Disney’s TRON booth at E3 was hard not to miss. With the signature glowing blue neon and light-cycle in front, many gamers homed in on it. So how was the game, TRON Evolution? Developer Propaganda Games showcased the demo which featured at least two distinct parts of the game: parkour third-person gameplay and light-cycle racing.
The parkour element will have you wall running and leaping across neon environments while combating enemies and avoiding the yellowish Abraxas virus. You can get an idea on where you had to wall run or which direction you had to go by the slightly more illuminated lines and circles. Your energy can be replenished by running over some white panels or leaping off other structures. When juiced up, you can execute powerful moves and fling your powered-up disc to take out enemies. This keeps you consistently on the go. At first, it took me some time to get the hang of how to get around a level, but once I figured it out and got the power attacks and recharging down, I enjoyed the quick pace combat and sleek, nicely lit environments.
The light-cycle element was just as fun. This part of TRON Evolution plays like a racing game, with a constantly changing track like Disney’s other game, Split/Second. You can’t affect the environment like Split/Second, but there are many alternating path. The Recognizers, tanks, and other light-cycles will try to take you out. You can toss your disc to fend off the enemies. The pace of the racing sequence was extremely quick, while capturing the slick signature geometry and lighting of TRON. The light-cycle in the game is a variation of what you’ll see in the film. You will also be able to control one of those classic orange/red TRON tanks.
TRON Evolution takes place before the events of the upcoming TRON: Legacy film. It is a prequel, which features at least one character you’ll see in the film, Quorra (as portrayed by actress Olivia Wilde). There won’t be any spoilers for the film, but TRON Evolution will provide more of a back story, specifically on a virus run rampant, Abraxas. With Propaganda Games in Vancouver, the primary place where the film’s shooting also happened, the game developers had access to easily collaborate with the filmmakers. The game will be out before the film, so if you’re looking for a richer experience, TRON Evolution looks like it will serve that well.
TRON Evolution looks promising, fun and delivers some of the defining elements you love from the original film. There is still much more to be revealed on the storyline and multiplayer, but Propaganda Games is on to a game that looks like loads of fun and doesn’t just try to pass as a movie game.
See a couple of the props that were on display at Disney’s E3 TRON booth here, which also includes a few very cool looking TRON controllers for the PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii.
Watch the TRON Evolution trailer below, from Disney Interactive Studios and Propaganda Games. Visit the official website for TRON Evolution here. Keep your sights on TRON Evolution!
See more E3 2010 news from GamingBits.com here.
