and enjoyed Tron]. The word TRON is a 1980s Hewlett Packard BASIC debugging command and stands aptly for Trace ON. Interestingly first use of the term 'users' is credited to the influential 1982 TRON movie.

The startlingly original visuals for the Tron universe were created by comic book artist Jean Giraud (aka Moebius), with the vehicle designs (including Sark's aircraft carrier, the iconic light cycles, the tank and the solar sailer) created by industrial designer Syd Mead, of Blade Runner fame. Visually the new movie and this tie-in game are true to that original Tron universe - it's more a new hi-res version than a complete upgrade. Tron: evolution's storyline follows the uprising of the rogue code and "a new threat rises, a new destiny awaits and Tron is reborn" - watch the trailers for more. In terms of plot this game is the prequel to the new 2010 movie 'Tron: Legacy' and it follows on from the plot of the 2010 Tron Marvel graphic novel 'Tron: betrayal' and the original movie. Likewise the excellent game soundtrack mixes themes from Tron and Tron Legacy [Wendy Carlos and Daft Punk: 'Derezzed' and 'The Grid'].

So what's the game Tron:evolution like to play? Well my son enjoyed it very much. He liked the storyline and the PS3 controls [although he was happy with the clunky Tron-2 PC controls as well - he's just replayed that challenging game which runs fine under XP]. The Tron: evolution campaign mode involves a lot of jumping, ledge dangling, climbing, running, zapping and light cycle weaving along a virtual highway, while dodging adversary, dropship and tank fire. So it takes some skill to put together the required sequence of moves. The upgradeable light cycles feature in a few levels with their vapour trails still causing damage, plus you get to drive a light tank. Sadly there's no one-to-one light cycle duels as in Tron-2, except perhaps on-line, but the baddies have a mixed range of abilities, and you upgrade during gameplay. Although he's about, you don't play Tron, you are a 'server scanner' whose role is to help people. If, like my son, you excel at Assasin's Creed II you will find the Tron: Evolution PS3 controls easier. My son didn't like the 'Prince of Persia' series on the PS3, so I wasted my money buying him those, but he has bought into this Tron franchise.

The games no push-over, but with my son's young reflexes he finished the Tron: evolution campaign mode pretty quickly in one day, which pushed his experience level rating up to 22. This really helps in the on-line game as it makes you a lot more powerful [my son quickly rose a couple of points to 24 once on-line]. He also enjoys the on-line Tron battles. On-line gaming is teamplay based [deathmatch and capture-the-flag/node], you can use the Tron disc weapon and you get life by jumping up and accessing electric strips on the walls. The game doesn't come across as that violent for preteens as you just disintegrate into sparks when you die [hence the 12 rating]. Perhaps the only downside is that Tron storylines were never that complex and even the fantastic Tron visuals that made up for that, startling though they are, are pretty samey throughout the game. Although there aren't many maps as yet, my son thinks on-line gameplay is as good as the likes of Black Ops, but the playing style is so different it's difficult to compare them [as you fight with a Frisbee]. In all, this is an above average movie tie-in game.

So my teenage son and his mates consider this PS3 game a hit with good challenging gameplay, interesting storyline and great Tron universe visuals, and he rates it 4.5*. If you like this game, also check out Tron-2 s/h for the PC, and although it's got even harder game-play than Tron: evolution [PS3] it does include Syd Mead's re-designed Light Cycles in one-to-one combat [modified versions of Tron-2 were ported to X-box and Nintendo Advance].