TRON: Legacy Review

TRON! I mean, what video game movie tie-in could be easier to make than a movie about a guy that is stuck in a video game? I don't want to make assumptions, but the game should be practically gift wrapped for Disney to make. Just toss in some movie clips, pump in some of that Daft Punk soundtrack, use Jeff Bridges voice for the character and bam, you've got a game. As Wolfgang Puck would say, "It's so easy!"

Instead of going the easy route, which in this case would be the better route, Disney's new TRON game is a game with an identity crisis. Half of the game is like Mario Kart, complete with wacky races and items in big floaty boxes. Sure, they were nice enough to add a light stream that doesn't kill you, it just knocks you off like a wall. In fact, nothing really kills you except for when you mysteriously lose your shield and start dying on impact with everything. The whole racing aspect of Tron just screams of a cheap Mario Kart knock off.

The other half of the game, which is really more like a third of the game, is a 'Recognizer' simulator. In it, you fly around really slowly on rails and shoot at things that move. If you shoot too much though your gun will overheat and you won't be able to fire. It's like playing one of those vector tank games back in the 80's, but with better graphics.

Really, if it weren't for the graphics, the game would be a total bust. As expected, the graphics are all very TRON, with neon light outlines and slick transparent blue hues dominating the rest. The textures are all quite nice, not jaw dropping, but certainly good enough to please the average TRON fan. The game also features what sounds like tracks from the Daft Punk TRON soundtrack, and that's certainly a step in the right direction but is certainly not enough to win me over.

For 99 cents, Disney has basically pieced together a game that will only hold over TRON die-hards that are still cooling down from the midnight showing for the next day or two. It isn't cool, doesn't possess even a touch of originality, and doesn't tie into the movie very well at all. I just don't understand, the TRON brand is way too cool for this game. I'd be so much happier with a remake of the original Midway TRON game.