Publisher: Buena Vista Interactive
Ages: teens & up
Parental
Advisory:
Violence
Inspired by TRON, the early eighties science-fiction film, Buena Vista Interactive's TRON 2.0 is a first-person PC game that delivers entertaining action, and, like the film itself, a unique visual style.
With its high-speed light cycle racing and arena combat, the original TRON movie was essentially a video game on film. TRON 2.0 takes place in the present day, approximately 20 years after the events of the film. Playing as Jet Bradley, son of ENCOM programmer Alan Bradley from the TRON movie, gamers are digitized into cyberspace and solve puzzles, blow enemies to bits, fight bosses, race on light cycles, battle corruption both inside and outside of the computer world, and explore locations that include the internet hub, firewall, corrupted server and light cycle Game Grid. Throughout, the game serves creative and somewhat humorous variations on common computer functions.
For all practical purposes, the plot is pretty much a retelling of that in the movie. But the game dispenses creative new enemies that include resource hogs, Z-lots, finders and more. Weapons include the frisbee-style disc weapon from the movie, a glowing assault rifle, a rod for close combat and a ball that is basically a grenade. Despite the intriguing look of these glowing weapons, they function much as those in any conventional shooter. And this includes that glowing-Frisbee.
The game features 30 large levels and players can challenge themselves or up to eight others in 16 levels of light cycle racing. In light cycle races, gamers drive vehicles that leave trails and try to cut off their opponents before they are cut off-just as in the movie. Gamers can also compete individually or as teams with up to 16 opponents in 20 different gladiatorial disc combat arenas. TRON is a shooter so it emphasizes violence. But unlike lots of shooters, it doesn't serve gore and virtual blood.
TRON 2.0 does a terrific job of evoking the look of the original film and it offers impressive visuals. Notably, TRON 2.0 also features the voice talent of original TRON cast members Bruce Boxleitner, who reprises his role as Alan Bradley, and Cindy Morgan, who portrays Ma3a (mah-THREE-ah), an artificial intelligence program, as well as Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, who provides the voice of Mercury, the undefeated champion light cycle racer who teams up with the lead character to combat corruption in the computer world. In addition, Steven Lisberger, director, story and screenplay writer, and Richard Taylor, visual and computer effects supervisor, consulted on the project. And the music is from original TRON composer, Wendy Carlos.
In a sense, TRON 2.0 follows in the footsteps of the movie that it was based on. The original TRON film featured an innovative look with only a so so plot. And the game features that same innovative look with only adequate shooter action and entertainment. It's not a great shooter but a decent one. And fans of TRON should enjoy it.
9/22/03 www.daytrum.com Editorial Staff
